Do people pretend not to know who people are in order to seem intelligent?

Its like this on here with stuff like Im A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, people post a thread, those who watch it will know what the threads about, then you get posters saying "I dont know what youre talking about, can you explain"

Thats a strange way of wanting to indicate their intelligence though given Google is very simple to use. So it is a facetious way to highlight they dont watch stuff the plebs like us watch imo.

I know Katie Price but I have no clue who Kim K is. I don’t follow celeb news at all and have no interest in famous people.

No of course, and there are loads of people who I wouldn't be able to tell apart in the street etc. But surely most people have a sort of "Kim Kardashian? Oh that's a famous person/it girl/influencer (etc?) isn't it?" level of recognition of the name. Not necessarily that you'd spot her in a disguise 😆

It's very performative. It's basically the poster signalling that they're far too high brow for this sort of thing.

Personally I think it makes them look like a dick. And insecure. What's the point of showing off like this to a bunch of anonymous strangers online?

I know why they are but I’m at a loss as to who a lot of the newer ones are. I put it down to two things:

1. I made a point of stopping reading the Daily Mail after reading a story that had such an underlying racist undertone.
2. My TV broke 2 years ago and I get bothered replacing it.

So unless it’s in the Guardian I’m kind of unaware of a lot of modern culture these days. I’m 53, so these people mean less to me than when I was younger. Don’t have TikTok or Facebook and my Insta is all about garden layouts or plants. Not intellectual - got 5 GCSEs, 2 a-levels, one HND (which stands for Has No Degree).

It’s nothing to do with intellect, it’s just to what extent you choose to engage with the zeitgeist.

I think it's one thing if - in a conversation - a person queries the name of a 'celeb'. But the ones who take the time to go on a thread on social media to say it are just being snobby arseholes (or misogynist twats - see next paragragh).

I don't know who increasing numbers of celebs are as I age, but it never occurs to me to go on a discussion thread and post "Who?" The worst ones these days are the many men who go on threads about female footballers - e.g. discussions about the retirement of Millie Bright last week, where loads of blokes felt the need to post comments like this.

I know of a fair amount of celebs but I wouldn’t be able to name which Kardashian was which. I didn’t watch any of their stuff though.

KP I know of but she looked pretty different on last pic on here.

I voted YNBU because anyone who comments “who?” While browsing pics of the met gala on DM online definitely knows who KK is.

I don't watch mainstream news and even if I did I wouldn't recognise who I was looking at. It's just a name.

I think it's more to show the irrelevance to them, personally, when a certain celebrity is mentioned rather than a demonstration of intellect.

I wouldnt be abld go tell Kim apart from her sisters or identify a footballer, o mix up many actors or get their names slightly wrong.

I can point out which actors were on other things but not know their names just theoir character!

People retain diffferent information.

Its sports names i have no idea about

and now I’ve googled Kim Kardashian’s met gala look. She (surprise surprise😅) seems to have changed her look quite considerably. somebody genuinely not recognising her would seem plausible to me…

her “dress” offers more coverage than quite a lot of female armour in games and movies. That’s quite ironic 😅

I've heard of the Kardashians but wouldn't be able to recognize her. Would possibly recognize KP. Nothing to do with intelligence, I've just never had interest in popular/celeb culture, even as a teen.

I don't watch telly either, or read magazines, or follow "crap," but people like Kim K are in mainstream news all the time.

I'm in my seventies and I have heard of Kim Kardashian and Jordan but I wouldn't know either of them if I fell over them in the street.

It's no measure of intelligence.

You can know a name but not knowing who they are. I had to ask wtf a Kardashian was because I kept hearing/reading the name.

Still none the wiser to why they were a thing or would I recognise one from a picture without their name.

I don't watch a lot of telly and don't read magazines or follow any popular crap. So why would I know who's who?

Mention Hideo Kojima to me then not only do I know who that is, id probably be able to have half a decent conversation

Literally the only reason I know who Kim Khardashian is is that DH was once in n the same Paris restaurant as her and her party and a lot of paps waiting outside the door. I then saw her on Graham Norton talking about her brand of merkins years afterwards.

If you don’t watch reality tv or follow celeb news, there’s no particular reason you would know, surely? I’m not particularly high-minded, but KK is not on my radar.

I would probably recognise photos of Katie Price, but that’s about it.

I know what the Met Gala is, though.

Stems from what Stuart Hall defined as “low” and “high” culture. People think they’re too good for popular culture, it’s rather pernicious and often wrapped up in classism, occasionally racism and sexism too (because women are more likely to enjoy popular culture).

Older people who genuinely don’t read gossip columns might not know who Kim K is but pretty much everyone else in the western hemisphere will. There are certain celebs I do not know and it’s not because I think I’m superior, I just don’t watch reality TV.

I’m an academic and many of my colleagues watch it so I often get left out of conversations. I just have no interest in it, I tried watching MAFS and found it tedious.

I will never understand why people comment on social media on a subject they have no interest in, dropping a "who" onto a comments section just seems a waste of time.

I think those saying things like “my parents wouldn’t know” or whatever are missing the point. They might not know, and if they didn’t they’d probably a) ignore an article about them or b) google them. I believe OP is referring to the trend of posting “who?” under articles about celebrities instead of just moving along if you don’t know/care.

I know Katie Price, but I genuinely don’t know much about Kim Kardashian. I’ve heard the name, I know she’s an American celebrity and have a vague idea what she looks like. I don’t know what she’s actually famous for, nor could I pick her out of a lineup. I’m aware I could google to find out, but I don’t actually care enough!

I am of very average intelligence so I’m pretty sure that’s nothing to do with it, just I’m interested in different things from you. Doesn’t make either of us better or worse.

I'm pretty rubbish at recognising people at the best of times, eg people who I sing with in a choir.

So I know who Kim K is in theory but I wouldn't be able to recognise / name her in a line up of other famous people. Similarly many popstars and actresses. I'm not that interested and don't read articles about them etc.

I know Katie Price because she is British and has been around in my field of perception longer.