“The classism that seems so native to England... manifests as a distaste for pretense, for striving, even for straying... ‘When you’re born, you’re done for,’”

New Zealand’s anti-intellectualism is a result of both the imported English class system and the settler-colony’s relationship to the metropole. The first manifestation, the English class system, is easier to see. When someone scoffs “She’s trying to be Picasso, is she?” upon learning their friend has started painting, you can hear the prim, curtai... See more

I’ve been called “pretentious” by university-educated people for buying $10 tickets to the orchestra, for enjoying art galleries, and for liking nice wine. I’ve been sneered at for citing magazine articles in conversations they’re relevant to, laughed at for enjoying the ballet, and mockingly referred to as a “reader” to mark that I’m different.