Recent column in the Wall Street Journal begins:
Apparently the columnist, Joseph Epstein, B.A., thinks that Dr Biden shouldn’t be using her doctorate as a form of address.
We had that discussion of non-medical doctorates here last year, of course, but as a question of academic nomenclature, without referring to female holders of doctorates as “kiddo”, “fraudulent” and “comic”:
But, what else should one expect from the Wall Street Journal, that bastion of enlightened thought?
Epstein apparently was a lecturer at Northwestern until 2002, as a lecturer in English. Northwestern has issued a statement:
NPR article on it:
This is a pretty good reason for her to continue to use it.
The WSJ needs to read up on Alan Keyes.
Li’l Joe kiddo can bite my shiny metal ass. --Dr. susan.
He was already a racist and homophobe, and now he has come out as a misogynist. Quelle surprise.
Well, the Department of State has never had a problem with Dr. Condoleeza Rice and her puny poly-sci PhD.
Shiny metal ass? Dr. Susan?
Wait, your last name isn’t Calvin, is it?
Using Dr. for a non-medical person is apparently confusing to some people.
Whoopi Goldberg Says Jill Biden Should Be Surgeon General (mediaite.com)
Might be time for Whoopi to take a vacation and recharge. That’s pretty embarrassing.
Joseph Epstein is apparently a complete ass. I’m surprised the WSJ printed it though. How low have their standards dropped since Murdoch bought them?
I don’t think there’s any need to call oneself doctor unless you’re in a professional setting. Dr. Biden should certainly be called Dr. Biden by her students. Sr. Weasel is Dr. Weasel to his clients, and of course, his mother. There’s no need in other settings unless, maybe, someone is asking for your expertise.*
*Funny story. We are donors to the organization I work for. My coworker asked if he should be in the system as Mr. Weasel or. Dr. Weasel. I said, “Aw, hell. Call him doctor. He worked hard.” I guess I think it’s okay if the person really wants to call him that. Our dentist enthusiastically refers to him as Doctor also. But if he demanded that others call him Doctor, I’d die of embarrassment.
(I agree this guy sounds like a misogynist ass.)
More from the article:
Your degree is, I believe, an Ed.D., a doctor of education, earned at the University of Delaware through a dissertation with the unpromising title “Student Retention at the Community College Level: Meeting Students’ Needs."
I assume the author’s heart sank when he looked up her dissertation title and realized there was nothing in it he could ridicule as “inscrutable postmodern jargon.”
Definitely an icky level of class snobbery in referring to that as an “unpromising title,” too.
I see no reason for her to not use the title. In an informal setting where everyone else is Janet or Bob or Lisa, then insisting on Dr. so and so is pretentious. But if settings where other people are Mr. Smith and Ms. Jones, then Dr. Biden is appropriate.
Sweet Jesus!!
Bottom line: Epstein is an honorary Ph.D. (Projecting his Dishonesty)
(Article is behind a paywall).
Epstein is very upset that they’re giving out doctorates like candy, and yet he still doesn’t have one.
In a news article, or other public reference, I would damn well be expected to be referred to as Dr. Colibri. That’s not “calling oneself a doctor,” that’s accurate reporting of one’s expertise.
I don’t expect to be addressed as “Dr.” in a casual setting, but Jill Biden deserves the title when she is referred to as a public figure.
Epstein’s position is deeply sexist. His use of “kiddo” in referring to Dr. Biden is deliberately offensive unless he happens to be a personal friend of hers.
Ima go way out on a limb and guess he ain’t.
Personally if I had my way, only medical professionals would be called “Doctor” or “Dr.”.
BUT since that train has left the station- he is pretty much wrong, wrong wrong.
