Is Thoreau a snob? If so, is his democratic populism undermined by his disdain for popular culture?

Snob is a pretty narrow term for someone like Thoreau. The guy was not without his own problems. Many critics question if he was actually a back to basics hermit as he professed to. Still, his ideas have been floated around for a long time as being romantic and attractive. The fact that his philosophy of individualism has gained such a following over the years does stand out as rather ironic.