I often wonder if people really believe that showing the world and telling others that they read a specific publication or prescribe to a specific ideaology makes them seem more intellectual or sophisticated. Specifically, I’ve noticed lately that a lot of people younger than me, or my age (so early 20’s) got that special Xmas discount on The New Yorker, because a few people I know keep telling me about how it makes them feel ahead of the game and posting about it, and I even noticed someone with a New Yorker tote in a class of mine last semester. This is amusing, because I too at one point had a New Yorker sub on discount. I can safely say that I had a giant years worth stack in my room for the longest time, and eventually recycled them. I read maybe a few articles, and saved a bob Dylan themed cover, but overall, I can’t say that anything in there caught my interest. Now perhaps this is my fault for dismissing most of it as preaching to the converted or not really being interested in what the perceived social issues of the moment were, but I seriously wonder how shallow people have to be to assume others will somehow think they are an intellectual type of person based on them posting pictures or bragging about reading the New Yorker. Just a thought