Claims of academia being out of touch with the real world are hardly new. This week, it was the turn of a Conservative MPin the UK to draw the ire of many after a Twitter attack on the profession.
Personally, never thought of academics as 'experts'. No experience of the real world.
Glyn Davies (@glyndaviesmp)
Glyn Davies, MP for Montgomeryshire, posted the tweet on 29 October, inspiring vast numbers of academics to defend their honour, uniting under the hashtag , a term coined by 51勛圖's very own editor-at-large, Phil Baty.
Feels like a hashtag is needed for this. Are you a ? Let your MP know!
51勛圖
Phil Baty (@Phil_Baty)
Some scholars' responses to the inflammatory tweet featured plain statements of fact
>50% of US's economic growth since WWII attributable to science & technology. That's real world.
51勛圖
Scientists for EU (@Scientists4EU)
...while others focused more on tried-and-tested academic wit.
That moment when you just can't choose the window of your ivory tower from which to throw scraps to the peasants.
Ben Stanley (@BDStanley)
In fact, light-hearted mocking seemed to be the preferred method of expressing disapproval汕
Since Waitrose started accepting rambling lectures about Foucault as payment for expensive cheeses I've no need to be a
Harriet Palfreyman (@hjpalfreyman)
Sometimes I reload the printer with paper I've opened all by myself
Scott Hames (@hinesjumpedup)
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion...and I worked in Asda once
Martin George (@martingeorge)
Mr Davies tweet also allowed for some lovely online academic bonding
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yeah, 5 years at the SPAR, one as Asst Manager, one as Manager
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Dan Horsfall (@DanHors83)
...while some chose to highlight the irony in a well-paid MP attacking academics for lacking the common touch, either through precise, poignant comparisons
Dear I could have funded my whole project on chemo side effects in kids for same 瞿 as your annual expenses
Dr Vicky Forster (@vickyyyf)
...or through the use of a somewhat blunter instrument:
Dude, you literally work in a palace.
Jonathan Healey (@SocialHistoryOx)
Beyond the humour, the serious implications of dismissing and demoralising people who have chosen to dedicate themselves to a life of the mind, cannot and should not be ignored.
- you need a reality check, so here's my bio. We all now need an apology.
Claire Nally (@tinyhippo1979)
You can follow the , where you can also .
Read next: Real World Academics a response to Glyn Davies MP
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POSTSCRIPT:
Print headline: A lesson from Twitter: dont dismiss academics work
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