The ‘progressive’ or left-wing church that dominates elite and popular culture will not tolerate heretics and dissenters.
Eighty-three-year-old Joseph Epstein is one of America’s greatest living essayists. He is also fearless and politically incorrect.
This means that when he writes something that runs afoul of the PC police who now dominate our nation’s cultural institutions—the schools, the universities, the media, the large foundations, the big corporate PR departments, et al.—you can expect him to be disavowed and denounced for his heresy.
And, in fact, that is exactly what has happened now that Epstein has written a thoughtful and provocative op-ed for the Wall Street Journal advising the incoming First Lady, Jill Biden, to stop calling herself “Dr. Biden.”
Madame First Lady—Mrs. Biden—Jill—kiddo: a bit of advice on what may seem like a small but I think is a not unimportant matter. Any chance you might drop the “Dr.” before your name?
“Dr. Jill Biden” sounds and feels fraudulent, not to say a touch comic. 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.”
A wise man once said that no one should call himself “Dr.” unless he has delivered a child. Think about it, Dr. Jill, and forthwith drop the doc.
Politically Incorrect. Now, admittedly, this is politically incorrect and impolite; and, as the Journal’s editorial page editor, Paul Gigot, admits, “Mr. Epstein can be acerbic.”
His piece certainly can be fairly criticized as unduly harsh or insensitive. Jill Biden, after all, earned her doctorate late in life (she was, reportedly 55 years old), and that warrants respect and admiration.
Still, Epstein makes a compelling point: it is, indeed, pretentious to insist upon the honorific title “Dr.” when you are a Ph.D., Ed.D., or J.D., and not an M.D. That’s simply not something most Ph.D.’s, Ed.D.’s, and J.D.’s do—and for good reason.
“In contemporary universities, in the social sciences and humanities, calling oneself Dr. is thought bush league,” Epstein explains.
But here’s the thing: Epstein’s critics in the elite and popular culture have not simply criticized his op-ed, which would be fair and legit.
Instead, they’ve denounced him for committing mortal sins against politically correct orthodoxy. As such, his piece should never have been published, they insist.
Cancel Culture. Some 330 academic signatories, for instance, denounced the Journal for “lending a platform to this kind of ignorance, [which] is damaging not only to women but to everyone.”
Northwestern University, where Epstein was a lecturer for 30 years, formally denounced him for his “misogynistic views,” while purging his emeritus listing from its website.
The Phi Beta Kappa Society, meanwhile, disavowed itself of Epstein’s op-ed. (Epstein is a former editor of The American Scholar, which the Society publishes.)
“This is how cancel culture works,” notes Gigot. Epstein’s op-ed, he reports,
has triggered a flood of media and Twitter criticism, including demands that I retract the piece, apologize personally to Mrs. Biden, ban Mr. Epstein for all time, and resign and think upon my sins.
The complaints began as a trickle but became a torrent after the Biden media team elevated Mr. Epstein’s work in what was clearly a political strategy.
The political strategy of Team Biden specifically and the left more generally is obvious: “Don’t you dare criticize Jill Biden or we will tar and feather you as a sexist and a misogynist and you will be canceled, along with the rest of the bigots.”
As Gigot observes, “there’s nothing like playing the race or gender card to stifle criticism.”
But the charge of “sexism” and “misogyny” against Epstein’s thoughtful op-ed is ludicrous and nonsensical. The charge amounts to nothing more than baseless namecalling.
‘Sexism’ and ‘Misogyny. In truth, there is nothing remotely sexist or misogynist in Epstein’s piece. His criticism applies to both men and women.
In fact, in his op-ed, Epstein mocks two men—Stephen Colbert and Seth Meyers—for having received honorary doctorates.
The charge of “sexism” and “misogyny” is not leveled in good-faith as a serious or legitimate criticism, because it is obviously nothing of the sort.
Instead, the charge is used as an underhanded political weapon to stigmatize and demonize critics, such as Epstein, who sin against progressive or left-wing orthodoxy.
The intent is to silence and deplatform these sinners unless and until they repent.
The Wall Street Journal editorial page, thank goodness, is immune to such pressure; and, at 83 years old, with a long and distinguished career behind him, so, too, is Joseph Epstein.
But most mainstream or legacy publications in the United States are highly susceptible to PC bullying. And the PC bullies don’t really expect to silence or deplatform Epstein. Their real targets are younger, up-and-coming Joseph Epsteins—the next generation, if you will.
Their intent is to lay down a marker and a warning. Don’t you dare sin against the PC Gods, and don’t you dare run afoul of our orthodoxy: because if you do, you will be castigated as a heretic and drummed out of elite society.
It’s called the cancel culture, and we need to stop it before it stops us.
Feature photo credit: Joseph Epstein via the Boston Globe; Jill Biden via TMZ (Getty).