Cathy Young, commenting on a New York Times piece concerning the rise of “fat studies” (like “women’s studies”, “gay studies”, etc.) on campus, notes the idiocy of such a pursuit in devastating fashion:
Maybe the next frontier in the academic battle against all varieties of oppression should be “drunk studies.” Why not an academic program championing the idea that “alcohol abuse” is an artificial construct based on the mainstream culture’s oppressive notions of what constitutes appropriate and inappropriate consumption of alcohol? “Drunk studies” could tell us that the stigmatization of drunkenness stems from the Western valorization of such dubious values as self-control, rationality, and obedience to social norms, and reflects a pernicious fear of rebellion against inhibitions and authority. Of course, it would also question conventional wisdom — supposedly based on scientific evidence, but really rooted in anti-drunk bias — about the deleterious health consequences of alcohol abuse and the dangers of drunk driving. After all, the goal of “drunk studies” would be to empower drunks!
I think I should get a grant.
Me too, Cathy. So, alma mater, what say you? You’ll take $100,000 from Harvard to study binge drinking; how about applying for a “drunk studies” grant too?
