Stupid Elitism

There is a certain subculture in the United States in which everything “American” is inferior, and everything “European” is superior.

Part of this might be due to selective marketing. For example, only the best French films get exported to the United States, so people who enjoy “art house” films might think French movies are better than American ones. But that’s only because he or she didn’t see the 600 other, crappy French films released that year that didn’t make it to American theatres.

There’s also European “brand snobbery” going on. Certainly most people would consider Mercedes Benz or BMW to be a better car than the average Ford or GM product, but again, this is comparing apples to oranges. I don’t know anyone who would consider Renault  or Peugot to be better than Ford. Certainly the Renault Alliance gives the AMC Gremlin a run for the “biggest piece of crap car of all time”… and let’s not forget that the Yugo, perhaps the worst production car ever made – was made in Europe.

The reason I bring all this up is due to this recent article from the Wall Street Journal, in which American “chocolate snobs” describe their searing hatred for Hershey bars and their love of genuine British Cadbury bars.

Guess what? The joke’s on them! According to American law, anything sold as “milk chocolate” must contain cocoa butter (and only cocoa butter). In the European Union, chocolate makers are allowed to use (cheaper) vegetable oil in their “milk chocolate”. American chocolate lovers call this stuff “mockolate” and think of it as heresy against the chocolate gods.

But wait – how can a “superior” European mockolate product be better than an “inferior” American chocolate product?

Don’t think about it too hard or your head will explode.