Whackademia Quote: President Obama on Art History Degrees

     In a speech in Wisconsin on January 30, 2014, President Barak Obama insulted perhaps the most fervent members of his political base: art history majors. "A lot of parents," he said, "when they saw a lot of manufacturing jobs being sent offshore, told their kids you don't want to go into the trades, you don't want to go into manufacturing because you'll lose your job. Well, the problem is that what happened--a lot of young people no longer see the trades and skilled manufacturing as a viable career."…

     "But I promise you, folks can make a lot more, potentially, with  skilled manufacturing or the trades than they might with an art history degree. Now, nothing wrong with an art history degree--I love art history."…

     Since Obama's speech, America's small and tremendously weak art history lobby has sprung into action. Linda Downs, the executive director of the College Art Association criticized Obama for "denigrating" art history and, she suggested, the humanities in general…."It's worth remembering, that many of the nation's most important innovators," she said, "in fields including high technology, business, and even military service, have degrees in the humanities."…

Eric Owens, "Cruel Heartless Obama Mocks His Most Loyal, Unquestioning Supporters," The Daily Caller, February 1, 2014