We Hates Brainy Folks

Sometimes it takes an outsider to highlight what is wrong with this country. But it takes a brave person to do it, because we often react badly when we’re told by an overseas person that we’re not a perfect pavlova paradise.

Lord Robert Winston is in New Zealand at the moment, and has spoken about how we are as a nation obsessed with celebrities and sports stars.

From the Stuff website:

Lord Winston believes Kiwis do not value intellectuals and ignore the worst behaviour of our sports stars. "New Zealand celebrates attributes which really aren't that important," he said.

"You do it with sportsmen and you don't do it particularly with intellectuals, for example. In New Zealand, being an intellectual is slightly disadvantageous and is often seen by the press as being something which is rather well, not to be celebrated.

"On the other hand, if you are a great rugby player, maybe parts of your private life which are pretty appalling, will go ignored.

"It is a society which tends to be driven by sailing, by the All Blacks and by the Bledisloe Cup."

Celebrity worship was "a very good example of the lessening of genuine values in society", he said

He is right. We are not the only country where celebrity and sports news have such prominence, but we do celebrate our sporting successes rather more than we ought to. And when we fail (e.g. repeatedly at Rugby World Cups) we descend into a national gloom. But, really, it should make no difference at all to our society whether or not we’re great at rugby.

It takes a brave person to admit to being an academic or intellectual in this country. Far too many people can’t even say the word “academic” in a sentence without also adding “ivory tower”. For such people experience and wisdom are gained in the “real world” – as if the world academics and intellectuals haunt is anything but real.

Many other countries have public figures whom they celebrate as intellectuals. Robert Winston is one such figure. Who do we have? The only “big ideas” person I can think of is Kevin Roberts – and that thought leaves me feeling cold, because his big ideas are all about how to sell stuff.

The generally poor standard of our media, and the ongoing “dumbing down” of the news, suggests there is no quick fix, and that this cultural trait may be with us to stay.