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The Professor is In: Ranking the Accuracy of the Media’s Most Popular Academic Archetypes
No matter the profession, everyone who works in a specific field or industry analyzes the accuracy of media representations of that profession. Whether you are a food service worker who loves watching The Bear or a corporate lawyer who hates Suits, there is something fun about uncovering the fine line between reality and representation in your work life. Consequently, media representations of academics and academic institutions are my Roman empire.
Not a day goes by that I am not looking for representations of professors, librarians, and researchers in popular culture. And while there are some very good depictions of what it is like to work in an academic institution, there are also some ridiculous representations of the profession. Because of the over 300 million people that live in America, less than 2% of the population are Ph.D. holders, and there are less than 1.6 million college faculty. And, even though college degrees are on the rise, ask any current or former college students what a professor or researcher does, and they…
