We talk a lot about the concentration of wealth in the United States (as well we should), but there is a similarly lopsided dynamic in terms of the concentration of cultural power. Huge swathes of the population are simply shut out of public discourse; even the places where they live are derisively referred to as “fly-over states”; meaning: they are insignificant.
There is a dangerous misconception that, for instance, the mood on Twitter reflects the mood of the country. It doesn’t. The views and opinions given platforms are not necessarily the views and opinions of the public; the issues that matter to the editorial board of the New York Times do not necessarily matter to most people. But, there is a massive disparity in cultural representation that quite mirrors the 1% vs the 99% paradigm of the economy; and it is just as disempowering and oppressive as the wealth gap.