David Brooks tweeted about paying $78 for a meal at an airport, implying high inflation is hurting Americans. However, the actual cost was $17, revealing Brooks was being dishonest to appear more ordinary. The article critiques Brooks’ tendency to use superficial cultural references like food instead of material factors to discuss class. Brooks sees class as a product of culture rather than political economy. This allows him to blame the lower classes’ behavior for their circumstances.

The piece argues Brooks and other elite pundits maintain a patronizing view of those below them, even as they claim to better understand non-coastal Americans in the aftermath of the 2016 election.