Sunday, October 11, 2009
The WASPs
On Tuesday and Thursday of last week, we watched a clip from a film called "People Like Us." And in this film, a man by the name of Thomas Langhorne Phipps talked about the culture he grew up in, known as the WASPs (White Anglo Saxon Protestants). In America's history, this group has always been composed of upper class white citizens. But in describing the WASPs, Phipps states, "We stand better, we walk better, we speak better, we dress better, we eat better, we're smarter, we're more cultured, and we treat people better . . . ". He also addresses that you cannot get into the WASPs, you have to be born into the group. From his views, I looked for an article online and found one which was called, "The Way of the WASP: How It Made America, and How It Can Save It, So to Speak" by Laurence Auster. In this article, Auster interviews many people, one including a man by the name of Richard Brookhiser, who claims this about the WASPs, "It is the mold, the template, the archetype, the set of axis along which the crystal has grown. Without the WASP, it would be another country altogether. Without the continuing influence of its values, [America] is sure to lose its way." So what I want to know is what you think about each of these attitudes portrayed about the group known as the WASPs. Do you believe that what Thomas Phipps conveys about the WASPs is accurate? And as for Brookhiser, do you think that the WASPs have had such an impact on America as he says they have? If so, what kind of impact? The address for the article is http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_1282/is_n1_v43/ai_9363794/?tag=content;col1
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I have a hard time believing that the way Phipps describes them as "more cultured, and we treat people better" is true. If you are always around people who are the same as you, it would be easy to treat them all the same but that doesn't mean they treat people in general better. Also, that points out the other characteristic of being more cultured... seems impossible if they are always with other WASPS. Do you guys agree or do you think there is another interpretation of this?
ReplyDeleteAnd as far as Brookhiser goes, I think that this quote contradicts what American's used to be proud to be about- the melting pot of the world. What are the continuing influences and values of the WASP group? Are they benficial to us as a society, if so on what levels? Or is it dividing and causing a power differential?
I dont know if its the wasp that form the opinions of society as much as celebrities. The ones that is often looked at are not always the people that were born into the society but rather forced their way into it and have changed the presepctive of how society looks at it. I feel celebrities affect us more so then the wasps due to them constantly being in the news and surrounding all of the people. I know that when I was little I wanted to be a singer or a dancer something I saw often and enjoyed doing.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard about the WASPs until we discussed it during lecture. Watching the film and reading the article ariele posted surprised me; I always thought it was the stereotypical view of how "rich americans" live. But, knowing that there was such a group, like the WASP, was surreal for me. I wouldn’t agree with Phipps, describing the WASPs as “more cultured, and we treat people better.” And I would have to agree with Katy’s opinion, how can these people say they treat people better when their surrounded amongst eachother? especially, since no one can “get into the WASPs, you have to be born into the group.” As for Brookhiser, I disagree on his view because first off, I have never even heard of the WASP therefore I haven’t heard about their group benefiting our society in any way. So my question is, if their so exclusive, why aren’t they known?- as for celebrities we hear about their charity everywhere: media, magazines, and etc.
ReplyDeleteIt does not suprise me that the man in the film talks so highly about the WASPs, it seems that that is the way the WASPs think of themselves and that is why other people dont "get in" and you have to be born into it, becuase they are raised with the notion that they are better than everyone else. I do not think WASPs are "smarter, we're more cultured, and we treat people better" this is very arrogant and it just shows that they do not treat people better, like Katy said. Also I agree with Krystal, I think people are influenced greatly by celebrities and what they do, and that is not always a good thing.
ReplyDeleteWhen watching the film and specifically the segment on WASPs, I saw the man interviewed as more of an outsider in America rather than an elite member of society he thought he was. His statement of that WASPs are smarter, more cultured, and treat people better contradicts himself. How can they be more cultured if you have to be "born in" to the society? I was also confused as Katy mentioned as to how their ideals fit into the so-called "American Melting-Pot". If no one can be allowed in then how do things change? As far as the WASPs being an indispensible part of society, I do not recall the last time that anything of relative importance was mentioned in regards to the WASP society. The emphasis on how the WASP group impacts society is irrelavent, it doesn't matter how much money or status you have, what matters is what you do with it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Thomas Phipps had to say about being born into the WASP group, but I don't agree on his statement on the WASPs being more cultured. Yes, they may all think that they walk better, stand better and ect., but that doesn't make them more cultured and treat people better. Majority of individuals belong to the middle class, so being as exclusive as the WASP are, they probably do not have the social skills to communicate with individuals from other classes since they think they are better than everyone.
ReplyDeleteI've actually never heard of the WASPs until we had discussed it in class. I knew that these type of people were around from watching tv and reading magazines, but I never knew that there was an actual name for them. As far as the WASP impacting society, I believe they do, because majority of individuals are striving to become as wealthy as they are, and be able to be apart of the endeavors that they are a part of. The American dream is become successful, wealthy, and happy.
I have to agree with what others have been saying about not hearing about the WASPs until I got to lecture. I didn't know there was a name for the white higher social class, and I found it a little bit ridiculous. It seems to me like they are some elite club that thinks they are better than everyone else. I guess in that sense, I agree with what Phipps states about having to be born into the WASPs, I think it would be very difficult for someone who wasn't born into it to try to join it. Like I said, I wouldn't say that they are better because even though they may be wealthier and what-not they don't have the cultural experiences that come along with talking and interacting with people that are different from them. I guess this last statement ties into what Katy was saying that how can you be more cultured if you only interact with people that are the same as you.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Phipps that to get into the WASPs you probably have to be born into them. However, I don't agree with Phipps that the WASPs are more cultured and treat people better. Just because your of a higher class and have everything handed to you doesn't mean you treat people any better. You get rich, high society people that look down on people and treat them badly just because they don't have as much money as they do or dress as nicely as them. The WASPs may be an elite group that you have to be born into to get into, but just because they're labeled as a WASP, it doesn't mean that they're any better than normal people like you or me.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the others. The only thing that I believe to be true in Phipps’s word is that you have to be born into this society. By being born into it, you are completely immersed in this culture and are raised to think and behave the way Phipps described. I think it is sad that the WASPs have that kind of attitude. I think it is safe to say that U.S. Americans value equality, but with the WASPs, is that really true? There is no way that WASPs do practically everything “better.” No way. I think that the WASPs have had an impact on America, but I think Brookhiser is exaggerating. America is America “thanks” in part to the WASPs, but they did not single-handedly “set the axis along which the crystal has grown.” It is hard to change a person’s point of view, especially when that’s all they’ve known growing up.
ReplyDeleteWho has set up the American dream? Is it people who are WASPs that set it up in the first place because they had the capacity to reach that dream and no one else at the time it was being formulated could? Or was it designed by the less priveleged groups that were hoping to reach that dream some day? What do you guys think?
ReplyDeleteIs the "American Dream" really something that everyone wants? If so, why? Do you?