Administrator, Frozen for 40 Years, Writes of Lust for Students

A British university administrator's "humor" column in the Times Higher Education Supplement says that when an attractive female student "flashes her admiration," the male scholar should follow this advice: "Enjoy her! She's a perk."

Hilarity does not ensue.

To be fair to Terence Kealey, vice-chancellor of the University of Buckingham, his essay is part of a lighthearted package on "The Seven Deadly Sins of the Academy," and it emphasizes a "look but not touch" approach to faculty-student relations. Occasionally, he writes, a student will "flaunt you her curves ... which you should admire daily to spice up your sex, nightly, with the wife."

The BBC reports that the National Union of Students has condemned Mr. Kealey's article as "insulting and disrespectful to women," a sentiment echoed by several readers commenting on the Times's site. "The piece really does just make him sound like an old perv," says a comment by Skelter.

Others are merely amused by the dust-up. "Leave the poor old bugger alone," writes a reader named Sarah.

The beleagueured Mr. Kealey himself enters the fray at one point, noting in a comment that his deliberate use of "inappropriate and transgressional language" was a literary device intended to underscore the point that "trangressional sex" -- between middle-aged male academics and young female undergraduates -- is itself inappropriate.

"I suspected that one could get to heart of all that is wrong with sex between scholars and students by employing the good ol' boy language of middle-aged male collusion," Mr. Kealey concludes in his comment. "I'm not sure I'm wrong." --Don Troop

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Comments

1. dank48 - September 24, 2009 at 08:46 am

People took Swift's "Modest Proposal" seriously too. The complaints about his inhumanity were doubtless just as heartfelt as the complaints about Mr. Kealey's supposed insensitivity--and just as clueless. George S. Kaufman was right: "Satire is what closes on Saturday night," as often as not because it sails right over the heads of the dimwits it is intended to help think.

2. zizzer - September 24, 2009 at 10:09 am

Yes, it sounds like some people took this WAYYY too seriously. I have long considered being surrounded by beautiful women, young and not so young, one of the perks of academia.

Men have an innate reaction to a beautiful human female. It's like seeing something that is colored red and immediately knowing that it's red. Once you've seen it, you can't NOT see it. The man certainly chooses how he reacts to seeing an attrative women. The logical, mature response is an extension of "look but not touch," and that is "keep it to yourself." No leering, no "compliments," no comments, and certainly no locker room talk with "the guys." All of that is unprofessional.

Women should keep in mind that our appreciation of physical beauty does not necessarily interfere with our appreciation of your knowledge, skills, abilities, and contributions in academia. And actually, among mature men, an appreciation of the intellect enhances our appreciation of the physical beauty. Looks only go so far if a person cannot hold down their end of a stimulating conversation.

3. stmartins - September 24, 2009 at 04:46 pm

Oh, for goodness' sake. Is this on the same level as Swift's "Modest Proposal"? I think not. Is it worthy of all of the hullaboo? Definitely not. I would describe myself as an *ardent* feminist, yet I can't get worked up over this one.

4. leontrout - September 24, 2009 at 10:08 pm

Could someone explain what the "frozen for forty years" part of the title means?

5. dtroop - September 25, 2009 at 11:15 am

"Frozen for 40 Years" -- It's a tongue-in-cheek way of pointing out that this essay is the type of thing you might have expected someone to say in 1969.

6. leontrout - September 25, 2009 at 03:32 pm

I sort of thought that, but such a reading would mean that Don Troop (or whoever named his piece) completely lacks a sense of irony--and certainly the Chronicle would not have literalists reporting on satire.

7. dtroop - September 25, 2009 at 08:32 pm

What's this "irony" thing that you speak of? (I come from the future.)

8. leontrout - September 26, 2009 at 08:25 am

"Irony" is what grownups do when kids are out being "tongue-in-cheek."