After receiving notification from Gordon Presto about possibly losing my posting rights, I took many notes during my first week of classes, preparing for my first of many posts this academic year. I had a number of doozies for everyone, some of which I probably would have had to save for the end of the second week.
But then I did something I wouldn’t have done in the past. I cut out on a department meeting on Friday afternoon. As a result, I was able to spend a relaxing morning and early afternoon with my family (I only have two-day-per-week classes; no Fridays). Even though they were preparing for a weekend trip to my sister-in-law’s a few hours away, and I was helping with these semi-hectic preparations, it was much more relaxing than any department meeting where we continue to discuss the same things ad nauseum to no avail or resolution. Furthermore, I knew I’d have a relaxing weekend not in the company of my sister-in-law and her family.
Once the wife and kids left for the weekend, I was planning on sitting down and compiling my commentary on the previous week for the perusal of my fellow CMers. I sat down in front of my computer and turned on the television, ready to go. For some reason, my home office TV was tuned to the Tennis Channel, so I got engrossed in the US Open. During lulls in the tennis, I checked the guide and it turns out that the channel immediately before the Tennis Channel is Spike TV, which was showing a marathon of “Gangland” repeats. So, I spent the evening going back and forth between the two, quite enjoying myself, mind you, especially since I spent the entire afternoon/evening imbibing consistent quantities of adult beverages from my personal stash. Once I was done for the evening, I figured I’d at least check CM, even if I wasn’t ready to post. Imagine my surprise when I saw two posts about the dude from CSUSB, especially after watching “Gangland”. I thought I was hallucinating, but when I checked Saturday morning, they were still there. Eerie, huh?
(By the way, the Devil’s Diciples were a subject of “Gangland” in January of 2010.)
Speaking of Saturday morning, I fully intended to compile, edit, and post my misgivings about the first week of classes, but then I started watching some college football. During the weather delays in the Notre Dame game, I started flipping around, only to find both US Open tennis on CBS and a Star Wars marathon on Spike. While the marathon didn’t get to the original trilogy on Saturday, I was engrossed nonetheless. Especially since, yet again, I was sporting a decent buzz. I forgot how awesomely awful the prequel trilogy was. I saw all three of them in the theater, as befits a true Star Wars nerd, but it’s been a few years since I’ve attempted to watch them. However, I have decided that instead of saving up for a cruise for the five of us in my immediate family for my 40th birthday in a couple of years, I’ll save that money for a cruise the next January, when the prices are about $1500 less for all of us. Instead, for my birthday, I've decided that my two boys and I are going to watch all six Star Wars episodes back-to-back. I’d include my wife and daughter, but I figure they won’t be interested, as they have never been interested in the past.
As I woke up this morning, I was totally intending to post my woes and my smackdowns for the past week, but once I got the grocery shopping for the weekly necessities done (my normal Sunday chore while my wife and family are at church; yes, I know I’m a heathen), there was both tennis and Star Wars on the tube. Oh yeah, and booze in the cabinet. Furthermore, when I checked CM, it appears that all hell had broken loose. With “P.” wreaking havoc in the comments (at least in his/her mind), Midwest May laying the smack down on her idiot students (much better than most of mine on most of my students), and Gordon wondering why the fuck he got involved in this venture in the first place, I had to post a couple of comments, but my proposed smackdowns paled in comparison to what was going on.
In retrospect, I’ve had a pretty good weekend, and I haven’t even experienced the extra day that is Labor Day yet. I was not required to visit my sister-in-law and her family, I’ve had a mild, yet consistent, buzz on all weekend, and I haven’t found that one of my colleagues is a drug dealing biker. Good times.
I’m sure next week will render some significant smacks, but for now, I’ll leave you with the one that stood out from last week.
Until later.
PfP
Amiable Amy – Of course I remember you from a few semesters ago. I remember how you tried to get a little too friendly with my lab tutors, hoping to get a copy of the final. I remember how you would come by my office “just to say hi” when you hadn’t done the homework for a given week. I especially remember how my wife would have kicked the shit out of you if I hadn’t restrained her when you started to rub up against me like a cat does against a chair leg when you saw me at the mall with my family. Apparently you haven’t learned your lesson, seeing as you are uncomfortably close while asking to be added to an already-beyond-full class. Even if I wanted to add you, and I don’t, I don’t have enough workspaces available. Plus, I love my wife. I’d hate to see her in prison for whoricide . . . I mean homicide.
I enjoyed this thoroughly, right down to the very last line, which brought me up short.
ReplyDeleteCalling your student on her inappropriate behaviour is fine. Calling her a whore is not fine, because it's misogynistic. "Fuckheadicide"; "suckupicide"; "asskissercide"; "manipulative psychocide"; these would all be just fine. But not whore.
Your wife and daughter might be totally into the StarWarsathon; my daughter and I are (and agree completely about the awfulness of the prequels). If they aren't, it could be because they're misogynistic too; especially the prequels. ("Oh, Ani!" repeat ad nauseam). But I still like Mace Windu.
This is what makes me maddest. Did they threaten to take away your posting rights? That's bullshit and I hope you set them straight. Once they give those rights they are yours to do what you will.
ReplyDeleteThe people who run this page are out of control.
I enjoyed it, too, especially since it read like a much-more-truthful version of one of our students' longwinded explanations of why they didn't get their assignments done.
ReplyDelete"Whoricide" bothered me a bit, too. On the one hand, it does sound like she's in the habit of offering sexual quid pro quos, and I wouldn't hesitate to call that prostitution. But, sadly, most barely-adult women who offer to trade sex for rewards of various kinds have learned to cope with the world that way through experiences that began at a much younger age -- one at which any such transaction qualified as abuse, if not downright rape. I'm pretty sure there was a classic RYS post about this, about a student with a moniker that I thought was something along the lines of "sundress Sally," but sadly I can't find it. Maybe someone else can.
I’ll say that I didn’t use “whoricide” completely on my own, as I don’t use the word “whore” lightly. Yes, Amy’s actions indicated that she may lean that way, but it was mostly based on the attitude of my wife immediately after the given incident. She explicitly used the word “whore” to describe Amy after the incident. As a point of reference, this is a woman (my wife) that hardly has a bad word for anyone, so the word stuck with me. There was no misogyny intended.
ReplyDeleteAs for the statement about Gordon Presto, it was meant in total jest. I’m sure that he sent his missive out to all those with posting rights at the time. As I’m sure all with posting rights received it, I attempted to make a joke about it. Apparently, it failed.
Ohhhhh, so NOW we know who wrote that shitty note to Gordon. Our friend dishonest_prof. Same tone, same message as the e-mail Gordon quoted.
ReplyDeleteLe big sigh.
Yes, we all got that email, and Gordon posted on the site as well. Honest_prof is either deliberately trying to stir up trouble (which was the assumption on which I ignored him), or making a joke of his/her own that fell even flatter.
ReplyDeleteIgnoring is always the best plan here:
ReplyDeletePfP - I am not in any way speaking personally of your wife, whom I haven't met, when I make the following point: very many women are deeply misogynistic, so one can't use the explanation "a woman said X" to defend X against a charge of misogyny. Why are so many of us misogynistic? We get the same training men do. It's called "internalizing the values of your oppressor". So your wife may very well not be at all misogynistic, but I can't assume that on the basis of the fact that she's female. Just saying.
re: Overly-Affectionate Amy - I immediately had the same thought as Contingent Cassandra when you described her behaviour. I knew someone in grad school, in another department, who behaved the same way. It was quite blatant and utterly inappropriate. Her clothes were always a little too tight and a little too short; her behaviour was constantly sexualized towards every male, especially (but not only) those in authority; as if she didn't believe that anyone would ever want to pay attention to her or want to hear anything she said unless she was somehow trying to manipulate them sexually; and she was particularly outrageous around older male professors. About the age of, oh, her father, let's say. And I couldn't see her acting like this without thinking, dear Lord, that poor girl. Who did this to her? It was reasonably clear that something had happened to her when she was too young to defend herself.
So, Amy is totally inappropriate, absolutely; your spider-sense is going off for very good reason and you're absolutely right to defend yourself (and for heaven's sake, NEVER close the door if she's in your office; not even partway). But she's more to be pitied, believe me. I hope she finds a decent (and female) therapist.
Contingent Cassandra, the post about the girl in the yellow sundress is one of my favorites from RYS. The URL follows: http://rateyourstudents.blogspot.com/2009/02/doug-from-daytona-and-shame-of-sundress_5079.html
ReplyDeleteThis is such a fun read. Thanks! Glad you're now 'exempt' from being on the cutting block.
ReplyDelete@Spam: thank you! That was, indeed, the one I was thinking of, but for some reason searching on "sundress" (and "sun dress") didn't turn it up.
ReplyDelete