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Why Academics Hate Pop Culture
Elitism & Its Peril
When academics disagree with popular culture, they are falling into the trap of assuming that because they are intelligent in one field, they must also be expert analysts in all fields.
Academics in Disagreement With Pop Culture
Recently, I recommended a show to a friend. I couldn’t stop watching this show and I thought my friend would appreciate it as much as I did. When I recommended it, he also managed to mention a show that he enjoyed and told me to watch it as well.
We both started watching them at the same time. I messaged him, saying that it was good, but not as good as my show. Interestingly enough, he responded with the same claim. And we laughed that we both thought differently. Now, who is correct in their judgment? I could say that I know cinema fairly well and I appreciate references and meta-narratives, suggesting that I am somewhat steeped in media.
I could also criticize my friend because he doesn’t speak English as well as I can, so maybe he does not understand all the dialogue as well as I do. But the factors can be endless. Maybe our difference of opinion boils down to us simply having…
