The uber-liberal NYC culture causes even reasonably intelligent, high-achieving people to say unbelievably stupid things in order to be accepted by their neighbors. The fact that even they know (deep down) how vapid and spineless they’ve become doesn’t bother them because they can hop into a cab and go to a Broadway opening, a concert at Lincoln Center or Carnegie Hall, or a fascinating art show at MOMA or the Whitney or the Guggenheim.
Trust me, they do NOT know how vapid they are. :(