Althouse: "Students: next time you feel insulted by something a professor says, call the professor an asshole..."

November 13, 2007

"Students: next time you feel insulted by something a professor says, call the professor an asshole..."

"... This is a time-honored way of dealing with indignities."

ADDED: The linked post suggests that you call the teacher an "asshole" out of his or her earshot, but someone in the comments — Bissage — remembered this classic demonstration of how to talk to the teacher:

15 comments:

Bob said...: The rest of the statement that you left out was "...under your breath or loudly, to your friends." It said nothing about calling him an asshole loudly, to his face, in front of the class. An important distinction, I think.; 11/13/07, 8:12 AM
ricpic said...: Is a classroom a democracy? Is the professor's main job to entertain the students? These are two assumptions the author of the article seems to accept.
Most important, is the professor to censor himself in deference to a student's possible sensitivity? Should deference to possible hurt feelings take precedence over presenting a controversial argument? On this last point the author wavers.
Maybe such wrong headedness deserves to be insulted.; 11/13/07, 8:31 AM
Peter Hoh said...: And if that doesn't work, try calling the professor a "Schmuck."

With a nod to Amba and the Onion.; 11/13/07, 8:37 AM
rhhardin said...: Everybody is so timid these days.

If somebody is offended by your remarks, offend them again at the earliest opportunity, is a good policy.

It helps their skin.; 11/13/07, 8:58 AM
Bissage said...: HART: You . . . are a son of a bitch, Kingsfield.

KINGSFIELD: Mr. Hart! That is the most intelligent thing you've said all day. You may take your seat.; 11/13/07, 9:01 AM
Tim said...: "Chances are good that the professor meant no insult and will explain the point of the comment, he (it always seems to be male professors) might even apologize."

He thinks highly of the integrity of professors, doesn't he?; 11/13/07, 9:53 AM
Superdad said...: Unless the professor is standing in the front of the class stating that he is going to fail all the black kids becuase they are balck, there is no issue here. Sometimes professors are assholes. Sometimes students are assholes. That's life and the fact that it even warrants public discussion speaks the real problem - everyone wants to be a victim and "to speak truth to power" or some stupid thing. We pay professors money in return for degrees that enable us to get jobs where, hopefully, we make more money than we paid to the professors. Ideally the professors would be good, funny intellegent people but if there not just shut the hell up and pass the class and move on. Law school is but three years long, get over it.; 11/13/07, 11:44 AM
George M. Spencer said...: He's just lucky that Kingsfield didn't throw a carbolic smoke ball at him.; 11/13/07, 12:04 PM
Ron said...: Hart's proper response would have been to fart and tell Kingsfield that is more intelligent than anything he's said today...; 11/13/07, 12:08 PM
Swifty Quick said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 11/13/07, 12:17 PM
former law student said...: I could see myself saying that those who studied the Talmud had learned a lot of legal analysis techniques, which should help them in their study of American law. But I wouldn't compare them to African-Americans unless there was an obvious context.; 11/13/07, 12:55 PM
Chip Ahoy said...: "Professor, you're an Vonnegutian asterisk. Now where am I going to place a phone call for a dime?"; 11/13/07, 3:02 PM
Anonymous said...: I remember a friend of mine calling an instructor in college an asshole, and there were two unfortunate circumstances leading to the response.

The instructor wasn't a professor, he was our baseball coach and my friend didn't say it under his breath.

I don't remember the term democracy or theocracy coming up at all.; 11/13/07, 3:37 PM
Anonymous said...: I remember a friend of mine calling an instructor in college an asshole, and there were two unfortunate circumstances leading to the response.

The instructor wasn't a professor, he was our baseball coach and my friend didn't say it under his breath.

I don't remember the term democracy or theocracy coming up at all.; 11/13/07, 3:37 PM
Anonymous said...: Some of us are afraid to talk back to our teachers for fear that this will happen:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Xfi4s8cjLFI; 11/13/07, 11:18 PM