This week's Invisible Adjunct Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Excellence (No Cash, Just Glory) goes to language hat (of the eponymous blog) for the following self-description (comments to "Academic Freedom versus Professional Standards"):
having been a college student in the late '60s-early '70s, I often feel like a superannuated Regency buck, peering around at all the prim young Victorians and trying to remember not to say 'leg.'
The prize committee, it should be noted, are not entirely persuaded that today's youngsters are quite so primly Victorian. We can't help reflecting on the enormous popularity of Britney Spears. But we are delighted to bestow our award upon a remark that almost made us spill our coffee.
Posted by Invisible Adjunct at November 10, 2003 09:21 PMWoo-hoo! You like me, you really like me! I mean... I'd like to thank my agent, Ferdinand Saussure (love ya, Ferdy!); my manager, Art Howe; my lovely wife Bonnie; and of course HRH George III, whose madness made the Regency possible.
As for the enormous popularity of Britney Spears, I'm sorry, but I can't consider her a transgressor in any meaningful sense. I remember the enormous popularity of Abbie Hoffman, Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and others who would make poor Britney shrink into herself and flee to the comforting arms of her keepers.
Posted by: language hat at November 11, 2003 01:41 PM
Great comments on tenure track, etc. (for your next award):
http://www.crookedtimber.org/archives/000808.html
http://webapp.utexas.edu/blogs/archives/bleiter/000458.html
Now that is something that should be part of every student's orientation lecture.
Posted by: Steve at November 11, 2003 11:24 PMCongrats, language hat!
Posted by: Rana at November 12, 2003 11:44 AMAlready the offers are pouring in; it's amazing the difference an IAAOAFE(NCJG) makes! Don't tell anyone, but there's a possibility I may get a role as Second Fop in the sequel to Master and Commander. I'm practicing my withering stare.
Posted by: language hat at November 12, 2003 01:09 PMOnce you've perfected your withering stare, will you be bold enough to return to Head and Shoulders?
Posted by: Invisible Adjunct at November 12, 2003 01:38 PMI was going to make a smutty remark about the skillful, demure way Britney publicized her cherry-popping event, but I decided that that would be bad taste. During my coed-ogling moments, I too have problems figuring out where they're coming from. My gut feeling is that Victorianism isn't much of an issue for most, but that there's a lot of brittleness on questions of personal autonomy. My information comes mostly from guys aged 22-30.
Posted by: zizka at November 12, 2003 01:47 PMI wasn't actually calling today's college students Victorian in the usual sense; in sexual matters they've gone about as fur as you can go (cf. "hooking up"). I was referring to a more general sense of prissiness. The capacity of today's youth to be shocked never ceases to amaze me.
Once you've perfected your withering stare, will you be bold enough to return to Head and Shoulders?
I shall, of course, wear a wig, so hair-care products will no longer be necessary. (It is, I fear, quite likely that First, Second, and Third Fops will be cut from the released version of Master and Commander Do Pall Mall, but the Director's Cut on the DVD should restore the scene in which we gaze with languid repulsion at the horrid sailors invading our favorite club and stare them to a fare-thee-well.)
Posted by: language hat at November 13, 2003 03:38 PMThe wig will conflict with your essential Hat, I presume, so I guess you're not going to be doing a cameo as Yourself.
Posted by: zizka at November 13, 2003 05:13 PM