Cancelling Dr. Seuss

[Wahoo Redux]

Another professor quits in protest to intolerant academia. Or maybe just to keep his own sanity.

https://bariweiss.substack.com/p/my-university-sacrificed-ideas-for

On the one hand, this guy has performed some absolutely brilliant and hilarious stings in academic publishing----the humanities do not come across well.  Nor in these instances should they.  Instead of celebrating his brilliance, he is censured. 

On the other hand, he brings pure irrational, hatemongering nutjobs like Carl Benjamin to campus and then bemoans the irrational responses he foments.  So I dunno...

This is certainly bad press for Portland State.

I just keep posting these types of articles to push back against the notion that this sort of doesn't happen much in academia.

[mahagonny]

Another professor quits in protest to intolerant academia. Or maybe just to keep his own sanity.

https://bariweiss.substack.com/p/my-university-sacrificed-ideas-for

On the one hand, this guy has performed some absolutely brilliant and hilarious stings in academic publishing----the humanities do not come across well.  Nor in these instances should they.  Instead of celebrating his brilliance, he is censured. 

On the other hand, he brings pure irrational, hatemongering nutjobs like Carl Benjamin to campus and then bemoans the irrational responses he foments.  So I dunno...

This is certainly bad press for Portland State.

I just keep posting these types of articles to push back against the notion that this sort of doesn't happen much in academia.

The thing about academia's role in the cancel culture of the left today is not to talk to it in order to get it to change, but to talk about it with the right people, so that hopefully something can be done. Academia itself is probably at the point of no return.

[Sun_Worshiper]

Another professor quits in protest to intolerant academia. Or maybe just to keep his own sanity.

https://bariweiss.substack.com/p/my-university-sacrificed-ideas-for

On the one hand, this guy has performed some absolutely brilliant and hilarious stings in academic publishing----the humanities do not come across well.  Nor in these instances should they.  Instead of celebrating his brilliance, he is censured. 

On the other hand, he brings pure irrational, hatemongering nutjobs like Carl Benjamin to campus and then bemoans the irrational responses he foments.  So I dunno...

This is certainly bad press for Portland State.

I just keep posting these types of articles to push back against the notion that this sort of doesn't happen much in academia.

The thing about academia's role in the cancel culture of the left today is not to talk to it in order to get it to change, but to talk about it with the right people, so that hopefully something can be done. Academia itself is probably at the point of no return.

Does this guy do any real research or just troll clownish journals with fake papers?

[mahagonny]

On the other hand, he brings pure irrational, hatemongering nutjobs like Carl Benjamin to campus and then bemoans the irrational responses he foments.  So I dunno...

This is certainly bad press for Portland State.

I just keep posting these types of articles to push back against the notion that this sort of doesn't happen much in academia.

Can you give an example of Carl Benjamin's hate speech?

[marshwiggle]

On the other hand, he brings pure irrational, hatemongering nutjobs like Carl Benjamin to campus and then bemoans the irrational responses he foments.  So I dunno...

This is certainly bad press for Portland State.

I just keep posting these types of articles to push back against the notion that this sort of doesn't happen much in academia.

Can you give an example of Carl Benjamin's hate speech?

I'm curious about that one as well. Carl Benjamin criticizes a lot of wokeness, but I'm not sure what he says that is either "irrational" or "hatemongering". (In fact, many of his criticisms of wokeness tend to be about the inconsistent, (i.e. "irrational"), nature of many statements or actions taken by the woke.)

[mahagonny]

Can you give an example of Carl Benjamin's hate speech?

I'm curious about that one as well. Carl Benjamin criticizes a lot of wokeness, but I'm not sure what he says that is either "irrational" or "hatemongering". (In fact, many of his criticisms of wokeness tend to be about the inconsistent, (i.e. "irrational"), nature of many statements or actions taken by the woke.)
[/quote]

[crickets]

This is certainly bad press for Portland State.

The thing is, bad press for Portland State is good news for whomever competes with Portland State for desirable student enrollment. The endgame is always the same: some institutions may appear to be doing a poor job of upholding academic freedom here and there, but it's never a story with any traction, because the people who dominate the discussion all want the same thing, that being that tenure just ends up getting fortified. Whereas what ought to happen is people ought to realize that the tenure system, nationwide, is doing the opposite of what it advertises. It's squelching freedom of expression and consolidating an illiberal (intolerant) 'liberal' orthodoxy. It's a de facto branch of the democratic party. It intends to win the current culture war by passive aggressively casting the moderate conservative middle-right as the instigators and playing the victim.
There will be some who challenge academia to stand up and defend this professor Boghossian, but they will more often be people with no standing among the liberal elite to lose or to influence. People they've already vilified. It will be an in-crowd thing to dismiss anything they write.
https://texasnewstoday.com/piers-morgan-the-woke-destruction-of-a-great-educator-should-terrify-every-one-of-us/451938/

[Sun_Worshiper]

As far as I can tell the Portland State guy has never produced any notable scholarship and if he is tenure track (the article says he has been an assistant for ten years) would struggle to get tenure, even putting aside his research misconduct investigation. Making a big show of stepping down is a better career move than being denied tenure, I suppose. Maybe he'll get a book deal or something off his diva resignation.

[Parasaurolophus]

Since I'm in his discipline, I'm comfortable observing that he has no publications in any real outlets. The closest he comes are two pedagogical pubs in legitimate but very lower-tier journals. If research counts at all in tenure at PSU, then he had zero chance of getting it.

Factor in the disciplinary process against him five years ago, the fact that he's a colossal asshole, and the fact that his pedagogy is clearly irresponsible, and his file has mo redeeming features. He's a clear liability for the department.

He's a nobody who's pissed that the national news media hasn't promoted his quitlit and who hasn't yet realized that Bari Weiss is not the droid he's looking for.

[mahagonny]

Since I'm in his discipline, I'm comfortable observing that he has no publications in any real outlets. The closest he comes are two pedagogical pubs in legitimate but very lower-tier journals. If research counts at all in tenure at PSU, then he had zero chance of getting it.

Factor in the disciplinary process against him five years ago, the fact that he's a colossal asshole, and the fact that his pedagogy is clearly irresponsible, and his file has mo redeeming features. He's a clear liability for the department.

He's a nobody who's pissed that the national news media hasn't promoted his quitlit and who hasn't yet realized that Bari Weiss is not the droid he's looking for.

Would get you a reprimand from the forum if you addressed anyone here that way, if they followed their own rules.

ETA: I suppose the professor's heart wasn't in being a lifer academic once he saw what the lay of the land was, politically.

[Parasaurolophus]

Since I'm in his discipline, I'm comfortable observing that he has no publications in any real outlets. The closest he comes are two pedagogical pubs in legitimate but very lower-tier journals. If research counts at all in tenure at PSU, then he had zero chance of getting it.

Factor in the disciplinary process against him five years ago, the fact that he's a colossal asshole, and the fact that his pedagogy is clearly irresponsible, and his file has mo redeeming features. He's a clear liability for the department.

He's a nobody who's pissed that the national news media hasn't promoted his quitlit and who hasn't yet realized that Bari Weiss is not the droid he's looking for.

Would get you a reprimand from the forum if you addressed anyone here that way, if they followed their own rules.

ETA: I suppose the professor's heart wasn't in being a lifer academic once he saw what the lay of the land was, politically.

It's true, I missed a trick: I should have called him a conceptual asshole.

[mahagonny]

Since I'm in his discipline, I'm comfortable observing that he has no publications in any real outlets. The closest he comes are two pedagogical pubs in legitimate but very lower-tier journals. If research counts at all in tenure at PSU, then he had zero chance of getting it.

Factor in the disciplinary process against him five years ago, the fact that he's a colossal asshole, and the fact that his pedagogy is clearly irresponsible, and his file has mo redeeming features. He's a clear liability for the department.

He's a nobody who's pissed that the national news media hasn't promoted his quitlit and who hasn't yet realized that Bari Weiss is not the droid he's looking for.

Would get you a reprimand from the forum if you addressed anyone here that way, if they followed their own rules.

ETA: I suppose the professor's heart wasn't in being a lifer academic once he saw what the lay of the land was, politically.

It's true, I missed a trick: I should have called him a conceptual asshole.

Those of us who were paying attention during the Trump years noticed that if an asshole prevents crazy people from carrying out their plans, it's still a good thing done.

[Sun_Worshiper]

Since I'm in his discipline, I'm comfortable observing that he has no publications in any real outlets. The closest he comes are two pedagogical pubs in legitimate but very lower-tier journals. If research counts at all in tenure at PSU, then he had zero chance of getting it.

Factor in the disciplinary process against him five years ago, the fact that he's a colossal asshole, and the fact that his pedagogy is clearly irresponsible, and his file has mo redeeming features. He's a clear liability for the department.

He's a nobody who's pissed that the national news media hasn't promoted his quitlit and who hasn't yet realized that Bari Weiss is not the droid he's looking for.

It is a good career move if you can't cut it as an academic: Quit your job before tenure denial, publicly, of course - be sure to cry about cancel culture and the radical left on your way out the door. And then get a bunch of attention from the conservative "news" ecosystem. From there it is a book deal and speaking engagements.

[mahagonny]

Since I'm in his discipline, I'm comfortable observing that he has no publications in any real outlets. The closest he comes are two pedagogical pubs in legitimate but very lower-tier journals. If research counts at all in tenure at PSU, then he had zero chance of getting it.

Factor in the disciplinary process against him five years ago, the fact that he's a colossal asshole, and the fact that his pedagogy is clearly irresponsible, and his file has mo redeeming features. He's a clear liability for the department.

He's a nobody who's pissed that the national news media hasn't promoted his quitlit and who hasn't yet realized that Bari Weiss is not the droid he's looking for.

It is a good career move if you can't cut it as an academic: Quit your job before tenure denial, publicly, of course - be sure to cry about cancel culture and the radical left on your way out the door. And then get a bunch of attention from the conservative "news" ecosystem. From there it is a book deal and speaking engagements.

Oh yeah, that conservative news dynasty really has us by the short ones, doesn't it? LOL

The book deals and speaking engagements happen because listeners are drawn to the message. But you don't have to be interested in them if it's not worth your time.

[Sun_Worshiper]

Since I'm in his discipline, I'm comfortable observing that he has no publications in any real outlets. The closest he comes are two pedagogical pubs in legitimate but very lower-tier journals. If research counts at all in tenure at PSU, then he had zero chance of getting it.

Factor in the disciplinary process against him five years ago, the fact that he's a colossal asshole, and the fact that his pedagogy is clearly irresponsible, and his file has mo redeeming features. He's a clear liability for the department.

He's a nobody who's pissed that the national news media hasn't promoted his quitlit and who hasn't yet realized that Bari Weiss is not the droid he's looking for.

It is a good career move if you can't cut it as an academic: Quit your job before tenure denial, publicly, of course - be sure to cry about cancel culture and the radical left on your way out the door. And then get a bunch of attention from the conservative "news" ecosystem. From there it is a book deal and speaking engagements.

Oh yeah, that conservative news dynasty really has us by the short ones, doesn't it? LOL


The book deals and speaking engagements happen because listeners are drawn to the message. But you don't have to be interested in them if it's not worth your time.

You don't think there is a conservative news ecosystem (including the Murdoch owned outlets, which are as close to a dynasty as we have in American media) that pumps up the cancel culture and "college is brainwashing our kids with scary ideas" narratives?

And look, if you like this guy from Portland State then good for you. I'm just pointing out that he is not a serious academic.

[Wahoo Redux]

On the other hand, he brings pure irrational, hatemongering nutjobs like Carl Benjamin to campus and then bemoans the irrational responses he foments.  So I dunno...

This is certainly bad press for Portland State.

I just keep posting these types of articles to push back against the notion that this sort of doesn't happen much in academia.

Can you give an example of Carl Benjamin's hate speech?

"I can be quoted as saying you can **** young boys. It's actually not as controversial as you think."

In two videos — one of which has since been deleted by YouTube — Benjamin repeatedly used the n-word. He said a YouTuber and the alt-right were "*******" and "acting like [N-word] in showing him disrespect because "white people are supposed to be polite".

"And it drives me crazy, because – I mean, I really like, one of my favorite things is conspiracy documentaries on YouTube. I think they're ****ing brilliant. I mean, don't get me wrong, I am absolutely persuaded that the world is about to ****ing end in a firestorm of death caused by the lizard-man Obama, not really, I'm just, you know--"

"And terrorists did not bring down 3 buildings with 2 ****ing planes man. I don't know who did, but it wasn't some Arabs with boxcutters man."

"I don't want to discuss only feminism on my channel because, frankly, it can get depressing"

"Just to jump in on the car thing. As I understand it, I thought Heather Hays[sic] or Heyer, or whatever her name was, I thought she died of a heart attack."

What would be the point of inviting this guy to a campus forum?