These days, nobody seems to like elites. In movies and pop culture, they’re cutthroat villains that people love to see destroy each other. They’re what make The White Lotus, Triangle of Sadness, Knives Out, Succession, and The Menu so hate-watchable. And as new movie Send Help continues to defy box office expectations, its anti-elite plot deserves some of the credit.
Elsewhere, elites are framed as bureaucratic, academic know-it-alls – and get sucked into the culture war in the process. Trump’s presidential campaigns embody this well – with stump speeches that center the concerns of the middle class while attacking wealthy elites. But ask his supporters why they like Trump and they’ll often cite symbols of his elite status – his wealth, his genius acumen or his cultivated image as a successful businessman on “The Apprentice”.
