The Decline of American Scholarship

No matter what you think of Bruce Springsteen, this article should prove once and for all that many American academics are clueless, overpaid, and have too much time on their hands.

The life and works of Bruce Springsteen are to be discussed by academics at a conference devoted to the star.

More than 150 papers are being presented at the symposium at Monmouth University in New Jersey, Springsteen's home state, from 9 September.

Discussions include "A Marxist Perspective on Darkness on the Edge of Town" and "The Boss and the Bible".

Organiser Kenneth Womack said the event focused on Springsteen because "he was always shooting for something higher".

The English professor cited Springsteen's lyrics on class and community, and his overt patriotism, as among the reasons he was so worthy of academic debate.

Everybody who reads this blog regularly knows that I'm a devoted follower of Bono and U2, to the degree that I consider Bono to be my spiritual leader in the same standing that Jacob and Billy D consider Benedict XVI to be their spiritual leader.

Do I think that a bunch of academics should be spending their time having a symposium about the collective works, writings, and lyrics of Bono? Not really. Maybe in twenty or thirty years. And, for the record, I've heard Springsteen's lyrics, and I think that Bono's stuff is much deeper and more intellectually worthy than Springsteen's.

An academic symposium on Bruce Springsteen? Come on.