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

I think people who follow KK or KP are often people with low intelligence. Why does anyone watch that nonsense?

If I recognise some of these people or can say I've heard of the name or seen a picture that turns out to be them, it's in spite of a lack of interest, not because I'm trying to be viewed as highbrow or ditzy or oblivious (or whatever criticism is being directed at me).

I'm sure they wouldn't be interested in my ability to recognise characters in Star Trek, the animated characters of Ray Harryhausen, the difference between a Woodlouse and a Pill Millipede or the approximate date and origin of assorted Bronze Age armour.

I literally have zero attention for famous people. I don't watch many movies and honestly? My brain taken up by other things in my irls life. I can barely keep Royal family members straight.

Just to add another perspective, I have some face-blindness so even celebs I’ve heard of I might not pull out of a line up! Especially if the “clue” to their appearance is missing (for example, I’ll remember people by a hairstyle or other prominent feature and if that changes it really throws me!). This is also a problem in real life!
for example, from the celebs you mentioned, I’d recognise Adele before she lost weight, but thin Adele I’d be totally unable to pick out of a line up 🤷🏻‍♀️

that, coupled with a general lack of engagement with celeb culture means my partner will often have to field “who’s that?” Comments from me over celebs 😂

however, I wouldn’t go to the effort of commenting that on a post about them!

I wouldn't recognise a Kardashian. I'd recognise Katie Price.

Also read Stuart Hall. I can't remember who came up with the framework: Good/good, Good/bad, Bad/good, Bad, bad. Where the first adjective is the subjective aim for literary reception, and the second is the realisation of that.

I saw a clip of her taking a really tight dress off recently and if it hadn't been titled with her name I wouldn't have realised who she was. Possibly one of her sisters, but her face has changed. I pay very little attention to celebrity stuff, but I don't think it makes me superior, just very apathetic about celebrities. I don't have the shits to give, and unless something pops up that interests me I ignore it. In this case I thought the dress looked awesome.

I recognise the names but wouldn't be able to pick them out in a line-up. No interest in what passes for 'celebrity' nowadays (ie vacuous attention-seekers)

I don’t follow that kind of celebrity world at all. I’d know who Katie Price was because she’s been around since the 90s but although I’ve heard of the Kardashians / Jenners etc I probably wouldn’t know who they were in a photo. I don’t think I’m more intelligent / superior at all but that’s the truth - I wouldn’t be pretending!

There's a thread appearing in the trending list about people called Tess Daley and Vernon Kay who have split. I've never heard of them.

Well, my parents get their entire media exposure from Radio 3, the BBC 6 o’clock news (only watch the headlines usually), and the Economist and Gramaphone magazines. The highlights of their year are Glyndebourne and Wimbledon.

They certainly would have no interest in social media. I can guarantee they would have no idea who Kim Kardashian, Katie Price, or Taylor Swift are. Their last contact with popular culture was probably going to a Shirley Collins concert in 1967.

I know a few of the reality tv stars because sometimes you can’t avoid them.

I’m aware of MAFS, Geordie Shores, Love Island and any of the Housewives of shows. They don’t entertain me so I don’t watch them so I wouldn’t know who the people are.

Same with today’s crop of musicians, they’re undoubtedly talented but I don’t follow music like I did in my teens so couldn’t put names to faces.

It’s not snobbery or intelligence, just that my interests have changed

Yeah that's nasty.

Quite often I'm thinking 'who?' But google them to see if I recognise them/find out who they are.

I don't know what Kim Kardashian looks like - I knew what Katie Price looked like when she was in the Jungle but probably not now. Not interested.

Everyone tends to have a Kardashian look nowadays. I couldn’t identify her in a line-up. I always get Katie Price and Katie Piper mixed up to. Not sure intelligence has anything to do with it?

When celebrity edition TV programmes are on, I literally haven't heard of one of them.

I don't know 90% of so called celebrities these days. The term is pointless now. Only appeals to vacuous minds.

Oh, do stop it. Your response is far too sensible for this thread and is spoiling all the self-righteous indignation!

Indeed! Do people ask on here then?

There absolutely are people who do not know who the likes of Kim Kardashian are. My parents, for example, are not old but would never recognise her from a photograph because they are not in any way part of that world. I have a couple of friends who wouldn’t know who she was, either.

However, none of those people would ever be commenting online about the Met Gala as none of them use social media. They also wouldn’t attribute any value judgment to knowing or not knowing who those people are so would never feel the need to comment about it even if they were somehow in the comments section of a post about the Met Gala.

Easier to google than to ask on here!

#FlatErica
You’re vastly overestimating my interest in people I’ve never heard of. Especially if you’re not giving me any context with it. I really could not be asked to Google every random celebrity whose name is brought up in my general vicinity.

Eh?
I never read your comment or if I did, I didn't take it in.
Maybe you are vastly over estimating the thought people give to your post! 😆
If I was referring to you I would have tagged you.

You’re vastly overestimating my interest in people I’ve never heard of. Especially if you’re not giving me any context with it. I really could not be asked to Google every random celebrity whose name is brought up in my general vicinity.

I wouldn't recognise Kim Kardashian - it's not related to intelligence I'm just not interested in the things where she is likely to crop up.

There is so much media these days that it is perfectly possible to be glued to the tv or internet for several hours a day and still not know who certain celebs are. I’m a essentially a British woman in my 50s - I would recognise KP - I remember her as a young women, her having her first baby and I am aware she’s had some more babies since and can’t drive terribly well. I “think” she was a page 3 girl and is now famous for being famous - not sure what she actually does. I watch absolutely loads of tv but is she on tv? I can’t think I’ve ever seen her on tv. I listen to radio 4 a bit in the car but she’s not ringing any bells there and I haven’t bought a print newspaper for years - reading online is much more self selecting than back in the day when you basically read it cover to cover.

I’ve heard of KK. I know her dad was OJs lawyer, I know she has a sister called Kylie, I’m not sure what she does, I know she has long black hair - I’m not sure if I would recognise her. Like KP, I can’t recall ever seeing her in tv and my tv is on so much you can’t touch it without an oven glove.

I agree some people are really really internationally famous - Michael Jackson, Maradona, Elvis, Dolly, - but I think the ones that stick in the mind are ones who are famous for doing something (and being physically very distinctive helps enormously) and idk what KK or KP do as such so it’s easy to not take much notice. There is a generational element to. I’d bet diamonds my kids don’t know who KP is. I’ve heard of the Met Gala but idk what it actually is. My mental picture is like the evening entertainment at a holiday camp but with better turns but I accept I may be quite wrong. I saw a photo of Sam Smith at it dressed like an elderly lush from the 1920s (May have been AI tbf)