Hugo’s Halloween snark, inspired by too much chocolate:
Both Amanda and Lauren have been taking on the anti-feminist rantings of Dr. Mike Adams, a criminology professor at North Carolina Wilmington and a regular columnist at Townhall.com.
Last Friday, Adams launched this diatribe against next month’s Orgasm Awareness Festival at the Chapel Hill campus of UNC. He wrote:
Jessica Polka, an executive board member for the co-sponsor of the event, was recently quoted as saying that “We also have the goal of trying to work toward fighting the social stigma against female sexuality.†In other words, she wants college women to become whores without being ostracized. (Emphasis mine)
When feminist students on his own campus complained about the sentence I’ve highlighted, Adams responded with this letter on the Townhall site. Read it all,it won’t take long.
I have to say, I’m inspired by Mike Adams. He’s got a nationally syndicated column, despite the fact that he’s got essentially only one note to play: tired rantings and ravings about the misdeeds of the so-called radical left on college campuses. His pieces aren’t particularly well written; his tone is one of unremitting sarcasm of the sort that tends to be of particular appeal to clever — but not brilliant — boys in the later stages of adolescence. He has a particular interest in going after feminist organizations, and, essentially, calling women — including students on his own campus — who bravely claim the right to pleasure "whores."
I note that his website is entitled "Dr. Adams.org." Gosh, do you think I’d get more hits if I called my site "Dr.Schwyzer.org"? Lord, save us from colleagues so insecure about their professional credentials that they must use the title "doctor" on their bloody websites! I wonder if he’s the dreadful sort of man who hangs his diplomas in his office where they can stare down aggressively at his students? I’ve got my doctorate, thanks. And no one ever calls me "Dr. Schwyzer" to my face twice. (I’ve explained my reasons here.) Call it reverse snobbery if you will, but I loathe titles, and I loathe colleagues who display diplomas on the wall. It’ s the academic equivalent of "excessive celebration" after a touchdown in college football, and if I could, I’d throw a little yellow penalty flag at the offenders. My diplomas (high school, B.A., M.A., C.Phil, Ph.D) are at home, in a box somewhere. That’s where they’ll stay.
(The good doctor also has a paypal account, so that his loyal fans can send him money. Tell me, folks, should I ask for donations? Run ads on my blog? Trust me, the only donation any of you will ever be asked to make is to the Matilde Mission.)
Anyhow, I find his politics execrable. But perhaps I’m just jealous. After all, here’s a tenured white male with short hair and glasses who is building a national name for himself by writing about topics far beyond his own field of expertise. Mike Adams? Excuse me, Dr. Adams, sir? You’re my new role model.
More than anything, I think it’s repugnant that he listed the e-mail address of the woman organizing the event in his first sentence. It’s also more than disconcerting that a professor would suggest that his own students are whores (or might become such) in print. I cannot imagine having a prof who thought that sexuality and intelligence were mutually exclusive: “While the UNC administration is undoubtedly thrilled that these coeds are turning out to be nymphomaniacs rather than intellectuals.”
*wince*
He’s a “doctor” like Laura Schlessinger is a “doctor” – a non-clinician with a Ph.D. Now I remember my college years – every professor (non-fine-arts) had a Ph.D., and no-one, aside from the student health services M.D., called themselves “doctor”. At least without risk of snickering.
FWIW, if you are a licensed professional clinician, M.D., D.O., R.N., RRT, even hairdresser, you have to display your state license at worksite. But not your degree – the state verified that when you applied for the first license.
Nancy, fortunately we tenured faculty are not licensed professionals. Whether that is to our discredit or not, I don’t know.
evil_fizz, I agree completely that it is “also more than disconcerting that a professor would suggest that his own students are whores (or might become such) in print. I cannot imagine having a prof who thought that sexuality and intelligence were mutually exclusive…”
Indeed.
His pieces aren’t particularly well written; his tone is one of unremitting sarcasm of the sort that tends to be of particular appeal to clever — but not brilliant — boys in the later stages of adolescence.
It does seem to be the standard tone of conservative pundits (as well as a few liberal ones). Sarcasm and name calling seem to be their usual mode of address. Ann Coulter and Michelle Malkin come to mind as two examples.
Call it reverse snobbery if you will, but I loathe titles, and I loathe colleagues who display diplomas on the wall.
I have certainly known those who use their medical and/or doctoral degrees to make others feel small or inferior. I disagree that merely hanging one’s diplomas in their office is an act of arrogance, but that’s just me. One can be proud of one’s accomplishments without crossing the line into excessive hubris.
“He has a particular interest in going after feminist organizations, and, essentially, calling women — including students on his own campus — who bravely claim the right to pleasure “whores.”"
I bravely claim the right to pleasure as well but often people claim my watching porn is demeaning to women, that those who own a “real doll” are creepy, demented and/or sick, and finally that if I use sex toys I’m pathetic. Female sexuality aka vibrators/dildos = empowering. Male sexuality aka porno/fleshlight/blow up doll = Pathetic and sick or “oppressive”.
Its interesting you didn’t mention from his second article about all of the sexist actions/statements made against him, like the rubbers in his mail box or the unsolicited email about some gal’s private parts.
FP:
I, for one, have no problem with you enjoying pornography made by consenting, non-coerced adults or using a rubber vagina for self-pleasuring. I do, however, object to a grown man calling a fancy mannequin his “girlfriend”.
FP, there’s a colossal difference between a student leaving condoms in a teacher’s mailbox and that teacher comparing students on his campus to whores. We who teach must hold ourselves to a higher standard than those whom we are charged to care for.
He must be a blast in faculty meetings.
I wonder how he’d react to finding that his comments are insulting to more “traditionally inclined” women, as well as to the feminist students on his campus.
Hugo,
Every time I think about what Michelle Malkin, or Maureen Dowd, does for a living, I know that I’m working too hard.
Go for it.
Oh look. Someone learned how to play the TLD game.
I expect that in the near future, it will be possible to create columnist-simulating bots. So if people like Mike Adams are actually being paid for their writing, they’ll be out of a job. Of course, it’s also possible that they’re really being paid for being someone’s niece or nephew, in which case there’s no reason to replace them with bots, since bots don’t really have any family to speak of.
Anyhow, either it’s not a very stable job (because of the bots), or you’re not qualified for it (assuming you don’t stand in the appropriate nephew relations). So don’t be too jealous.
I’m inspired. From now on, I will be “The Happy Feminist, Esq.”
His pieces aren’t particularly well written; his tone is one of unremitting sarcasm of the sort that tends to be of particular appeal to clever — but not brilliant — boys in the later stages of adolescence.
And Amanda and Lauren are complaining about him? Is it me or is there some semblance of irony here? His style of writing is I think what Amanda describes as “humor†when used in her own style of writing.
I am also a little surprised at you Hugo. You usually implore us to stick to attacking a person’s ideas and not the person himself.
You’re right, Uzzah. Clearly, the sugar load from the Halloween candy got the best of me… and as I said, there’s a touch of jealousy here as well.
Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa and all that.
Uzzah, I had the exact same thoughts re. Amanda, Lauren, ginmar, et al., as well as Hugo’s ‘inconsistency’ re. his stated policies vs. his remarks in this thread.
Actually, I think Hugo and Mike Adams are two sides of the same coin. Same old riff, over and over again, like a well-worn blues lick. With Adams it’s “feminists” and “liberals,” for Hugo it’s “patriarchy,” “male privilege,” and “holding men accountable.” Unless of course those men are feminists.
Hugo, by all means go for the Big Time, but frankly, I think Adams plays the game way better than you do.
“I think Adams plays the game way better than you do.”
I suspect it’s just because he’s better looking than I am.
i personally have no problem at all with calling mike adams out on his pretension and raging insecurity with snark and sarcasm – it’s fighting fire with fire. if this guy can make a living slinging mean-spirited diatribes that include wholesale character assassinations on college women (you say “whores” like it’s a bad thing, dr. adams!), i think his readers certainly have the right to respond in kind.
in short, the grade school defense will do: he started it.
“FP, there’s a colossal difference between a student leaving condoms in a teacher’s mailbox and that teacher comparing students on his campus to whores.”
Yeah, if I were he I would have avoided that word. But I do understand his frustration at the institution of higher learning at which he works turning into pre-Giuliani Times Square. That’s going on at a large number of major college campuses, and I’d be peeved, too, if my college campus hosted the Condom Olympics or Orgasm Day or contests at who can put a prophylactic onto a cucumber in the fastest time.
For the same reason, I’d be furious if someone put condoms into my mailbox, but that’s not even at the root of his complaint. They were accompanied by a not-so-nice note that read that he should never reproduce, as well as a seven-letter-word I shan’t repeat here. And his complaints were NOT addressed by the powers that be. So complaints against him being addressed would demonstrate sexist bias.
boy genteel
Stop violence against women AND men.
http://www.vawa4all.org
Yeah! I didn’t know I was evil. Happy belated Halloween to me.
I wonder how he’d react to finding that his comments are insulting to more “traditionally inclined” women, as well as to the feminist students on his campus.
Unfortunately, the “traditionally” minded women who came to my blog to explain it made it clear–men are allowed to be vulgar, it’s only women who are to self-censor. Mind you, the only vulgarities Adams lets fly are sexist slurs–he called a penis a “hoodilly” or something like that once.
Oh geez Amanda, get a grip. “Women are the only ones who are to self-censor?” You can’t possibly be serious, can you? Have you not read other threads on this blog? Why, e.g., we men must be responsible for not only how we look at women, but how those women interpret it. Whether or not it conforms to rational, reasonable standards of human behavior.
You seem to truly be living in a Bizzarro World all your own.
Mr. Bad, step gently away from the line that you’re getting dangerously close to. There’s a good lad.
Unfortunately, the “traditionally” minded women who came to my blog to explain it made it clear–men are allowed to be vulgar, it’s only women who are to self-censor.
Amanda, are you certain those were “traditionally-minded” women? IME, “traditionally-minded” women don’t accept vulgarity from anyone.
I read Dr. Mike Adam’s articles for the first time today. I can’t remember the last time I belly laughed so hard. I found his writing insightful as he points the same nonsense back to the rightful owner.
In general I have observer that most good men have become pansies. I’m pleased that Dr. Adam has the right to say what he does and not get fired from his job like many have.
Hugo I do not familiar with your rap but you ought to compare yourself to someone else less funny.
Mark Ruffolo, MS, MBA
Well, Mark, for what it’s worth, I do not familiar with my rap either.
But I really, really liked you in “My Life Without Me.” I’m a fan.