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The SnobThread

20:58 / 24.10.04

Definately allowed in this thread:

Superiority complexes, self-righteous indignation, sarcasm, pretension, vanity, elitism, name-dropping, snootiness, high-brow, high-hats, above hoi polloi, and good ol' fashioned snobbery.

So, let's begin.

"A Snob's Ethos", is this man's cry to redeem snobbery

Living well or just plain obnoxious pretension. Cultured or cultroon? Why are snobs so amusing and yet so despised? Hmmm, is this post evidence of being a barbe-snob?

(How's my timing?)

05:09 / 25.10.04

Ominously preternatural.

It's almost as if you knew what I was going to say... before I said it.

05:39 / 25.10.04

Hey Alex, I hope you were also thinking of editing it.

06:16 / 25.10.04

arrgh!

People, just go with the snob theme. Tell your anecdotes, discuss snobbery, it doesn't matter to me.

What a fiasco this thread has been, already.

06:16 / 25.10.04

B, I really didn't mean to cause any offence, if that's what happened. And what I certainly wasn't trying to do was imply that you're a regular at Tiger Tiger, or anything like that. Apologies if you got that impression.

( One of those smiley things )

06:52 / 25.10.04

What is tiger tiger?

Alex, I appreciate that you wrote (one of those smiley things), rather than the

ONLY NICE THINGS

07:57 / 25.10.04

On hoi polloi... because Ancient Greek is a case-possessin' fool of a language, if you use hoi polloi with a preposition, you may for proper snobbery want to employ the correct inflected form.

So... probably in this case "above ton pollon", or for properly proper snobbery των πολλων.

That, btw, was metasnobbery...

Snobbery is an interesting one - Barbelith seems to have different standards than most of my real-life encounters - I think because it simultaneously as a group exercises it and is sensitive to feelings of victimisation *by* it...

11:01 / 25.10.04

Well, yeah... but doesn't everybody? That is to say, are not snobbery and feelings of victimization-by-same two inseparable sides of the same desperately-insecure, status-conscious coin?*

Seems to me that if one goes so far as to see oneself as superior, it follows, as day follows night, to feel it a great injustice when others do not share that opinion...

*Meta-rhetorical question; does the pathetic fallacy apply if the object in question is a metaphor to begin with?

Regrettable Juvenilia

13:41 / 25.10.04

Yeah, one could call what Jack's describing a neurosis of any 'middle' class or group (this comes up in literal discussions of class on Barbelith, but applies elsewhere): we have lifted ourself up out of the masses, and those who remain down there do so out of their own choice/failing; any animosity between us and them was started by them and there are more of them; therefore it is our right to be nasty about them; anyone who objects to this must think themselves superior to us and is therefore to be characterised as snooty, fey, over-intellectual - as, essentially, gay and posh.

As I say, it's not a mindset that's limited to Barbelith - there's a whole school of music criticism that's all about this kind of middle-of-the-road-ness - "we are not as normal as THEM but not as weird as THEM" - but it is demonstrated here with depressing regularity.

15:00 / 25.10.04

Haus, I realised my mistake on hoi polloi, immediately. Seeing as I am not a very good snob and more of a cultroon, I can only take pointers from the best and look up their noses in awe.

[insert sarcastic smiley here]

ONLY NICE THINGS

15:15 / 25.10.04

I don't see the sarcasm... or rather, I don't see any way in which sarcasm coudl be usefully applied.

15:20 / 25.10.04

Barbelith seems to have different standards than most of my real-life encounters - I think because it simultaneously as a group exercises it and is sensitive to feelings of victimisation *by* it...

Yes Haus, Barbelith is sensitive as a group, to feelings of victimization, even if some individuals are not. In the real world however, the level snobbery displayed online becomes quite obnoxious and in your face. Behavior which, *it would seem* is the very kind a snob would wish to distinguish themselves from.

15:28 / 25.10.04

I don't see the sarcasm...

I am sending you nose hair trimmers for Christmas, Haus.

ONLY NICE THINGS

15:33 / 25.10.04

Behavior which, *it would seem* is the very kind a snob would wish to distinguish themselves from.

Oooh - interesting and worthwhile point... theoretically, precisley the feeling of superiority to which the snob aspires should make them feel that they should be above. Or am I misreading the point?

15:55 / 25.10.04

Haus, you are not misreading the point. That is exactly what I meant.

It is especially interesting to me, that online communication creates the illusion of anonymity that allows for even a snobs standards to drop below the proverbial needle. Is this evidence of a desire even within the most orthodox snob, to let their hair down and sink to the most unfathomable depths, (in comparison to the standards set for themselves) and maraud with the masses?

Perhaps, it is not as exclusive a group, but it still fulfills a sense of belonging.

15:58 / 25.10.04

I was teasing you, Haus.

ONLY NICE THINGS

16:01 / 25.10.04

Ah. Sorry. You've caught me at a bad moment. Will move to delete.

16:34 / 26.10.04

Moderators worked too hard on this thread, revising it and what not, for me to let it sink.

Usually, I have very little in the way of "snob qualities". I am going to admit there are situations IRL were I have been grateful for the uncommon information and high-brow statements made here on Barbelith because I can sometimes use it to my advantage.

For example, at my work I meet lots of different people, from all over the world in many different occupations - mathematicians, chefs, bankers, truckers, lawyers, doctors, musicians, loads of IT people, etc...you get the idea. Barbelith helps me to deal with all sorts of situations and people and I can talk moderately intelligently for a few minutes on just about anything from ass-candling to cognitive social evolution.

Actually the best times are when I have a brief but satisfying moment where I can use the wisdom gained here to take out some of the real life trolls I also get to meet on a daily basis.

Just a tip: I work in a club.

One customer approached me one night, as I was pouring myself a glass of ice water. He was well dressed, he didn't appear to stagger when he walked; it was early, afterall. I smiled at him and he at me. Then he asked me if he could have a glass of water - as he was watching me pour mine. I said to him, "Here, take this glass." and I handed him my glass and got another one to fill. He takes the glass from me, sets it down, looks at it and then exclaims, "Are you sure that didn't just come out of your ass?" (No, really...he actually asked me this.).

Now, I am not terribly surprised by the language, but I am certainly mystified at how much mental yoga this dufus had to practice to be able to execute these feats of contortionism in his little, twisted mind. I looked at him quite blankly and said, "No. BUT! that certainly sounded like it did." I took a sip of water from the glass without taking my eyes of of him, (I had half a mind to spit it back out at him) and then walked off in the under-stated drama of snobbery with the sound of chuckles, snickers and outright laughter at the lackwit I left behind me. I wish I had been wearing a cape...oh right, I was.

Not regulation snobbery, but certainly an excellent snub.

This snub's for you Barbelith!

STOATIE LIEKS CHOCOLATE MILK

18:56 / 26.10.04

I can be fairly guilty of snobbery a lot of the time. It's one of the many qualities I dislike in myself, only leavened by the fact that I feel bad about it. Usually it's cos I know it's wrong to feel so- not just ethically, but in the sense of "incorrect", as well. Usually people I find myself feeling superior to tend to be superior to me. Maybe it's a defence mechanism.

Haus of Mystery

19:43 / 26.10.04

Wow Lil. i too work in a club, but that takes the everlovin' biscuit.

A plain old, Grade-A motherfucker.

21:39 / 26.10.04

Macgyver:

Can you believe it!? Even worse is, that is not the worst I have encountered.

However, there was a certain satisfaction in being able to play the snooty card and being entirely justified in doing so. I think if I was initially bitchy to him and told him, "Get your own water!", then a similar response could have been justified.

Stoatie: Usually people I find myself feeling superior to tend to be superior to me. Maybe it's a defence mechanism.

I hear you on the not wanting to be snooty. Your statement ties in with that. Being snooty just for kicks isn't really worthy of being called "snobbery", and certainly isn't correct. When I know someone is being snobbish to another for the accolades of their peers, or feeding their own ego-demon at the expense of another, this toddles off in the direction of *Jackass*.

It is hard not to feel superior to a Jackass,

You are forgiven, Stoatie.