song for theme #20A: Elitism

“Among the Elite” by Stephen P. Cook

to be sung to the tune of “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” by George Gershwin / Billie Holiday

With a homecoming queen

Wearing tuxs and nice gloves

In a fancy limousine

Enjoying my place lifted up above

Phi Beta Kappa key¹

Being professor of

Acclaimed Ph.D

Enjoying my place lifted up above

Society recognized me

Giving me a trophy glow

Now I feel it’s right:

My running this whole show!

Earning stripes and bars

Those medals on my chest

General with four stars

Enjoying my place here with the best

Smartest guy you’ve met

MacArthur genius quest²

Nobel Prize Laureate

Enjoying my place here with the best

Society recognized me

Giving me a trophy glow

Now I feel it’s right:

My running this whole show

Family coat of arms³

House of Lords seat⁴

Castle with modern charms

Enjoying my place among the elite

Fifth Avenue pad

New York Stock exchange seat

On Forbes List and glad⁵

Enjoying my place among the elite

Society recognized me

Giving me a trophy glow

Now I feel it’s right:

My running this whole show!

Looking toward the day

We’re ruled by the best

Experts with final say

Putting meritocracy⁶ to the test

Putting meritocracy to the test

SONG—NOTES / COMMENTS

1—America’s oldest, most prestigious and selective academic honors society

2—The MacArthur Foundation gives large $ grants for "exceptional merit and promise” in creative work.

3—These are distinguishing heraldic designs with significance in terms of tradition and aristocracy. 

4—Britain’s parliament house where membership is contingent on aristocratic credentials.

5— Forbes’ magazine maintains various lists of the world’s wealthiest individuals.

6— In a meritocracy people are promoted based on their merit, which generally refers to their education, expertise, qualifications,

       demonstrated ability to do the job, experience, etc. rather than who they know, their membership in some favored group, etc.

Comment: A cold, unemotional wish for competent people to make society function better may be one reason why some people value this theme. (Arrogance provides another.) It can promote carrying emotional baggage—especially if superficial superiority hides deep-seated inferiority.  But feeling “special” can pro-vide emotional armor against feeling worthless. The coping mechanisms implied here are maladaptive in that they reduce symptoms of one’s suffering but don’t get at the root cause of the distress (low self esteem?)