Okay real talk the reason anti-intellectual memes/sentiments like this have been gaining popularity in the US in the last few years is because conservatives have been making an active, concerted effort to defund public schools entirely and recreate a world where any education is only accessible to the rich through private schooling being the only option. Poor kids will learn maybe basic reading and writing until they're old enough to work. And then they'll work. Billionaires don't want citizens. They don't even want people. They want compliant workers and consumers. They don't want us to do anything BUT work and consume.
People who read critically into art and literature are people who read critically into news articles and political speeches.
Thinking critically and deeply makes you difficult to control.
Critically engaging with art is some of the most rebellious shit you can do and I'm not kidding
