I'm starting to see why academics are criticized for being out of touch.

Earlier this afternoon I had a marathon venting session with someone in my cohort about my Methods class. There was certainly overlap in our grievances, but my beef is perhaps more personal in nature. I'm going to try and figure it out.

We have our research proposals due in just under 2 weeks. In last night's class, we were going over our research questions. Now this prof (from here on out he will be referred to a "this dude." in a snotty way) is very politically-minded. And from the beginning of the semester I've given him the benefit of the doubt because we both want to fight The Man. Because he has made many comments in class about his politics, I assumed that talking to him about my research would be smooth and probably beneficial. He is well versed regarding race issues, he once wanted us to brainstorm ways that corporations keep employees just happy enough to refrain from revolting, you know. The kinds of things that make me trust that a person is on the same page.

I'm not one that expects that everyone is an avid blog reader as I, but I guess I did expect him to be a little knowledgeable about feminism (or at least be aware of the ongoing conversation within progressive movements). Mostly because he acted like he was. He tells me about how racist feminists of the past are. I concur, yes, that is a huge criticism of 1st and 2nd Wave feminist movements and that's great that I'll be studying this. Then, there he is, lecturing me about how racism has taken on different forms since the civil rights movement. Okay, maybe I think that's obvious that third wave feminists aren't throwing around the N-word or saying that white folks are superior, but maybe he is just trying to get me to see that there racism takes different forms. Then he starts talking about how people today strive to be "color-blind" - wait. Does he think it's 1998? Because the third wave feminist community that I see today does not subscribe to this notion. Now, I'm not saying that the 3rd Wave community doesn't have race issues to work out, but using "color-blind" rhetoric? No. Not to be dismissive, and I'm sure a whole lot of people still do use this "logic," but active, progressive communities do not condone it. Again, I'm not saying that these progressive communities that are made up mostly of white folk don't have race issues. I am saying that the forms of racism are even less clear cut than this researcher found in the 1990s. I try to tell him that no, being "color-blind" is not regarded as a valid method to avoid being racist according to feminists. I don't think he believes me.

Yesterday, while I'm discussing this with my group, I'm saying something about how I will need to really work to find the racism within feminist blogs because it's not going to be obvious in a progressive movement (especially to me as a white woman). This dude then pipes in and says
"is feminism really progressive?" WTF.

Then later, when I'm describing my plan to the class, he wonders, "I think you'll have a problem defining 'third wave feminist' in your research." I tell him that no, I will not at all have that problem. A classmate clarifies that the waves are mostly generational. "Really?" asked this dude with a skeptical look. UGH.

Give it a fucking rest dude. How f'ing obvious do i need to make it that I know a lot about feminism. You clearly do not. That is fine. But quit acting like I'm unaware. BALLS.

(sidenote: at the beginning of the semester there were some students that hadn't settled on the classes they wanted to enroll in. on the first day, a Black woman named Dana was in our class. She was getting her PhD in Urban Studies. She didn't come after the first day. A couple weeks later, a different Black woman came to class. She said that she had just registered. He said,"no, you were here the first day." She said "No, I just added." I think we all know what happened there. I'm not saying that was a racist thing to do. We remember people based on their most obvious features, and race is a big one. But to argue with her about whether or not she had been there the first day??? To be completely oblivious to the fact that he might be mistaken in an embarrassing way? Good job, dude. Good f'ing job.)

Okay. Something else.
I had my meeting today with SalOC (The professor that teaches the Social Psych lecture that I TA for - Sal O.C. is her nickname). This week's chapter is on persuasion or something. She'd like us to bring in some ads for the students to look at to decide what kind type of persuasion is being used (her wording is probably different than my ranty-brain is able to recollect at the moment). She asks me (and the other TA) if we have any magazines that we could cut up for ads. I'm thinking in my head, the only ads I ever see in Bitch are for vibrators, and that's probably not what she's looking for. Then she says: do either of you subscribe to anything like Good Housekeeping? Good Fucking Housekeeping?! Are you fucking kidding me?

Okay. So why are these things such a big deal? Aside from me possibly getting defensive about someone who clearly doesn't understand feminist movements, and me expecting that I'll be asking in-depth questions in my research and this dude just wants to stop me at every turn to clarify the most surface level BS, I think I'm pissed that he thinks he's so much f'ing smarter than the amazing people doing tons of intelligent work outside of academia.

And SalOC and her f'ing Good Housekeeping magazine question? (to be fair, she also suggested Glamour) What f'ing Soc grad student is going to enjoy a magazine like Good Housekeeping enough that start up a subscription?

I realize that was a crazy rant. I'm sure I'll have more to say on the issue as the semester draws to an end. I will say that for the record, my Theory prof is the bee's knees and isn't douchey at all. And I will end this post with saying that I'm f'ing thrilled that I am officially signed up to get my Women's Studies graduate certificate, in addition to the Soc masters. Women's Studies: please do not let me down.