The Chef Is A Snob
As I was talking on the phone to the future Ms. Chef and potential Queen of Darkness ruling the world by my side, we were of course discussing the impending wedding. She has the dress and the ring and all of that, and has quite naturally decided to wear contacts instead of glasses for the ceremony. Since she hasn't worn contacts in several years, this has involved a bit of practice wearing them. It was then that our conversation took a momentous turn that led me to have an astonishing revelation about myself.
The future Ms. Chef asked me if I thought she looked better with contacts or glasses. While I don't disagree with the idea of wearing contacts to events like weddings, my response was, "Well, I think glasses make people look smarter. And smart women are hot."
Yes, there it is. Mind you, I'm not exactly a nerd with a glasses fetish, but I do find intelligent people to be more attractive. It's so rare nowadays, of course. The reason that so many Hollywood stars and teenage starlets (as well as ones who just act like teenagers) repulse me isn't because of their looks. It's because they're stupid, or at the very least do a convincing job of acting like they're stupid. When the average Hollywood star is asked their opinion on any given topic, the response is inevitably either misinformed, inarticulate, meaningless, or both. And that's not counting the other behaviors that show a lack of intelligence, like public drunkenness and having babies on their lap when they're driving. It just disgusts me.
I like to think that I'm a fairly intelligent and well-read person. Is it narcissism to like other people who share one of your good qualities? (I freely admit that I'm lacking other good qualities, such as sympathy, concern for others, compassion, and the ability to bake cookies.)
And it's not just a matter of female companionship and romance, but in ordinary life as well. I prefer to surround myself with those who're my intellectual equals. I'm a self-admitted intellectual elitist - those who either don't have or don't show that they have more brains than the average chimp are, well, beneath my notice. Or an object of ridicule, depending on my mood. (Keep in mind that I never claimed to be a particularly nice person.)
So, there it is. I'm a snob when it comes to matters of brains. Can I really help it if I enjoy hanging out with someone who has the intelligence to carry on a conversation about any number of topics rather than, say, being interested only in booze or women? Not that I don't like booze and women, but that's really only part of the equation. In friends, romantic companions, and even celebrity role models, is it really so bad to be picky and demand intelligence and learning?
See more articles from: Mystery Meat • Serious Commentary
The Maitre d'
Not really.
It's one thing to stand around checking out women based on looks alone, but I'm sorry, I can't do that. The best looking people aren't necessarily the most attractive (and looks may even count against them, as a backlash against society's values that you talk about). Things like personality, intelligence, and such have to figure into the equation.
But what shows true maturity is that you have an opinion and yet don't truly care which way she chooses to go.
The Chef
Mature?
Sir Silverware
The Maitre d'
As you may notice...
But yeah. I don't think people in Japan are actually crazier than us, they just flaunt it more.
And we direct our crazy into stupid things. See, Japanese women direct their stupid into... whatever it was I just saw when I clicked that link. Americans, however, we like to direct our stupid into things like reality TV and politics.
The Maitre d'
And speaking of stupid in politics...
Comparing your opponent to the Antichrist... what could possibly go wrong?
Sir Silverware
Sir Silverware
FWIW, I don't buy it.
The Maitre d'
Actually...
I do find it interesting that in the comments thread on part 1, nobody's really sure whether that's what they're saying or not. So I don't know that it's suddenly being recognized because that's the Democratic line being fed to people; I think it's probably contingent on how much exposure you have to that particular type of eschatology. Or, they could just be making fun of the fact some supporters treat him as a messianic figure; there's a very fine line between that and calling someone the Antichrist.
I'm sure that Democratic consultants helped it get noticed (the point-by-point comparison of the ad to Left Behind in one of the memos, for example). But it's not hard to get that vibe off of the video, and frankly, if that's what they're going for, it's kind of slimy. And to be fair, the video isn't what started the idea (for example, there's an article on Snopes about whether BO is the AC), it's just playing into something already there.
Sir Silverware
Sir Silverware
The Maitre d'
Definitely.
What's ironic is there's a certain contingent of fundamentalist voters who put Bush on the same sort of pedestal--perhaps worse, by saying he was somehow anointed by God for the presidency. It's funny because if that same thing happened in the Democratic party, he'd instantly get the AC tag by those same people. But either way, that's a scary thing to say about a leader--someone who believes that will immediately suspend all judgment about that person's actions. (I'm not saying Bush was eeeeevil or anything--heck, I voted for him twice--but there's a limit to how much faith I'm willing to put in a politician's judgment, ethics, and faith.)
Of course, the lesson here, and the lesson from the whole concept of the AC (which isn't "make a checklist and figure out who it is before it's too late!") is that you shouldn't put your hope so firmly in one person, such that you put them on a pedestal like that.
And yeah, it won't be hard for Putin to get that tag. Russia figures in prominently with Rapture crowd (or at least it used to)--probably a holdover from the Cold War.
The Maitre d'
More insightful commentary on the issue
Sir Silverware
Whoa