Smart is the New Hot: How Pop Culture Embraces Intellectualism Amid Political Anti-Intellectualism
In an era marked by political anti-intellectualism, where expertise is often dismissed as elitism and facts are overshadowed by rhetoric, a surprising counter-trend is emerging in pop culture. Intellect and glamour, long seen as separate realms, are now flirting intensely, with celebrities and fashion icons championing reading and thinking as the new symbols of coolness.
The Rise of Intellectual Chic in Fashion and Entertainment
Pop stars are no longer just about music; they are curating literary experiences. Dua Lipa's online literary salon, Service95, and Charli XCX's Substack essays exemplify this shift. Supermodel Kaia Gerber, often seen backstage with works by Didion and Camus, launched her book club, Library Science, declaring "Reading is so sexy." This movement extends to Hollywood, where adaptations of classics like Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice are gaining traction, blending intellect with mainstream appeal.
Fashion brands are also embracing this trend. At Proenza Schouler, show notes included feminist reading lists, while Joseph Altuzarra placed copies of Yōko Ogawa's The Memory Police on seats. Designer Louise Trotter's casting of Zadie Smith and Barbara Chase-Riboud for Bottega Veneta ads underscores that brains are becoming as valued as beauty in luxury marketing.
The Backlash Against Visual-Only Content
Trend forecaster Lucie Greene notes a backlash against visually focused lifestyle content, co-opted by brands. "Gen Z want more. They want knowledge. They want to go deep down the rabbit hole," she says. This desire for depth is reflected in the popularity of BookTok, where users discuss novels passionately, and in the growth of print book sales among younger readers, as reported by Waterstones managing director James Daunt.
Reading has become a social and performative act. Book clubs, like those at London's BookBar, sell out quickly, emphasizing community over solitude. "People want to talk about what they're reading," notes founder Chrissy Ryan, highlighting how books now serve as social signals and identity markers.
The Paradox of Anti-Intellectualism and Cultural Heat
Despite this cultural shift, broader trends show declines in leisure reading across anglophone countries, per surveys by the Reading Agency and National Endowment for the Arts. Yet, the visibility of reading has surged, with book covers like Fitzcarraldo Editions becoming fashion accessories and Dior handbags featuring literary titles. This commodification of intellect, while troubling in its exclusivity, mirrors historical status symbols like home libraries.
The trend also challenges gender norms. Intelligence in attractive women is newsworthy because brains and beauty have long been framed as opposing traits. As reading communities skew young and female, there's a radical refusal to dim one quality for another, challenging patriarchal binaries.
Why Now? The Role of Politics and Technology
In a politically charged world, where discourse is coarsened and education is under threat, culture offers a refuge for complexity. "With politics now a war zone, who can blame the youth for tapping out?" Reading provides a way to engage intellectually without entering culture wars. Additionally, AI and job automation may be driving people to reclaim their brains for personal enrichment, as Greene suggests, akin to Victorians turning to history during rapid change.
Ultimately, in a dumbed-down world, thought gains scarcity value. Knowing stuff is the new luxury, akin to limited-edition trainers in the 2000s. Whether this trend is performative or genuine, it signals a cultural moment where smart is not just hot—it's generating discourse and redefining cool.
