BUZZ
Key Takeaways
- Emily Taylor, a professor at Presbyterian College, linked the murder of Charlie Kirk to his violent rhetoric, arguing that his career was built on racism and misogyny.
- In her essay, Taylor critiques American masculinity as deeply connected to white supremacy and misogyny, claiming it fosters a culture of violence and dominance.
- She portrays criticism of her academic disciplines as a fear of irrelevance among conservative figures, likening their behavior to that of authoritarian leaders.
- Taylor's views have led to mixed reviews from students, with many expressing dissatisfaction with her teaching style and ideological stance.
ANALYSIS: Leftist academic lays bare vacuity of the ‘Studies’ disciplines
The day after Charlie Kirk was assassinated, the director of the Presbyterian College Women’s & Gender Studies Program penned an essay titled “Dying to Be Men — American Masculinity as Death Cult.”
Emily Taylor, who teaches the English courses “Introduction to Literary Theory and Criticism,” “Postcolonial Literature and Film,” and “Women’s World Literature,” opens her screed by blaming Kirk’s murder on his “violent” words:
“Much as owing guns at home is most likely to injure or kill the people living with those guns than the supposed threats posed by home invaders, the violent discourse espoused by Charlie Kirk and many others has resulted in his murder in front of a crowd of thousands of students.”
Taylor claims Kirk “built his career on racism and misogyny,” and had “encouraged” young people to embrace a “fully radicalized and extremist Republican party that has abandoned any pretense of caring for Americans and instead has become a propaganda machine pathetically flailing to prove that they are all men.
“White male insecurity from the losers currently governing has fueled attacks on Black federal workers, girls and women, immigrants, children and the elderly.”
Taylor further alleges that Kirk’s (and others’) criticisms of her academic discipline, along with other subjects in the humanities, are merely a manifestation of their fear of “irrelevance and mortality.”
Perhaps most hilariously, as if not knowing Kirk’s modus operandi at all, Taylor says that “instead of seeking a place in communities of care,” Kirk et. al. “lash out with violence and dominance” like Vladimir Putin, Bibi Netanyahu, and “others of Trump’s heroes.”
In America, the main version of hegemonic masculinity has been always linked to whiteness, because this country was built on white supremacy, and misogyny, because women have been constructed as subordinate to men. …
Dominant American masculinity is also homophobic, because men loving men is read as feminine (which must be violently rejected) and because not desiring women as conquest undoes a basic pillar of manhood. Women loving women cuts men out entirely, a loss of control completely unacceptable in a heteropatriarchy. Trans people pose the biggest threat (clearly) because they show that biological sex and gender are distinct categories, and that gender identity is constructed. This takes all of the power away from having a penis—again, unacceptable.
According to Rate My Professors, Taylor has as many “awful” ratings as “good,” “great,” and “awesome” combined. Comments from the “awful” designations (which, by the way, are not recent, meaning they could’ve indicated a response to her essay) include:
- “WM [white men] are not the reason for society’s problems. Get over yourself. M [men] do certain jobs so women don’t have to. A very angry person at society. She needs to chill.”
- “Can’t recommend if you are in certain fraternities or play sports. To excell [sic] in this glass [sic] you must be a XX that is left wing or a weak beta XY.”
- “Cannot recommend. She rambles and everything is about the patriarchy. Get over it.”
- “If you are an XY chromosome do not take her. She constantly reminds you if you are XY you are responsible for the world’s problems. I’m dropping the class because of her angry attitude.”
One may take solace, however, in the knowledge that Professor Taylor at least “trie[s] to kind of be conscientious about [her] privilege” as a white woman with a PhD.
