We find a lot of nasty things, including that bullying professor Melissa Click. In this Mises Institute post “Academic Welfare Queens”, Tho Bishop writes that “she may have accomplished something she never did before in her academic career — taught an important lesson.” The lesson is that “liberal” academics can be very authoritarian and supposed journalism professors can be hostile to actual journalism.
In Bishop’s post, we also learn some useful information about Ms. Click. Her “research projects” include 50 Shades of Grey, the impact of social media in fans’ relationship with Lady Gaga, messages about class and food in reality TV and other trivia. She exemplifies the kind of pseudo-scholar who finds cushy employment on university faculties, turning their hobbies and pet peeves into courses.
Ludwig von Mises was perhaps most famous for explaining how government economic policy often leads to malinvestment (i.e., investment in business that only seems profitable because the government creates false signals) and Bishop calls Missouri’s expenditure on faculty members like her “educational malinvestment.” Well put.
Hat tip: Darren Nelson