Susan Jacoby Nick Gillespie [5 of 7] Book TV

The Age of American Unreason

Category:

Education

Tags:

• reason
• fundamentalism
• religion
• science
• rationalism
• superstition
• atheism
• secularism
• university
• media
• tv
• internet

[HumanistDad]

Wow. Jacoby is incredibly 'elitist'. Her claim that the 'Friday the 13th' movies are "crap" and that there are other "good movies" out there to study is sad. Even if these movies appeal to complete morons they are worthy of study just to understand the culture of morons (who will always be in society).

[operationmongoose]

I thought the same thing while watching this. "It's crap", that's your reasoned argument?

[WrestlingHeretic]

I imagine that Jacoby's objection to Friday the 13th is not that it's too lowbrow for her rarefied, elite tastes. I suspect by "crap" she means it's prurient, misogynist exploitation.

[tanoki1]

Jacoby is a good example of the very anti-intellectuals and anti-rationalists she apparently attacks in her book. When presented with a simple question asking her to flesh out her reasons for opposing the study of Friday the 13th as a film and social phenomenon in its own right, her very "reasoned" response is "It's crap." Without even reading her book, I can probably summarize its contents pretty succintly--what is "intellectual" or "anti-intellectual" is simply what Jacoby defines as such.

[bmcombs]

I don't understand this interviewer. He was the editor of Reason magazine but seems to just randomly state assumptions based on personal experience and is upset when Jacoby provides facts disproving those experiences. Does he respect his limited personal experience of his family over scientific studies and information? Just because your children have continued reading post-potter or they have meaningful engagements on myspace clearly doesn't mean that the majority has or does...

[Brahmsfourth]

If you are going to an effective interviewer you permit your guests to complete their thoughts and then expound on the viewpoint at hand. Do not continuously interject and leave trails of tangents, instead of coherent discourse. I want to hear the guest speak, and it is common courtesy to let her/him do so.

[william629]

FRIDAY THE 13RTH IS CRAP!

[erkekler]

Really? Friday the 13th is not crap? It's really worthy of serious study? There's soemthing to be learned by carefully understadning that film, when even its star, former game show actress Betsy Palmer, has called it "a piece of shit" and said only took the part because she was desperate to buy a new car at the time, and no other job offers were coming in? The interview is easily found on YouTube.

[baracine]

1. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being an elitist, as she explained in Part 1 of this interview, unless you're a Republican politican runing for Office in Alaska.

2. The "Friday the 13th" movies ARE crap.

3. Your argument that they should be studied to understand the culture of morons - besides being elitist - misses the point. They are NOT being studiend to understand the culture of morons. They are being studied to PERPETUATE the culture of morons.

[wolfcon]

i think elitist is the wrong word for her as her book proves she doesnt care. i see her point just fine though. friday the 13 is a far cry from Poe. i could see watching one movie and comparing it but what are u really learning from a class about friday 13.

[thyfearfulsymmetry]

Having watched Friday the 13th movies (all of them), I'm going to go out on a limb and say, yeah, they're pretty much crap. Doritos are crap too, but I've been caught scarfing down a bag now and again. I would agree also, that Jacoby could be called "elitist" for her view, but I'm not convinced that is a pejorative; in fact I would consider it in this case a complement.

Also, go Humanism!