Perhaps there is an inverse relationship betwen the quality of ideas and how far up the education pyramid one goes. I don't really believe that, but a few recent comments and reviews of Stayin' Alive may suggest as much.
We begin with an innocent blue-collar blogger who wrote an angry letter to the editor after an interview I did, about which he voiced disdain at Mr. Ivy League Professor claiming to speak about "the working class" (especially by talking about disco). It's a wonderful expression of animosity toward a group of people, those in the higher ed racket, who have done absolutely nothing for him or his people besides trying to count the number of footnotes that can dance on the head of a pin. Some quality populist rage here. He said he wanted to read a book my dad, who worked hard for a living, would have written--not me. All fair enough. Ironically, I think the tone of his arguments can be explained by what happened in the 70s. Nonetheless, I believe he was a little surprised when I commented on his blog, urging him to give the book a try. You can read more here: Rock and Confusion.
In contrast, we sky rocket to the top of the academic heap, where a sociologist named Dalton Conley, who is, for some reason that says something about the darkness at the core of NYU, the Senior Vice Provost and Dean for the Social Sciences as well as University Professor. This one data point clearly shows that the number of titles one has trailing after his name is in an inverse relationship to the quality of thought (or perhaps just in direct relation to intellectual laziness). He published a review in the Chronicle of Higher Ed, in which it is clear, he did not read the material under review or even have anything to say. The vacuity of this is truly extraordinary as the comments attest. Why did the CHE publish this crap? I don't mind a negative review, but give me substance. Here you go if you have nothing better to do: Making Sense of the 'Me' Decade - The Chronicle Review.
Finally, this week, a nice, serious, review in Working-Class Notes, the newsletter of the Working-Class Studies Association, by a newly minted faculty member at Texas State San Marcos named Jeff Helgeson. This guy did his homework and nailed the argument and substance of the book in pitch perfect tones. Perhaps Prof. Conley, who confirms the Rock and Confusion guy's assumption about the pompous air-baggery of elite higher ed, should head down to San Marcos for some lessons from Brother Helgeson on how to engage in honest intellectual discourse. Check out Helgeson here: Working-Class Notes » Book Reviews.
Preach it! As someone who works at a second-tier state university I've gotten tired of the condescension of people who've produced less than me, but have a more prestigious institution behind their names.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I am enjoying your book, as much as I can use the word "enjoy" to discuss the history such a tragic phenomenon that hits close to home for me. I have plenty of relatives today who are just scraping by in their working-class jobs but quote Limbaugh like holy writ.