A Pynchon on the Tube

[LBernier at tribune.com]

I saw this as well.  I don't know, he reminded me of this English professor
I had, who fancied himself a cross between Truman Capote and Joan Rivers.
I thought he was a first-class a**hole - I was, in fact, kicked OUT of his
class, due to excessive absence and general malaise  and ennui (this was the 
year I was almost asked to leave college on the whole, but that's another 
story . . .)

The point here being, that, once upon a time, professors could and did
behave any way they pleased, particularly southern-raised lit professors who
are themselves teaching in the deep south - they had TENURE, by God.  And 
whining to the dean was not an option.  A-and I found him not to be so bad 
after all - he did not give me an F when he dropped me, as it was his 
prerogative to do given the circumstances.

Jean
______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________
Subject: A Pynchon on the Tube
Author:  LARSSON at VAX1.Mankato.MSUS.EDU at Internet_tco
Date:    9/19/96 10:41 AM


     
As someone posted earlier, there's a new sitcom this season, PEARL, which 
features a character named "Pynchon."
     
Not much relationship to Our Hero.  This P is one *Stephen* Pynchon, an 
arrogant Humanities (!) professor, played by Malcolm MacDowell, squaring
off against a "non-traditional" working-class student, played by Rhea Perleman.
     
The result is kind of CHEERS meets EDUCATING RHEA, and I've seen worse sitcoms. 
MacDowell and Perleman are competant performers.  But I do wonder college
the writers here went to.  *My* students sure wouldn't put up with this guy-- 
they'd be whining to the Dean at the first chance.  And Pynchon seems to
spend all his time in the classroom (which doubles as a biology lecture hall?).
     
Give this guy an office!
     
Don Larsson, Mankato State U (MN)