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Say you've spent tens of thousands of dollars earning your law degree from Northwestern Law School. Who would you want as a speaker to preach a message of hope and good tidings for the new legal graduates? Northwestern thinks it'd be the esteemed television personality and eminent social commentator, Mr. Jerry Springer.
The New York Post is reporting that students are none too thrilled about receiving their send-off from Springer, and AboveTheLaw.com has received some unhappy student e-mails. You'd think a former fixture on the Cincinnati political scene, as a city council member and mayor, would be an easy sell for the young legal eagles. Apparently not.
The administration responded with this:
In keeping with the spirit of our community, our commencement speaker annually is selected by a student committee, approved by the administration, and invited by both.Mr. Springer is an alumnus who has held public office as a city council member and mayor of Cincinnati. He has had a very successful career in the news and entertainment industries.
We look forward to Mr. Springer's participation at commencement.
Take that, student body. Maybe they should listen to the episode of This American Life where Springer was profiled as the next Bobby Kennedy. No, seriously. In any event, commencement speakers are almost always insufferably boring, and it's not like Springer can't talk endlessly about politics or law - remember his Air America show? Well, sorry, Northwestern - it's no Colbert parade, but he's going to have to do.
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That might be the worst headline ever! You tried too hard. You have to let it floooow and then you might come up with something better.
I happen to think that Springer is pretty great speaker. I have a feeling that those NU law students may be surprised. I heard Springer speak back in 2004, just following the election, and he was great--lucid, funny and really, really smart. One of the best speakers I saw while in college.
(Full disclosure: I'm from Cincinnati, am an NU grad, and my boyfriend's sister is one of the senior producers of This American Life...sooo, I don't know which direction I should be biased toward, but there you go.)
I listened to that NPR piece and was thoroughly surprised at Springer's past. Such a shame that his talents are now final thoughts to batty relationships. NU law students will definitely be surprised.
Good sir Meteorologist - It's Friday afternoon, and my creativity circuits are about juiced out. If you can come up with a better suggestion, I'll be happy to switch it. (I thought it was clever, anyways.)
And Groggy: I think he'll do just fine. My commencement speaker was some nobody economist who couldn't have been less enthusiastic. So in comparison, how bad could Springer be?
I graduated from DePaul. Our speaker was Sister Helen Prejeann, of "Dead Man Walking" fame.
While I think she's a remarkable model of someone working for social justice for even the most reviled criminals, hearing her go on, at length about the death penalty and heinous crimes left even the most ardent of her supporters in the crowd cold.
A graduation speech should inspire creativity, hope, imagination and joy.
Jerry Springer may have once aspired to those notions, but he left that behind when he dove deep into the sewer.
Excuse me? This is the difference between Northwestern and say Princeton
I always considered Northwestern a glorified frat boy/girl school.
I wanted Springer to run for Senate!
But of course he would have been too progressive for this podunk state.
p.s
so people don't think I pointlessly bash the midwest
U of C is a great institution
Sorry, Karl. I tried. My brain is juiced out too. I am not often one to complain without at least another suggestion, most of the time.
Maybe something about Springer's "Final Thought" on your law school career. Meh, too long. It's almost Miller Time.
commencement speaker: Bob Greene (in 2000)
I'm not sure what we're playing for here, but I win.
@Karl,
It's all about the attitude. Gotta keep those speeches jazzy! I think Springer is the man for the job.
I listened to that NPR piece and was thoroughly surprised at Springer's past. Such a shame that his talents are now final thoughts to batty relationships. NU law students will definitely be surprised.
Uhm, what about the paying for the hookers with the checkbook?
Oh, and being responsible for that "Steve" guy's new talk show career?
Yeah. No.
If I was a Northwestern Law School student or alumnus, I would not be happy about this.
To Northwestern, do you want your school and its graduates to have credibility?
Then stop letting Beavis and Butthead choose your commencement speakers.
This is a terrible idea, unless everybody starts chanting, "Jerry! Jerry!" when he hits the stage. And two of the female NU grads shred each other's gowns in a down 'n dirty catfight. Then I suppose it would be alright...
The graduating class of Harvard had the guy who made family guy two years ago.
He a)never went to harvard b) is not from massachusettes c) had no idea why he was there.
NU students could do a lot worse.
I'm sorry, I'm confused...
Is it the new lawyers who are upset because a guy who makes his living mediating disputes between some of the scummiest people in the world is speaking at graduation?
or
Is it Jerry Springer who's upset because he's about to speak to a bunch of people who will soon be mediating disputes between some of the scummiest people in the world?
Anybody?