Neither Suave Nor Debonair
On Wednesday night, the Hopkins Organization for Programming (HOP) brought highly controversial comedic writer and film producer Tucker Max to speak on campus.
Tucker Max is most famous for his bestseller I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell where he recounts anecdotes of drunken frat-like debauchery and shares his misogynistic views.
The weeks leading up to the event were tense as Homewood campus was polarized over the HOP's decision to bring in the self-proclaimed alpha-male. In the end, the anticipation and controversy surrounding the speech proved to be more interesting than the speech itself.
The News-Letter does not condemn Tucker Max for his views. He is entitled to his own disgusting opinions. However, we disagree with the HOP's decision to bring him to campus.
While the HOP refuses to release details of the speaker fee, Tucker Max said that it was enough "to buy a new f---ing car." This was far from a productive use of Hopkins dollars.
Hopkins is not a rah-rah school with highly spirited events that unify the student body in euphoria. Gatherings tend to be small and isolated. Recently, elevating school spirit has been a major goal of many Hopkins-affiliated organizations. In this light, the HOP's decision to bring such a high-profile speaker is understandable as an attempt to raise school spirit and bring students out of their element.
However, far from unifying the Hopkins community, Tucker Max severely polarized it - his specialty. After much debate and protest preceding the event, it became clear that no higher good could be achieved. Perhaps the HOP should have considered the selection more carefully.
The event's polarizing effects were exemplified by a highly-attended protest held at One World Café during Tucker Max's speaking event where students were reimbursed for their meals by the Office of Student Life. What sense does it make for Hopkins to fund an event and then also fund the protest of the event? Undergraduate students invest $200,000 plus to receive a Hopkins education. Is this the best way of repaying them?
Hopkins hypocrisy is further illustrated by the fact that while they allowed Tucker Max to speak freely on campus, they ban him from speaking on the internet by censoring his blog from GuestNet. Hopkins administrators should take a consistent stance on such matters. They should not condone the event while engaging in such censorship and protest.
Controversial speakers that polarize the student body can be justified if they, to be blunt, have something interesting to say. However, Tucker Max was boring, saying nothing more than the ancient-clichés about following your own path.
Perhaps the best response is the one that Tucker Max claims one of his conquests said the morning after, "You aren't at all what I expected. I thought you would be more suave and debonair."
Tucker Max is most famous for his bestseller I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell where he recounts anecdotes of drunken frat-like debauchery and shares his misogynistic views.
The weeks leading up to the event were tense as Homewood campus was polarized over the HOP's decision to bring in the self-proclaimed alpha-male. In the end, the anticipation and controversy surrounding the speech proved to be more interesting than the speech itself.
The News-Letter does not condemn Tucker Max for his views. He is entitled to his own disgusting opinions. However, we disagree with the HOP's decision to bring him to campus.
While the HOP refuses to release details of the speaker fee, Tucker Max said that it was enough "to buy a new f---ing car." This was far from a productive use of Hopkins dollars.
Hopkins is not a rah-rah school with highly spirited events that unify the student body in euphoria. Gatherings tend to be small and isolated. Recently, elevating school spirit has been a major goal of many Hopkins-affiliated organizations. In this light, the HOP's decision to bring such a high-profile speaker is understandable as an attempt to raise school spirit and bring students out of their element.
However, far from unifying the Hopkins community, Tucker Max severely polarized it - his specialty. After much debate and protest preceding the event, it became clear that no higher good could be achieved. Perhaps the HOP should have considered the selection more carefully.
The event's polarizing effects were exemplified by a highly-attended protest held at One World Café during Tucker Max's speaking event where students were reimbursed for their meals by the Office of Student Life. What sense does it make for Hopkins to fund an event and then also fund the protest of the event? Undergraduate students invest $200,000 plus to receive a Hopkins education. Is this the best way of repaying them?
Hopkins hypocrisy is further illustrated by the fact that while they allowed Tucker Max to speak freely on campus, they ban him from speaking on the internet by censoring his blog from GuestNet. Hopkins administrators should take a consistent stance on such matters. They should not condone the event while engaging in such censorship and protest.
Controversial speakers that polarize the student body can be justified if they, to be blunt, have something interesting to say. However, Tucker Max was boring, saying nothing more than the ancient-clichés about following your own path.
Perhaps the best response is the one that Tucker Max claims one of his conquests said the morning after, "You aren't at all what I expected. I thought you would be more suave and debonair."
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posted 11/17/09 @ 4:06 PM EST
Quote:
"Controversial speakers that polarize the student body can be justified if they, to be blunt, have something interesting to say. However, Tucker Max was boring, saying nothing more than the ancient-clich?s about following your own path. (Continued…)
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