Has anyone here ever watched Jay Leno's weekly segment "Jaywalking?" If not, he goes around to various locales and asks regular folks fairly simple questions like "Who is the current Vice President" or "when did the Civil War take place." The answers are painful to listen to....although darkly hilarious.
However, the typical blank and slightly embarrassed looks on their faces disappears completely when they're asked a question about J-Lo, or Britney Spears, or Ben Affleck. They're much more likely to know the brand of dress J-Lo wore at the Grammys than the author of the Declaration of Independence....and these interviewees are usually 21 and older. It's frightening.
Point is, however unfortunate and pathetic it may be, Hollywood types in a way ARE "the elite of American society," if popularity, fame, and wealth are used as a barometer.