20.7.08

Elitism

There are times that I like to pretend that I'm not a cultural elitist. That somehow my mainstream tendencies, especially in cinema, and utter disdain for the culture of elitism creates means that I've somehow avoided being an elitist. That because I like Law and Order as much as I like Evelyn Waugh I'm not a bad person who looks down on others for their tastes in music, tv, and movies. I like to imagine that I don't judge people entirely on their choice of music or not knowing anything about the Kinks and Fred Astaire. I like to pretend that I'm not that kind of person.
However, I pride myself on my knowledge of musicals and the Kinks alongside my love of America's Next Top Model while looking down on people who like rap and can't appreciate a good black and white movie. I know that in most cases I'm a hypocrite through and through and willingly acknowledge that part of my personality. I just can't bare the fact that, despite not owning a single pair of drain pipe jeans, I've grown into the kind of person I never thought I would be. I was so sure that by not enjoying the majority of the films the rest of my family love and religiously watching ANTM and catching episodes of Law and Order whenever possible that I could somehow avoid being culturally elitist. That by not excelling in school for the most part and not going to a fancy uni I could avoid that stamp. I was wrong.
I'm a cultural elitist. I'm also a hypocrite. I take no pride in the former and acknowledge the latter because I know I must. Whether either label makes me a worse person, I can't say. It's just who I am.

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