The Snobbery Misconception?

[MadnessFreak]

SilverBellsAbove

I agree. No matter what you do, you cannot eliminate porn. But I wish that it was advertised a bit more blatantly...

I clicked on a link to 'Literates only: Tolkien' and got hobbit smut by mistake. Ugh. While it was funny, I thought they could have said 'adult roleplay' or something along those lines. It boggles the mind, I say.

I resisted the temptation to laugh at that.  

[Setsu-P has stepped out]

-Swamp Sparrow-

I think it's due to persistent stereotypes. Look at media representations of people. The "intelligent", rich, and powerful usually have British or at least European accents, while people that are considered stupid have poor gramar and a Southern accent. We've actually been looking at this in my White Trash Fiction and Dirty Realism course at school. It's fascinating to look at these representations in literature.

I always thought the accent thing was a Hollywood development, intended to make it easier to tell the difference between character types. On the other hand, it's always fun to see the look on someone's face do a complete one-eighty when several minutes into a conversation they discover you're from the South. Intelligent speech means nothing; it's like they're watching you grow buck teeth, a third eye, and a speaker imbedded in your hunchback that broadcasts "Duelling Banjos" (good song, by the way) right before their eyes.

"White Trash Fiction"....? Whaaaat????  

[Ame Yuki Kaze]

I think there's definitely a stereotype against those who use proper English. If you use proper English, you're a rich, white, intellectual snob. I think this is why mediocrity and even out and out stupidity are favored in the mass media, whereas proper grammar is eschewed. When was the last time you heard a news caster speak in absolutely proper grammar? I never do.

It's sad, but that's what happens when you have an intellectual minority up against a mediocre majority.

 

[HERO Lissuh]

There's nothing "snobbish" about speaking proper English. While we chose to actually construct sentences correctly and make sense, that doesn't make us snobby. It means that we don't want to be percieved as complete idiots.  

[Lady Dracor]

Well, for scholars, language is indeed a form of snobbery, but more specifically, a form of eliteness. The more esoteric, the longer a word is, the more points they feel they receive because a smaller and smaller audience is able to even begin to comprehend their writing even with the air of a non-abridged dictionary.

However, for a generally good vocabularly, generally I don't see snobbery associated with it. However, that may be in part because I do have a good vocabulary. I've found it annoys those who do not have quite the vocabulary. After all, on one really wants to ask someone what a word means in the middle of a friendly conversation.  

[SilverMaple]

Proper speech isn't always linked to snobbery; neither is proper grammar. Simply put that we literates don't escape the clutches of stereotypes, and are classified as, "The bastards who won't let a single spelling error escape their overly sensitive ears". xd
We all know that being literate doesn't mean we're snobby, it just means we make an effort to type out a full, proper, English sentence.  

[-l- Eli -l-]

ebandy

There's nothing "snobbish" about speaking proper English. While we chose to actually construct sentences correctly and make sense, that doesn't make us snobby. It means that we don't want to be percieved as complete idiots.

Sooo... people who don't choose to construct sentences correctly are idiots? sweatdrop

No offense, but you might wanna double check yourself for snobbery...  

[splashseal]

I think it is due to the fact that having a command of the proper usage of the language makes one appear more educated, and perhaps even refined (depending on vocabulary), and people associate these qualities with social class: the more proper you are, the more they may assume that you are from a higher class. Also, at least as far as when correcting someone's grammar, people take it personal in many cases, so they see that as being snobbish, too, which is unfortunate because proper grammar is important. I, however, do not associate the two. And cheers to you for being so graceful when being corrected. smile  

[SonarP]

I think there are some links between literacy and the snobbiness of people.
However, I happen to go to a "rich, rural" school. If our school had a nickname, it would be Hollister High. But, check this out: A good percentage of people at my school can't spell, or know what "basic words" mean. I'm looked at for my "insanity"; my social skills aren't very good, but come English, or any other class, I'm smart as a whip. The freshmen have Hummers while the seniors have Expeditions and the like, but they can't figure out what the word "scarcity" means, which makes my inner chibi cry. I look at their papers, and my "red pen-dar" goes off like crazy.
It's funny that even people of my own race hate me because I haven't fallen into their "ghettofabulous" trap. I'm African-American, but I look at my brothers and sisters.............................if you can call them that, and I feel that this generation is doomed. They're not spending enough time reading "books" rather than just "i, u, h8t" text messages. Then again, reading is a big center in my family; my grandmother retired this year from teaching, and my parents...each of them have big bookcases..it's a library that I can go in there as I see fit and take what I want to read ('course I gotta ask..).
How can I put it? Being rich=/=being literate sometimes. Now, don't get me wrong, the things we have in this generation are nice. Ipods, cellphones...but do you think that this generation has taken the amusement out of reading for pleasure? Have we become to reliant on machines to fix our mistakes?  

[Natsuri]

SonarP

I think there are some links between literacy and the snobbiness of people.
However, I happen to go to a "rich, rural" school. If our school had a nickname, it would be Hollister High. But, check this out: A good percentage of people at my school can't spell, or know what "basic words" mean. I'm looked at for my "insanity"; my social skills aren't very good, but come English, or any other class, I'm smart as a whip. The freshmen have Hummers while the seniors have Expeditions and the like, but they can't figure out what the word "scarcity" means, which makes my inner chibi cry. I look at their papers, and my "red pen-dar" goes off like crazy.
It's funny that even people of my own race hate me because I haven't fallen into their "ghettofabulous" trap. I'm African-American, but I look at my brothers and sisters.............................if you can call them that, and I feel that this generation is doomed. They're not spending enough time reading "books" rather than just "i, u, h8t" text messages. Then again, reading is a big center in my family; my grandmother retired this year from teaching, and my parents...each of them have big bookcases..it's a library that I can go in there as I see fit and take what I want to read ('course I gotta ask..).
How can I put it? Being rich=/=being literate sometimes. Now, don't get me wrong, the things we have in this generation are nice. Ipods, cellphones...but do you think that this generation has taken the amusement out of reading for pleasure? Have we become to reliant on machines to fix our mistakes?

So true, mate. Although I occasionally read, I still can speak in near-perfect sentences. It's my vocabulary that I'm lacking in, though.  

[Akira Valdis]

MadnessFreak

SilverBellsAbove

I agree. No matter what you do, you cannot eliminate porn. But I wish that it was advertised a bit more blatantly...

I clicked on a link to 'Literates only: Tolkien' and got hobbit smut by mistake. Ugh. While it was funny, I thought they could have said 'adult roleplay' or something along those lines. It boggles the mind, I say.

I resisted the temptation to laugh at that.

*Laughs* As you can see...I didn't. And that's pretty gross, but I see your point. Say what it is, for crying out loud. Anyhoo...

I think the link between being literate and being snobby is idiots being jealous. I know sometimes I'll just use a "big word", and around most of my friends, who are all a bit older than me, it's fine. Normally, I'm the one asking them to kindly define various things. But if I do that around some of my, say jock friends (not being rude to jocks, I'm sometimes one and I know many very intelligent jocks...) but still. They yell at me for using big words and tell me to shut up. In my opinion, that's being very rude. What can I say? I enjoy using a variety of words. I think it gets boring to use the same thing repeatedly. Anyway...my thoughts on the matter. Farewell.  

[Akira Valdis]

Something I forgot to mention. About the "literates only" thing at the beginning of this thread...I agree that people who block others out immediately because they're 'not good enough' is very snobby, but when I role play with some of my friends on gaia, they normally put 'mostly literate', or 'good literacy please' in the title. That I can understand because they prefer a storyline that makes sense and is readable; I try not to think of that as being snobby, just a request and it's something people can strive for.

That hardly made any sense at all, did it? ...didn't think so. I need caffinated tea.  

[PsYcHoSyS]

chiyojo

ebandy

There's nothing "snobbish" about speaking proper English. While we chose to actually construct sentences correctly and make sense, that doesn't make us snobby. It means that we don't want to be percieved as complete idiots.

Sooo... people who don't choose to construct sentences correctly are idiots? sweatdrop

No offense, but you might wanna double check yourself for snobbery...

It's a choice, right? Why would people who know how to construct a sentence correctly choose not to? To fit in with the popular crowds? I really don't get it.  

[[Joan De Arc]]

Rich people at my school think that since they're so rich, they can slack at language.
I have a bad habit of atutomatically correcting people.....
And the way they glared at me when I corrected them...
*grabs a DeathNote and scrawls their names in*
I hate snobby people...
Show me one, and they will LITERALLY get their *beep* kicked.  

[Carpe Omnium]

I personally don't see the connection; just because I can speak properly doesn't make me a "snob". People sometimes deride me for the way I choose to speak, but I just think to myself: "At least I'm coherent".
It isn't high-and-mighty to use good grammar; it just means you give a damn about how you come across, and wish to be understood.