"a deep hostility evident in American culture toward people who appear to emanate such qualities as urbane sophistication, subtlety, intellectuality"

No, we just smirk at those who think that they are somehow superior when they attempt to emanate such qualities as urban sphistication, subtlety, and intellectuality. Usually these kind of people lack in all three traits.

Also, the fact that they consider these to be "qualities" while looking   down upon "frontier simplicity" speaks volumes about their real lack of sophistication.