Matt Groening takes on the academic job crisis
From tonight’s episode of The Simpsons:
[Marge, Bart, and Lisa go to their local "Bookaccino" superbookstore.]
LISA: I’m going up to the fourth floor, where the books are!
BART: I’m going to taunt the Ph.Ds!
[Bart approaches the three workers at the espresso bar, all of whom wear glasses and bored expressions.]
BART: Hey guys! I heard a new assistant professorship just opened up!
[Ph.D’d baristas gasp and lean forward eagerly.]
BART: Yes, that’s right. At the University of … PSYCH!
And this, my friends, is why I love The Simpsons. Long may it continue to run.
Hahaha … I was going to appropriate one of the dormant threads over at IA and post tonight’s Simpson’s bit, but you beat me to it.
As we watched it, my friend and I laughed, and then … we didn’t …
They should make that scene into a poster and sell it at universities.
They should make it required reading for graduate students.
Oh, that’s too funny. I wish I’d seen it.
This is the episode with Thomas Pynchon, right?
Yes, Thomas Pynchon was in it…and Marge writes a trashy historical romance novel starring thinly disguised versions of herself and Ned Flanders. It was a hoot.
Agreed on the poster/required reading thing. Someone should edit a collection of required reading for graduate students and potential graduate students, and cite that scene in the introduction.
Bart Taunts the PhDs
[Marge, Bart, and Lisa go to their local “Bookaccino” superbookstore.] LISA: I’m going up to the fourth floor, where the books are! BART: I’m going to taunt the Ph.Ds! [Bart approaches the three workers at the espresso bar, all of…
http://www.hayekcenter.org/prestopunditarchive/002388.html
Drezner has an interesting piece on grad school dropouts. Research indicates taht most grad students drop out because faculty advisors…
Just found your blog. I’m a recent PhD grad in lit who is now working in administration, so I’m glad to find other women who had/are having similar experiences. My blog tends to be mostly about making my way through my new job and being a mom and a wife and all that other kinda stuff..
I’ll be checking back again soon!