From: Ahn@pop.cis.yale.edu (Eugene R. Ahn)
Newsgroups: alt.parents-teens
Subject: Re: Cultural elitism as a problem?
Date: 6 Oct 92 15:44:06 GMT
Followup-To: alt.parents-teens
Organization: Yale University

In article <BvpEw8.EC@csugrad.cs.vt.edu>, jonwllms@csugrad.cs.vt.edu (John
Williams) wrote:
> 
> cwilbur@polar.bowdoin.edu (Charlton Wilbur) writes:

{several nonsense paragraphs deleted}

> I also think that in a previous call to arms against the Cultural Elite 
> of the media, the poster used the same tactics of persuasion, etc, that she 
> accused the Elite of using. 

> I agree - the Cultural Elite is merely a political creation used to fill
> the void that the Soviet Union left behind.

Ooohhhhh! What a clever strategy! Compare the issue to another issue
concocted by the conservatives since we've been exposed to enough phony
ones in the campaigns! Nice one! And then compare it to the "red scare" as
empty, irrational fear! NICE!

WHAT!? Gaak! You fools miss the point entirely. By bringing this issue up,
I will inherently look like a real dick, because I'm making the implication
"here's something I know, which you probably don't know" which is
unavoidable since most (the three or so who reponded to this) of you are
reading into the whole issue wrong.

"cultural elitism" is a catch word which maybe I should have avoided
because it's obviously created responses of misunderstanding. By "cultural
elites" I'm not referring to a snotty, smarter-than-thou class in general
(what good does that label do?). Cultural elites refers EXACTLY to what the
two words mean, and take a look at them again! The top echelon of those who
determine American culture in the arts and the media. I am hardly one, and
probably, neither are you. It's an issue of power (which no one got the
main point, even though I capslocked the whole thing!!!) that we're all
subservient to.

This IS NOT an issue of conservatism against liberalism. THE FIRST AND
FOREMOST QUESTION THAT IS BEING BROUGHT UP IS: IS AMERICAN CULTURE AND THE
AMERICAN MIND SHAPED DISPROPORTIONATELY BY WHAT HE/SHE SEES ON TV, THE
THEATRES OR LISTENS TO ON THE RADIO? And if so, shouldn't we address the
fact that an imbalance exists in Hollywood, and often one POV gets
predominantly expressed (like I corrected myself, the television news
networks is a different arena, which actually may be imbalanced by
conservatism judging by the Gulf War coverage). 

If anything else, I personally hate the term "cultural elites". One person
wrote "Yale is a breeding ground for the cultural elites." Yuck. And yes, I
believe the name has a negative connotation that MAY be a conservative
ploy. But like I said, that's not the issue here.

I know this doesn't tell you when to tell your kids to go to bed, but I
hope someone hears the issue. As for now, I'm forwarding my original
argument to alt.politics.usa.misc (I think that's it's name) since I'm not
getting any interesting feedback here, and you can all go back to your
discussions about your children.

--
Mos Eisley  
"Children's television is like dog food. They don't care what it tastes
like as long as the kids eat it." Bob Camp, producer, now director of R&S,
on TV networks
Newsgroups: alt.parents-teens