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August 2002, Week 3

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Subject:
From:
louis schwartz <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 18 Aug 2002 10:43:10 -0500
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While I laughed at the piece Jeremy Butler posted when I read it in the
Onion, I wonder why he chose to post it in the forum. Surely Professor
Butler knows that  in the current academic climate, jobs teaching
theory are few and far between. Theory's value in US universities is at
a new low. We are told by senior scholars that the era of "post-theory"
has arrived. Currently, historicism and cultural studies hold pride of
place in the humanities. Theorists are lucky if they can find a place
in their institutions curriculum for a serious class on semiotics, for
example.


In such a context is it appropriate for the administrator of this list
to post a parody of practice that universities have already relegated
to the dustbin? If professor Butler had presented an argument about the
limits of theory, it would have been redundant, but at least it would
not seem to write off theory as a game played by young fools.

I thought this list was meant to be an open forum for people in the
field. Such a post from the list's administrator suggests that this is
not quite the case. How can this be an open forum when the people
running the list show open contempt for some of the members by
subjecting them to mockery rather than engaging with them
intellectually?

Louis Schwartz
Assistant Professor
Department of Cinema and Comparative Literature
University of Iowa
319 335 0639

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