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The WSJ opinion piece suggesting Jill Biden should abandon the title “Dr.” (since she holds an Ed.D, not an M.D..) is not really about academic striation, of course.
It’s about the assumed entitlement to diminish a woman’s accomplishments for sport. 1/5
It’s about the assumed entitlement to diminish a woman’s accomplishments for sport. 1/5
No one would run such an article about a high-profile man. That is trite. What is so unsettling here is the author’s breezy, casual, cheery tone (“Jill - kiddo”...). He positions his view as friendly advice, not an acidic attack. 2/5
He doesn’t need to be blunt. His belittlement is embedded into the very context. The unsaid thesis is: no matter how powerful or important a professional woman becomes, you can always place an asterisk on what she achieves. 3/5
This insidious, architectural gaslighting is why the piece is so toxic. It amplifies a false notion that gives many men misguided comfort and likely derails opportunities for many women. That is urgent peril for all, because it deforms the progress of professional life. 4/5
We must call out casual misogyny when we see it and give it its real name. It’s not friendly advice; it’s the ugly death rattle of the old guard. 5/5
