A Michigan college suspended a tenured professor after a video of his profanity-filled lecture Sunday went viral on YouTube.
Ferris State University students expecting a typical first lecture about the syllabus were rudely awakened by Professor Barry Mehler.
The seemingly eccentric geriatric produced an entertaining, albeit profane, show in his video presentation.
It is difficult to understand why the university has suspended him and taken down his academic page from their website. Yes, he curses and makes provocative proclamations but it is obvious theater, not malice towards his students.
He begins wearing a $300 helmet with multiple HEPA filters designed to scrub virus molecules from the air. He later says that is designed to improve safety for both him and his students. He strongly urges them to stay out of the classroom, saying they can get everything they need to earn an ‘A’ in his class from the website and his Zoom lectures. The professor reminds students of his advanced age and the enhanced risk of serious complication from contracting COVID-19. “So, stay the F#*& away!” he exclaimed.
Professor Mehler segues from his talk about being an interstellar visitor from Rigel IV learning about the deadly hazard of breathing the air on Earth to discussing cigarettes. He shares his screen to air a vintage ad for Camel cigarettes that claimed it was the brand smoked by most doctors. He explained the Indigenous Indians shared what was a sacred ritual with invading Europeans. Mehler said we then exported it around the world. He said killing millions of people by selling them cigarettes was the greatest example of American capitalism.
Then, he launched into his most profane segment angrily saying he wouldn’t kowtow to any c*#csucker of a limp-d*#ked administrator trying to tell him how to teach his classes.
“I’m a f***ing tenured professor,” he exhorted. “So if you want to go complain to your dean, f*** you. Go ahead.”
“I’m retiring at the end of this year, and I couldn’t give a flying f*** any longer.”
After a few breaths, he calmly asked if the previous soliloquy was plagiarism. Mehler said a scene from the movie “Deadwood” inspired him, which he then proceeded to share. Sure enough, the majority of content was verbatim, although the subject was different as was the ending. He noted that, if he had not attributed his adaptation, it would be plagiarism and that would be considered cheating.
Watch:
“If you get caught cheating, here at Ferris, you will be expelled,” warned the professor.
Then, he talked about grading, saying no student would get an ‘A’ in his class because nobody deserved one. He remarked that early settlers of the country were Calvinists who believed in salvation or damnation. “Some are chosen at random for salvation because no one is good enough for salvation,” he said, which is why he said none of them would get an ‘A’.
“So I randomly assign grades before the first day of class,” Mehler told his viewers. “I don’t want to know a thing about you. I don’t even want to know your name. I just look at the number and I assign a grade. That is how predestination works.”
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