Flatley meshes perfectly with American middlebrow culture in that he has no sense of irony whatsoever. This is most notable in Flatley's patriotism. "It seems to be really cool to run down America right now, to get down on America," he told me. "I'm so opposite of that." And yet Flatley is not an American exceptionalist, nor even an Irish one. His is more of a free-range patriotism—a "hooray for everybody!" approach common to Montessori kindergartens. In Celtic Tiger, Viking hordes commingle with Irish peasants. The Brits have their vile moments but are allowed a lusty chorus of "Rule Britannia." Flatley honors Irish independence then declares his unwavering love for America. Oddly, for a show called Celtic Tiger, the finale has Flatley clad in red, white, and blue and performing "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy." Last month, during previews in England, Flatley says he was terrified the British audience might react sourly. He wound up doing five encores. It is highly possible that, amid the burst of pan-nationalism, the British did not realize they were the heavies.
The author, Bryan Curtis, makes several references to "American middlebrow culture," all of them patronizing. As a card-carrying member of that establishment, let me state for the record that I'd stake my sense of irony against anyone's.
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