Sometimes, I think that, for those of us who teach at Ye Olde Academic Sweat Shoppe, our lives jobs would be easier if we worked at a Wahhabist madrasah. Then, we'd know what we were dealing with... no surprises. But here at Ye Olde Academic Sweat Shoppe, much of the student body passes easily for educated and mature members of Western civilization in the 21st century.
Yesterday's op-ed piece in our campus newspaper (which I only now stumbled upon), contributed by an irate student, doesn't just appall me. It actually strikes fear in the heart. I am a friend of the professor being attacked, and when I think of all the art history that I have ever taught here (nudes, absinthe addicts, gory execution scenes, depictions of catamites, fertility idols, artistic media using bodily fluids, you name it), I realize that this could very well be one of my own classes being publicly vilified by someone who has absolutely no understanding of what it is I'm trying to do. But what will really keep me up at night is not the brazen willingness to publicly declare oneself a philistine on the campus of an American public university, but the number of respondents for whom this student's call for censorship and moral condemnation is heroic and worthy of emulation.
My first instinct (as usual) was to fire off a pointed response. However, I worry that I might be developing a local reputation for that sort of thing. Additionally, I worry that, whatever rational defense I might offer would only harden her convictions and incense her fellow jihadists. Furthermore, M-Shan's and Frenchie's responses (among others) appear to have already handled the situation nicely (they've got this one). So, I thought I'd vent my spleen here instead. Below, I've posted the redacted text of the student's letter, and inserted my own responses in italics. Here we go...
I began this semester as a student enrolled in a junior-level modern
foreign language course, heading for a certain minor to support my
English major.
After the first class period, however, I withdrew from the course,
and am now questioning the minor, though I had planned on it for some
years.
Although the professor’s vibrant personality and obvious love for
teaching recommended him to me as a good teacher, his course syllabus
gave me reason to re-evaluate not only him as a teacher, but the
Department of [x] and [Ye Olde Academic Sweat Shoppe] as
sources for my education.
Re-evaluating opinions about people based upon their approaches to teaching and learning is a two-way street, sister.
My first question is whether the teachers must have their syllabi examined by the department before using them in class?
Yes, we must. But not for the reasons you're thinking.
If so, then perhaps the information causing me such grave concern
will not be new, but it is even more shocking for having been approved.
As a disclaimer to any film material used in the class, the syllabus
includes a section describing the type of “mature” content the teacher
plans to utilize.
His purpose, I specifically remember, is to teach not only the
language, but the culture from which it comes. The content includes
sexual acts, violence, profanity, illegal drug use, nudity and a few
other forms of immorality. He cautioned the class to understand that
though such issues are not suitable for children, we, as adults, should
not be offended, as we surely experience the same things in daily life.
If anyone is offended, he strongly suggests he or she drop the class
immediately.
The professor's first and only mistake would appear to be any assumption on his part that students such as yourself would be as mature as the content of the films mentioned in the syllabus. To be honest, I have never thought to forewarn enrollees that they might be offended by some material in my classes. Being offended is a part of life, and most certainly to be expected in any learning process. Count yourself lucky if you manage to finish a bachelor's degree without being offended by something. Personally, I am offended that you're offended. But what I don't understand is what part of the content description has you up-in-arms? All it says is "includes sexual acts, violence, profanity, illegal drug use, and nudity." Which of those, by definition, is inherently 'immoral'? What if the sex acts are between husband and wife for procreation? What if the violence is in self defense or an act of war? What if the pot is being smoked by people from Amsterdam who don't know the American laws governing drug use, or if a terminally ill patient is abusing prescription medication? What if the nudity is nothing more than a character changing clothes?
I am not “offended,” but disgusted! As a married woman, I am
certainly well acquainted with mature subjects, but that does not mean
I condone them.
Wait, what? I have no idea what 'mature subjects' are going on between you and your husband with which you are well acquainted but don't condone. This sounds like a personal problem. Perhaps a private session with a marriage counselor might be a more appropriate forum than the newspaper.
Neither do I want to base my education in their exploitation. Had I
wanted to watch dirty movies to learn Spanish, I would not have worked
so hard to get to [Ye Olde Academic Sweat Shoppe].
'Exploitation?' What led you to believe the professor would be collecting a cover charge to watch "Girls Gone Wild" in the classroom? 'Dirty?' How old are you? I'm guessing either 7 or 77. Either way, 'dirty' is a personal value judgment that tells me absolutely nothing about the objectionable content of any of these films (but tells me a lot about you). Or is there mud on the DVDs? Speaking of descriptive choices, aren't you supposed to be an English major? But forget all that... what I really want to know is, did you really "work hard to get to" this school? Really?? But, be glad that you ended up where you did, because if this content warning has got you so worked up about something you've never even laid eyes on, then what is happening in the classrooms of our nation's best universities would BLOW. YOUR. MIND.
After all, most DVDs today offer Spanish subtitles or voice-overs.
Are you implying that you were doing the Spanish language a favor by studying it? Spanish doesn't need you, thanks. You need Spanish. And a lot of other courses.
While such immorality is indeed a part of many people’s daily lives,
it is not right, and my desire is to always encourage my peers to rise
above their circumstances and strive for a better way of life.
Look, Church Lady... I don't know what conclave of cardinals elected you pope, but nobody gives a flying sexual act about your opinion of what is 'immoral' or 'right' in other people's lives. What about that biblical injunction against judging others? Frankly, I find your whole attitude immoral. So stick that in your incense-burner and smoke it. If your desire is to encourage your peers to rise and strive (according to your own individual standards), then A.) you probably should have worked harder to get into a seminary instead of a public university, and B.) do the rest of us a favor and get a new hobby.
I do not intend to watch filth for entertainment, nor for the purpose of learning a language.
That's what the content warning in the syllabus was all about, Stephen Hawking! But I guess it's not enough to exercise your own conscience and free will, you've got to exercise yours on behalf of the rest of us? No thanks, Mom. And I love that the U.S. Supreme Court has yet to be able to define what constitutes obscenity, but an undergrad at this school has got it all figured out. If not a seminary, how about law school?
Understanding culture, of course, is the automatic excuse for
allowing such trash to be shown to a classroom, but that is all it is -
an excuse!
I know you may find this hard to believe, but you are not at a stage in you own education to be able to pass critical judgment on much of anything. Being a tuition-paying customer does not make you an expert. All you've got are personal opinions. Which are like a certain body part that I hope you never have to see in a movie.
I have lived in South America and have traveled through Mexico, and my family, overall, is very well traveled.
Having visitors from Africa, Asia, Europe, Canada, South America and
the Middle East was a common occurrence in the house where I grew up,
and I tell you now that it is an insult to those honorable people and
their countries to assume that understanding their culture requires an
examination of pure trash!
First of all, why do I suspect that, by "South America" you really mean the American South? Or that Africa, Asia, Europe, Canada, and the Middle East are probably stand-ins for Harlem, Chinatown, Little Italy, New England, and Detroit? Either way, a passport doesn't make you an authority on understanding other cultures. Taking off your own burkha would be a good first step, if you really want to learn about the rest of the world. Regardless, I seriously doubt that Spaniards would be insulted to learn that you watched an Almodovar film in class. Actually, I imagine they would take greater offense at the idea of some puritanical American college student trying to 'clean up' something their own culture produced. Trust me, I've had one or two real, live ones inside my own house (which obviously makes me an expert on how España feels).
Immorality is not specific to any one culture, but common to all peoples.
Goooood. But now take the next leap: No two cultures define immorality in exactly the same ways.
This very university is known well for its drunken revelries, but
that can be clearly understood without exploiting the shame of others
on a screen for our entertainment or so called “education.”
If, as you assume, drunken revelries are immoral, then you don't see any educational value in studying the phenomenon and increasing awareness about it? How could Nancy Reagan warn the country's youth about the dangers of drugs if she couldn't even mention the words "drugs," much less show in some meaningful way the negative aspects?
I know full well that illegal drugs run rampant in many Central and
South American cultures, but I can know that and understand that aspect
of culture without a video slamming it before my face and demanding the
full concentration of my mind.
If you never watched a video about the topic, or concentrated fully on it, then how on earth do you even know about illegal drugs running rampant in Central and South American cultures? These are the logic and debating skills that the university you worked so hard to get in to are turning out?
I also am well aware that young girls were purchased by the
multitude from Asian countries to serve in brothels, but should I watch
a girl be stolen and raped before my eyes to gain that knowledge?
Certainly not!
Now you're going to compare this professor's syllabus to showing rape videos?!?! Quit inventing unrealistic example to make your case, you sick pervert!
Because class participation and attendance is worth 25 percent of
the overall grade, I knew that to simply take absences on the film days
would pull my grades far below their current standing, and I was not
willing to accept that.
Look, Saint Luke... if your righteous convictions mean anything, you've got to make sacrifices. So march your transcripts right up onto the gallows and slip them inside the hangman's noose. What the hell kind of martyr are you? Put your money where your mouth is, and maybe then I'd be willing to listen to your preaching.
In short, I am not a prude, but I am not willing to sacrifice so
dear an aspect of pure mind and clear heart for the mere reward of
education. I have worked hard to get where I am, and I will continue to
move toward my aspirations, but I hope I will never do so at the high
price of a mind and heart corrupted.
The way you have railed against filth and trash and immorality thus far could be considered a textbook example of prudishness. But you're actually much worse than the average prude... you're a prude on a mission to pressure everyone else into prudishness. And quit singing your own praises already (pride?)! You have neither a pure mind nor a clear heart... it would appear that you have a closed mind and a hardened heart. If the reward of education is so trivial, then I can't fathom what your aspirations might be, why you're here, or why you published this in the first place.
For the sake of those students too ashamed or too shy to stand for
what is right, I wrote to the department, asking them to reconsider
this aspect of the class’ “education” and question whether it is really
necessary to incorporate such filth into any course, much less one
offered to students who are struggling to make good life decisions.
You're real sweet to do that for all the other students, Messiah. But quit assuming that you know what is right. Instead, try "to stand for what I believe is right." And do you not have any clue how utterly deranged you sound using words like "filth" do describe what basically sounds like a PG-13 movie? Finally, all of our classes are offered to all students, including those not struggling to make good life decisions, and those who want to see the material. And don't worry so much about the poor students struggling to make good life decisions, Tony Robbins. They're big boys and girls, and it's none of your business. Besides, how can they triumph over evil if they're never given the opportunity to reject temptation?
Their response: “Thank you for writing… Your remarks have been duly noted.” The rest of the e-mail consisted of polite niceties.
Isn’t that great?! My extremely concerned remarks have been “duly noted.”
What did you expect? Wait, let me guess... an indecency trial leading to a public stoning? A school-sponsored burning of R-rated DVDs that you've never even seen? I figure you're lucky that's all the response you got. If I'd been the one answering the department's email when this came across the wires, I doubt your cloistered sensibilities could have handled the response. Somebody would have gotten told.
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