Sagan v. Snooki, or You're Not What's Wrong with the World

Some of my Facebook friends have been circulating the image above. At first, I chuckled and joked whether this guy had been on Star Trek. Never having watched an episode, that would explain why I don't know who he is. As it turns out, some of my acquaintances didn't realize I was joking and were shocked (shocked!) at my ignorance. Of course, I know this is the famous Carl Sagan and I also know that the woman pictured on the right is Snooki.

What both amused and annoyed me about this little meme is the moral judgement attached to it. It's kind of a joke, but it kind of isn't and, for the people that circulate it, they get to feel a little superior in telling you they know more than you and you're part of what's wrong with society today because you're more invested in a reality-show celebrity than a scientist.

Considering there are Americans who don't know who the President of the United States is, undoubtedly, there are people out there who know Snooki, but not Carl Sagan, but, for starters, knowing Sagan versus Snooki just says more about what decade you grew up in than about your intelligence or social consciousness. Second, I contend the opposite of this meme: if you don't know Snooki, you're out of touch. Either way, I assert that whether you know Sagan, or Snooki, or neither of them, you're not what's wrong with the world.

For the last couple of weeks, I've been following the news about Occupy Wall Street. Earlier today, I compiled some news to write a short piece for the PNC FL about Occupy events in Florida. I found a number of mainstream stories, but few of them contained information about the Occupy groups and how to contact them and get involved. This Miami Herald piece is one example. This is what's wrong with the world.

Like the subtext of the meme, I used to think that people are ignorant, stupid, and lazy, and that these qualities explained why people are more interested in the Snookis than the Sagans and what lies behind political and social apathy. Over the last couple of years, however, I've come to learn that apathy is not what we think it is.