Recently, I read an article that centered on a Harvard professor’s anger after a recent grad whom he taught (Jared Kushner, the son of a realllly powerful real estate developer) went out and bought the New York Observer — and then slashed the paychecks of the Observer’s freelancers, one of whom was the Harvard professor himself. The professor was pissed that Kushner, who most likely gave him attitude in the classroom, had the money and the audacity to do something that monumental, while the professor was making around $15,500 a year.

“When intellectuals act as clerks and students act as clients, how do college teachers differ from corporate accountants?” the professor angrily writes. “…the sedulous banality of the rich degrades teaching into a service-class preoccupation whose chief duty is preparing clients for monied careers.”

Big words (I mean, he teaches at Harvard. I think it’s a prerequisite), but what the guy is basically saying that rich students make him feel like he’s not doing anything except helping them learn how to grow up and screw the little guys. Rich kids make this guy feel like he’s nothing more than a stepping stone toward big conglomerate world domination.

He’s sort of got a point, but it’s a moot one, because…I mean…duh.

A lot of insanely rich kids grow up believing most of the human race is there to serve them. I attended undergrad at a private liberal arts college where Gucci purses and Prada shoes were perfectly in place at 8:30 in the morning, and you better believe there were some kids with major attitude in class. A degree was something they simply had to tolerate before Daddy or Mommy or Uncle Dearest would set them up in some prime position at whatever giant company their family owned. Not everyone with a bangin’ bank account is rude and power hungry, but a lot of them are, and I’m pretty sure it’s been this way since Man first realized money made people pay attention.

So sure, that Harvard professor has a point, but mostly he has a stick up his ass. It’s too bad teachers in this country make radically low wages, but I think it’s kind of common knowledge that if you teach at Harvard, there are gonna be some prime rich douches running around with pocket watches and boat shoes. The only thing those of us without yachts and elevators in our houses can do is treat these kids just like we would treat anyone else, proving to them that wads of cash doesn’t give you permission to treat others like indentured servants.

Also, Mr. Angry Professor could try to do something a little more profitable than writing book reviews for the New York Observer. Perhaps creating an underground auction for college textbooks? Or maybe opening a small store dedicated to churning out Nantucket Red pleated shorts?

[photo from collegepublisher.com]