Teachable Moments

Hey, next time, how about a black kid holding up a liquor store, or maybe an Asian with buckteeth? You could have a whole hysterical series!

What was the point of this?!

Mr. Hall and IHE have risen to a new low.

A quick check of this classist’s website shows that he’s available for school visits. Oh joy! What can Mr. Hall possibly teach students?

“Class, it’s okay to make fun of people who are different from you.”

I’m glad to see I’m not the only one confused by this sad attempt at humor. Exactly what is the point of this? This is supposed to be funny? Exactly what is this teaching? The only thing this could possibly be teaching is that the author isn’t all that bright or funny but that’s already pretty obvious.

Too many of us got that message loud and clear when we were trying to find out footing in college.

In these times when so many of us are trying to convince more students that college can, indeed, be a good place for people like them, this is simply an appalling cartoon.

Matt and IHE really need to apologize for perpetuating the last acceptable stereotype in higher ed — class.

Wow, maintaining class heirarchy in higher education. Real original. Way to maintain elitism. Do you even understand the daily realities of working class people? How sad.

C’mon kids, it’s a joke. Someone proclaiming pride in their ignorance -look at his shirt! — does not belong in a college classroom.

You don’t get a cookie for skipping class to watch Wrestlemania.

I’m not surprised at the response to the cartoon, because I know a lot of the readers of Inside Higher Ed are bigots with no sense of humor and who are very defensive when they feel they are being made fun of, but any fool can see why this is funny — it gives voice to something many teachers have wanted to do, but don’t do because they are professionals. So, I’ll try to explain it to the morons who commented above. Once in a while, we’ve all had students that we’d rather didn’t come to class — those students didn’t want to learn, were disruptive, and got in the way of teaching everyone else. I wanted to tell those students to drop the class, but because I’m a professional and care, I instead spent many frustrating hours of my time trying to work with the student to turn him/her around, sometimes successfully. For those who think this cartoon was reverse racism because it poked fun at rednecks, they don’t understand what racism is. A college student who adopts a redneck lifestyle is making a choice to be an anti-intellectual (just like Bush in his presidency); an African-American is not choosing a lifestyle by being black (though a wealthy African American who pretends to be ghetto-gangsta is making that choice, and there are hundreds of jokes about them, most of them by African Americans.) And then of course, there is the whole history of oppression that black people have suffered because of the rednecks.

Well, as a master’s-holding redneck who is on her way to a PhD, I’m glad to see that, according to this cartoon, my professors apparently are thrilled with my attempt to become an educated individual who can make a contribution to society. This is absolutely deplorable. And for those professors uncomfortable with those of us who came from trailer parks and have worked tooth and nail to get where we are today, kiss my grits.

First, DALH can feel free to leave Texas at any time! I certainly wouldn’t want him/her to feel forced to spend “two more years in this miserable, uncultured, armpit of the country known as Texas". As a Hoosier that moved to Texas just two years ago, DALH obviously doesn’t appreciate the warmth and hospitality that Texans live by and for. So if DALH needs some help packing up early, I’m available any time. And it would seem to me that Texas might just be a more welcoming place without him/her. Texans may be a unique group of people, but they are wonderful to live amongst. Second, ST needs to realize that the major mission of a college is to educate students — taking each student where they are in their life and thinking process and exposing them to new ideas and the world as a whole. Somewhere along ST’s journey, I fear he/she lost sight of our mission. And while the claim that this cartoon is racist may not be correct, the educated folks I know would all certainly agree it is discriminatory.Lastly,I love humor...I just didn’t see any in this cartoon.

Some people seem to be OFFENDED by this cartoon. When was the last time people were offended by a cartoon? Let’s see. . .

Second, ST needs to realize that the major mission of a college is to educate students — taking each student where they are in their life and thinking process and exposing them to new ideas and the world as a whole.

But what if the student does not want to be exposed to new ideas and the world as a whole. There are those who feel threatened by worldly knowledge and perceive such teachings as a fundamental violation of their beliefs. Many will violently fight against the teachings of the external world. Such people belong in class and society with others only so long as they are willing to think why they are in the class in the first place and reach a consensus for the purpose of higher learning.

Let’s see, I grew up and graduated from high school in Western North Carolina. I received my undergraduate degree from a college in East Tennessee. I taught and coached in high schools and colleges in Southwest Virginia. I got a Ph.D. from Virginia Tech, and my first post-Ph.D. faculty position was at West Virginia University. If that doesn’t establish my credentials as a redneck, I’m not certain what else is required. Those of you who are offended by this Mathew Henry Hall cartoon are WUSSES! Most of you would greatly benefit from a course in the nature and structure of humor.

Now about humor itself. I generally believe jokes and cartoons about education are not the least bit funny. I happen to read 57 comic strips and cartoons daily. I love the strips. That said, I have never laughed at a frame of Marmaduke. I have never cracked a smile when reading Little Henry, Nancy and Sluggo, Beetle Bailey, or Cathy. By the same token, I think on one occasion, one of Mathew Henry Hall’s cartoons brought a smile to my face. I must admit, however that I greatly appreciate his funky drawings and occasionally supply my own “outrageously clever” punch lines to his drawings.

So you wusses, try to avoid Big Nate, Andy Capp, Doonesbury, and especially The Boondocks. Whatever you do, don’t attend a concert by Jon Stewart, Lewis Black, George Carlin, Dave Chappelle, Margaret Cho, Larry David, Jean Shepherd ... oh, the hell with it. Why am I even bothering with you wimps!!!

A picture of four sitting Native Americans with rifles on their laps and a caption: “Fighting Terrorism since 1492″

We would be unanimous supporters of the student?

Thanks for changing the cartoon. As a working-class, “redneck” academic, this cartoon really smacked of elitism. Something that we run into all the time in the academy. Class heirarchy is alive and well in this country, especially in colleges, but now you’re awake to it. Welcome!

The original cartoon can be found at:

http://educationandclass.com/

OK, I’ve seen the original, and Frisbane is right, all you whiners are wusses! My whole family is from Appalachia, and the original cartoon was no more “offensive” than Jeff Foxworthy’s comedy shows. Get a grip people.

I saw the humor in the cartoon...

I had to smile at Dahl’s comments about whiners....ha ha. We have a saying in Texas, if you dislike it so much here, go back to the east coast, or from the red-necks: ’suck it up and shutup or leave.’ But I say that in fun, ha ha, I’m sorry you don’t like Texas, but try to lighten up while you’re here,you know, change your perspective. Obviously there’s something here worthwhile to you, you just have to admit it :)