Comments on: Titles and Academe

By: LJD

LJD — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 17:47:54 +0000

Doctor:

I apologize for poking fun at your name. I was having fun at your expense and I am truly sorry.

People make incorrect assumptions all the time. Believe it or not, racism and sexism still exists. There are also a lot of stupid people in the world. e.g. I would never call any one Mrs. unless I knew they were married. Otherwise, I defer to Ms.

I wouldn't concern yourself with it. You have earned the right to be called Doctor. You know that very well, so why concern yourself others' misgivings. Politely correct them, and if they still have a problem, it's theirs.

By: akjklja

akjklja — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 17:44:39 +0000

I always find it funny how The NY Times always refers to Condi Rice as "Dr. Rice." Of course the precedence for this was Kissinger's insistence on being called Doctor when he was Sec. of State. Why doesn't the Dr. apply to other cabinet members and other high officials? I don't believe that former Labor Secretary Robert Reich was ever called "Dr. Reich" in the press. How often is Paul Wolfowitz referred to as Dr. Wolfowitz? Is John Snow ever referred to as Dr. Snow? How about Dr. Sam Bodman? The double standard on Rice is weird.

By: G A Phillips

G A Phillips — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 15:51:22 +0000

M.D. is also a tittle given to liberals "ME DONKEY" whats the big deal?

By: eszter

eszter — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 14:31:01 +0000

Please don't take my comments out of context. I explicitly state in the post that the first thing I tell most people who send me an email with "Dear Professor Hargittai" is to please call me "Eszter". In the examples I cite, there seems to be a gender component to the story. In the email I cite, I get called "Mrs" while my male colleague is referred to as "Professor". In the conference example I mention, everyone on the panel was young so there was no reason to call me "Miss Eszter" while referring to the male Master's student as "Professor [Lastname]". And fyi, I don't sign my name with ",Ph.D.". For those curious about "Eszter", it's the mainstream way of spelling Esther in Hungarian, the language of the country where I was born and raised.

By: ICallMasICM

ICallMasICM — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 14:18:18 +0000

Vets and dentists get the Dr. as well.

By: Patrick McGuire

Patrick McGuire — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 14:18:06 +0000

You can call me anything you want as long as you show me the money.

By: LJD

LJD — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 13:27:50 +0000

It's because she's pissed that her parents named her 'Eszter'. Reference: Sanford & Son.

People need to get over titles. Too many are easily offended. What do they expect when they put four sets of letters after their name on the business card? She can politely correct the person addressing her as to her title (Dr.), then get over it and move on. There is no conspiracy here.