Are you smart enough to read The Economist?

Jon Friedman of MarketWatch compares “Curb Your Enthusiasm” to The Economist:

It shouldn’t surprise fans of the Economist that the magazine’s editor-in-chief, John Micklethwait, gets a kick out of HBO’s comedy series “Curb Your Enthusiasm.”

“Anyone who likes ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’ could read the Economist,” Micklethwait, 45, quipped, tacitly comparing an edgy, high-minded TV show and an edgy, high-minded weekly business magazine.

The two share a business challenge as well. Both constantly strive to increase the size of their audiences while facing the reality of catering to a finite market.

HBO is a premium cable service purchased primarily by affluent subscribers, the Economist faces a different kind of limitation on its audience size. There are only so many Americans who are — to put it bluntly — smart enough to enjoy its articles.

This is a little off the mark. Americans generally don’t read The Economist because they don’t care, not because they aren’t smart enough. I personally love the magazine, I read every issue, but I am also enthralled with world affairs.

Take for instance this article on Nepal’s upcoming assembly election. Most Americans simply could not care less about an election in Nepal — a news-stand cost of $5.99 only makes them more indifferent.

There are stupid Americans, just as there are stupid Britons, Japanese, and French. But intellect isn’t the same as knowledge and in the realm of world affairs Americans are much less prone to acquiring it. This does not make them stupid though, only poorly informed.