“Pam Anderson, who has recently been performing in a magic show in Las Vegas, follows Arielle Dombasle, an actress and wife of one of France’s leading intellectuals, in appearing at the Crazy Horse, a fixture in Paris night life for half a century.”
What’s the saddest thing about this? It’s that one never says, “one of America’s leading intellectuals.” No, we don’t grow those. Just Pam Anderson.
It is sad. There are plenty of intellectuals in our history, and they do still exist! But our culture doesn’t value intelligence as much as it does big boobs.
Mmm, boobs. I mean, wait! It’s a trap!
George hates Admiral Akbar. I really don’t understand why.
You mean NORTH America, right? She *is* still Canadian :)
*chuckle* Well, how about we compromise – you folks bred her, and we pumped her full of silicone and made her famous. :)
Unless, of course, you prefer to take full credit for her. :D
Also… *is* she still a Canadian citizen? Now I’m curious!
Oh no no… that’s a fair compromise!
Yep, she never gave up Canadian citizenship. (There are many sources to support that… here’s one: http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,636789,00.html)
I’ve dealt with American Intellectuals, they ain’t all that bright.
Of course, I’ve dealt with French, Russian, Cuban, and Israeli intellectuals also…Hell, I’ve dealt with Noble Prize winners, and none of them can remember to bring me a fraggin’ itemized receipt.
LAUGH!
Not something you’re likely to see in that sort of context, but we do have leading intellectuals that are occasionally referenced in press. Noam Chomsky springs to mind.
But is he references as an “american” or “U.S.” (or whathaveyou) intellectual? Do people internationally consider him one of our own? Heck, do WE consider him “one of our own” in that way?
I mean, it seems that this “profession” of being an intellectual is alive and well in europe, but here, we think it’s for pantywaists who’re too effete to get their hands dirty; know what I mean?
I’ve seen him referred to as an American intellectual or scholar or whatnot. I don’t think it’s the mainstream press, though.
Hmmm. Putting “American intellectual” into Google comes up with mostly intellectual property law. And references to a book called The American Intellectual Tradition.
It isn’t something you’d see in mainstream press, that I can think of. If an academic is mentioned, they’re more likely to give their subject than call them an intellectual. Sad, really.
According to some, Chomsky is the most-cited living scholar. The US in general doesn’t seem to appreciate that much.
We didn’t even grow her considering what makes her famous aren’t really hers.
Ah, but we implanted them here! And she paid for them, so I’d guess they’re hers more than, say, her natural hair color is.
Re: intellectuals
It’s worse than that, actually. I became acutely aware of this when I was listening to some political harangue or other on the radio last year, and the speaker began denigrating “those liberal intellectuals.” Not just liberals, mind you, but liberal intellectuals. Apparently, in the United States of America intelligence is now considered a detriment, and being called intelligent is now considered an insult.