ɐ tˈuː θˈaʊzənd θˈɜːtiːn sˌiːˌɛnˈɛn əpˈɪniən pˈiːs spˈoʊk ʌvðə "bˈɑːɹbɚ dʒˈækɪtwˈɛɹɪŋ hˈoːɹeɪhˈɛnɹi kɹˈaʊd", pˈoʊzɪŋ ðə kwˈɛstʃən æz tə wˈɛðɚ ðə bˈoʊt ɹˈeɪs wʌzɐ "pɹɛstˈɪdʒəs bˈæɾəl, ɐ vˈʌlɡɚ dɪsplˈeɪ ʌv ɪlˈiːɾɪzəm, ɔːɹ ðɪ ˈʌltᵻmət mˌɛɹɪtˈɑːkɹəsi."
A 2013 CNN opinion piece spoke of the "Barbour jacket-wearing 'hooray-henry' crowd", posing the question as to whether the boat race was a "prestigious battle, a vulgar display of elitism, or the ultimate meritocracy."