middlebrows
Neither highbrow nor lowbrow
Middlebrows are people whose cultural tastes fall between highbrow sophistication and lowbrow populism—appreciating accessible literature, mainstream classical music, or prestige television without venturing into the challenging or avant-garde.
The term often carries a faint sneer, suggesting someone who wants to appear cultured without doing the hard work: The book club selections were pure middlebrow fare.
Can also function as an adjective: middlebrow taste.
Organizations discussing shared literature
- bestsellersTop-selling books
- public radioNoncommercial broadcast service
- literary fictionProse emphasizing craft and depth
- art filmsExperimental or unconventional cinema
educational television · museum memberships · theatergoers · film festivals · cultural literacy · art appreciation · curated playlists · coffee-table books
Enhancing oneself deliberately
- upward mobilityRising social or economic status
- bettermentEnhancement of condition
- strivingEarnest sustained endeavor
- advancementForward movement or promotion
refinement · polish · cultivation · aspirational · social climbing · status-seeking · self-education · improvement
Unwarranted claim to merit
- mediocrityQuality of being average
- philistinismContempt for cultural refinement
- superficialityAbsence of meaningful depth
- banalityTiresome lack of originality
conformity · predictability · unadventurous · diluted · watered-down · sanitized · unchallenging · pseudo-intellectual
book clubs
Organizations discussing shared literature
- bestsellersTop-selling books
- public radioNoncommercial broadcast service
- literary fictionProse emphasizing craft and depth
art films · educational television · museum memberships · theatergoers · film festivals · cultural literacy · art appreciation · curated playlists · coffee-table books · lecture series
self-improvement
Enhancing oneself deliberately
- upward mobilityRising social or economic status
- bettermentEnhancement of condition
- strivingEarnest sustained endeavor
advancement · refinement · polish · cultivation · aspirational · social climbing · status-seeking · self-education · improvement · enrichment
pretension
Unwarranted claim to merit
- mediocrityQuality of being average
- philistinismContempt for cultural refinement
- superficialityAbsence of meaningful depth
banality · conformity · predictability · unadventurous · diluted · watered-down · sanitized · unchallenging · pseudo-intellectual · posturing
middlebrowshighbrows
Cultured, educated people
lowbrows · intellectuals · philistines · aesthetes · literati
middlebrowsavant-garde
Innovative cultural pioneers
bohemians · true believers · anti-intellectuals · iconoclasts · purists