Modern Americans behave as if intelligence were some sort of hideous deformity.

Hello, I am Frank Zappa, musician, composer, and someone who spent a lifetime challenging norms and questioning the status quo. I’d like to talk about a quote of mine that continues to resonate, perhaps more now than ever: "Modern Americans behave as if intelligence were some sort of hideous deformity." This was my commentary on a troubling trend I observed during my time—a growing disdain for critical thinking and intellectualism in American society. It wasn’t just about a lack of education or information; it was about the cultural shift toward valuing conformity and ignorance over curiosity and understanding. Let me unpack what I meant back then, and how these words apply to the world today.