I would like to state for the record that Diana Blaine's SWMS 301 course is one from which we have never received a bad student evaluation. THAT is saying something. I work in the Gender Studies Program, and part of my work involves counting and preparing the evaluations each semester. If it was the case that any student had felt pressured or otherwise negatively affected by Prof. Blaine, then I would have found out about it through the evaluations or through a complaint lodged in our office.

Diana Blaine is one of our most popular and cherished professors. She truly cares for each student, and they respond with the same affection.

It's always interesting to me when others find the concept of "feminism" so threatening. There is nothing to be threatened about--unless one does not feel that women and men do not deserve equal rights. After reading the attacks here and elsewhere, I wonder whether or not those who feel threatened by Diana in particular and feminism in general understand that feminism is about equal rights for men and women, and, frighteningly, if they do understand that, what reason(s) they could possibly have for being against that.

Jeanna,

So, are DYB's teaching evaluations a matter of public record? Can I look at them for myself, or do I have to take your word for it? If they are not a matter of public record then it is not valid for you to use them to argue her qualifications to all of us outside of the loop.

DYB is not really a feminist; she's a self-righteous 12-stepper. Equating anti-DYB with anti-feminism is not valid, especially as she lacks credibility. Ask her why she still goes to football games. Ask her why she didn't correct NOW when they claimed in a letter to VP Jackson that she doesn't go to football games. Ask her why if she knows of so many rapists on the football team would she still go to games. Ask her why she doesn't correct people when they refer to her as professor instead of lecturer....

You should ask yourself a lot of questions, think critically, and wake up! She is not the real deal.

John

Dear John,

Of course the evaluations are inaccessible to the public. And I do believe that it is valid for me to state my experience. You are more than welcome to distrust me.

However, I can't understand your anger against Diana. Why are you so angry? People do not normally become as angry as you seem to be unless they feel that one of their personal beliefs has been attacked. In what way have your personal beliefs been attacked?

Puzzled,

Jeanne

If what Diana said throughout her blog and in her editorial to the DT was consistent with what she claimed today, I doubt she would have many critics. I don't think most people who dislike Diana actually dislike feminism and I don't believe they even disagree with her entirely. Diana says she doesn't force her views on people, but it doesn't seem like she has any tolerance for people who disagree. To say that someone who disagrees with her supports a patriarchal society or supports rape, or that their opinions mean less because they are not well-versed in feminist theory -- is this not stifling dissent, and in the sneakiest fashion? That people can ignore her and think for themselves is not evidence that she didn't try to change their minds in "presenting information". And in this blog, I rarely see any critical analysis or facts, but mostly her passing judgement on other people's choices, in a rather hypocritical manner. This is fine, because it is her blog, but I hope she doesn't bring those judgements into the classroom.

Another reason that people criticize Diana is the fact that she teaches a required writing course, but does not make an effort to use grammar correctly in her blog. Personally, I believe a writing instructor should have flawless writing ability, even in her personal life where it may be none of our business.

Finally, I think she receives extra flack from conservatives that find her hippy dippy self-importance sickening. It's a little like Paris Hilton: "look at me, i'm such an icon!" but instead, Diana says, "All i did was show my breasts and try to make the world a better place," when all she really did was bring attention to herself because "she's just so controversial!" People don't like false modesty; that's all.

This string of comments sounds like office politics. Who would care if someone refers Dr. Blaine as "professor" and is not corrected to say, "lecturer" other than a fellow member of the teaching staff? Possibly as disgruntled member of the staff who can't get the recognition Dr. Blaine has achieved. As student that sort of thing was not important to me, "Dr." was sufficient. I even learned things from teaching assistants with MS's! At the time they were "professors" to me. And guess what, teacher's titles don't appear on your transcripts so having all "professors" won't boost a resume.

About the writing course,it would seem to me that the purpose of a writing course is to bring out thoughts of the student writer and aid the writer in shaping and presenting those thoughts. I think that is what she does. Maybe it is obvious that I did not take Dr. Blaine's course. About the electives she teaches, isn't that part of the college experience, take courses which sound interesting and shape or share opinions with the instructor, lecturer, professor? Taking electives is sort of like using the "remote" you can stop and watch or you can surf past so I don't understand all the negative feelings expressed over Dr. Blaine's expertise.

I think I can understand why conservatives find Diana Blaine's brand of feminism a little hypocritical and ineffective -- it seems to be edging towards censorship of ideas that she doesn't deem fit for society. Diana may be right about the effects that gender roles have on the self-image of young women, but doesn't living in a free society mean we have a responsibility to think independently? This is an old debate.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6526525473785351949&q=zappa+crossfire

Jeanna -- Honestly ask yourself if you would still go to football games after you had heard first-hand from multiple victims that members of the football team raped them, and that you also knew unreported rape is a common and continuing occurrence amongst acquaintances of athletes? Ask yourself why she still goes to games after she swore she wouldn't. How do you think the women who confided in her about being raped feel about her subsequently going to games? And what's even more amazing to me, why do all of you alleged feminists give her a pass on this point? Giving her a pass is just as damaging to your credibility as going to games is to hers. I refer you to her Daily Trojan editorial dated April 11, 2005 and the eight pictures on her flickr site of the USC/UCLA game dated December 3, 2005 (URL's below). So yeah, I am angry. She offends the hell out of me. It offends me that over the years I've stuck my neck out countless times for total strangers in various need, yet I am condemned as being an ignorant, scared, pro-rape, patriarchal bitch because I don't go to the feel-good, candle-lighting, kumbaya-singing, and ineffectual "Take Back the Night". DYB calling the cops on a couple of these criminals would be worth 100 rallies, yet she's calling me out...? Well, she called me out, and here I am.

Bushman -- if it doesn't matter, why not use the correct title? And, so you know, it actually does matter. Tenured and tenure-track professors are afforded greater credibility, leeway, and funding opportunities than others in academic circles. I don't really feel like explaining it to you, but I guarantee you that DYB understands. That's why she's all too happy to let the mistake slip by uncorrected all of the time.

John

http://www.dailytrojan.com/media/storage/paper679/news/2005/04/11/Opinions/New-Football.Rape.Accusation.A.Dark.Stain.On.The.University-919103.shtml?norewrite200607261301&sourcedomain=www.dailytrojan.com

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dianayorkblaine/sets/1506557/

It sure does not sound to me like Dr. Blaine stifles opinions she does not agree with.I'm more likely to do that, since I nuke any trolls who show up on my blog. Unless they're amusing, of course.
I hope she does not allow people in her classes to insult or threaten her. Even academics are entitled to that level of respect.
I am not a professor. But if I were, I would feel it necessary, as Prof. Blaine does, to let all the voices speak. Within the bounds of civilized discourse.
And anyone who doesn't like my grammar can put it where the sun don't shine.
Oops!

hattie, you are not an english professor, and apparently not a serious writer either. anyone who takes their writing seriously should use proper grammar unless not using proper grammar is part of their style.
as for diana's leaving posts up, i think she does so that she can claim she's openminded while undermining her critics by saying they support rape.

Yes, and keep your legs crossed and think pure thoughts while you're at it.
Yawn.

you equate competence in writing with submissive or passive behavior? i believe that is what you're implying, even though it's a reach.

So yesterday I am telling my class about the vagaries of french feminist theory--a bunch of bizarre, fascinating esoteric stuff I just love--and then I remembered my role as indoctrinator and added "YOU MUST ALL THINK THIS WAY FOREVER!"

Needless to say we had a good laugh.

When I retired from the Navy and went to school to get the general ed classes to finish my degree, I found myself in a winter session Sociology 101 class with a tenured professor. I felt somewhat typecast as the fascist neanderthal by him, but that was only an issue for me when we broke off into discussion groups. The (generally) more liberal young women bought into it, but I pretty much let it go.
As the end of winter session approached, his wife's due date to deliver their second child was nearing; and he began talking about his views that children should be carried all day by their mothers until the infants could walk "as Native American mothers did" and that generally mothers should home-school their children. Suddenly I was only the second most loathsome man in the class.
I admit to some questions about "Women's Studies" as an academic discipline, but my major was Health Sciences and what the hell was that about? I would just hope that you're presenting all of the information available, and encouraging your students to reach their own conclusions.

What a world. No one is up to standard. Everyone's a victim.
It is time for Americans to grow up.

i sent your page to my brother because i wanted his opinion. i found his response amusing:

"Feminism has become a code word for a certain set of political views that have essentially nothing to do with gender roles in society.

I tend to ignore women like her because they are basically garden variety liberals and no one is listening to them. They're basically non-entities and they're only influencing gullible people who are similarly irrelevant."

...........

ps- hattie, i agree with you. boo-hoo, everyone is a victim, arent they? i suppose it never occurred to you that you might be part of the problem?

Hell, no. I got my share, and I hope you do too.
You certainly keep an eye on this thread, don't you?

Poor Aunty Hattie (sniffle, sniffle)....

WTF!!

Do you people not have better things to do than attack my auntie?!?

C'mon, her grammar is not up to your anal-retentive snuff? Have you ever read a published book? People make mistakes, computers aren't even perfect!

What is the issue? Is it her ideas or is it feminism? You want to label her so that she fits in a box that you can then blame her as being representitive of? What is your problem? Take her course every semester if you want to continue berating her, then you can say if she is being one-sided. Accusing her of such without being in the room is facsile and pointless, though it may work with your narrow-minded friends.

NM, I love the fact that you spend your life calling more attention to her. Please continue!

Is a life of hate a disgust worth living? Please let me know. And if you just wanna hang out and have a good time, let me know that too, I'll BS with you about the importance of your rebuttal of a set of ideas presented on a blog!

I hope you all have a wonderful day!

ttfn

Hey Hank! What's a nice guy like you doing in a place like this?

Hank,

My problem is with your aunt, not feminism. (I have, however, found the self-proclaimed "feminists" in this particular circle to be illogical and stupid.) My problem with your aunt is that she either made up a bunch of stuff about rape at USC for her own self-important purposes, or she is a raging hypocrite for going to football games whilst accusing the team, coaches, administration, and all men as complicit in rape. Any comments about your aunt's scholarship are incidental, yet direct results of her poorly written and vitriolic letters to the Daily Trojan combined with her numerous claims of intellectual superiority on this site. Read her stuff and see (as it appears you haven't).

What I want, which she has so far refused to do, is for her to logically reconcile the disconnect between her April 2005 letter to the Daily Trojan with her subsequent participation in USC football games. To do so logically, she'll either have to admit that she exaggerated her claims about rape at USC, that she actually is a raging hypocrite, or that something major has changed about "the victimization of women that occurs at every level of this university." Last I heard, women are still under the thumb of the patriarchy and I am personally responsible, ruling out the latter. So, which is it?

John

A scumbag like yourself should not be allowed to teach. You have an agenda and it is to warp the minds of younger women. You hope they fall for your bullshit and if they don't it is because men are somehow controling them.