
This prompts me to ask, as a non-American myself, is it a compliment or an insult if I get called "an intellectual" by an American? I guess I'm not that smart since I didn't get what they meant... or what you meant. Is this word "intellectual" supposed to be some new big insult thing in the US that I as a foreigner am completely unaware of?

Yeah, I don't get it either (fellow non-American too). I could understand that calling yourself an intellectual might come off as boastful, and arrogant, but for the term intellectual to be used as an insult that you direct to others is so bloody odd.
ONLY intellectuals could understand that seme-kun is CLEARLY an intellect, a great being of pettiness, and a smart boi that thinks rape is just term, but HEY, as an intellect myself, i think jail is just a room and the cops are just people.
http://www.mangago.zone/read-manga/doushiyoumonai_renjo/uu/doushiyoumonai_renjo-chapter-2/29/