Wisconsin GOPer: College Is Waging ‘War On Men’ With Course On Masculinity

FILE - In this Feb. 24, 2015, file photo, Wisconsin state Sen. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, is seen during a hearing at the state Capitol in Madison, Wis. Nass said Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017, that a University of Wisconsi... FILE - In this Feb. 24, 2015, file photo, Wisconsin state Sen. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, is seen during a hearing at the state Capitol in Madison, Wis. Nass said Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017, that a University of Wisconsin-Madison program that explores masculinity amounts to a declaration of war on men and the university should be punished in upcoming budget deliberations. (Amber Arnold/Wisconsin State Journal via AP, File) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

Continuing his crusade against the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a Republican senator on Wednesday called for the school’s funding to be cut over a program exploring masculinity that he says amounts to a “war on men.”

Sen. Steve Nass (R-WI) fired off an email to his fellow lawmakers arguing that the university was trying to convince male students that masculinity was a “social ill.” The email, which was obtained by the Associated Press, was titled “UW-Madison Declares War on Men and their Masculinity — Not a Joke.”

The Men’s Project is a six-week, voluntary program for students intended to allow students who identify as male to probe how their masculinity affects their attitudes towards sexuality, pop culture, and substance abuse. UW-Madison started the program in 2015, modeling it off a similar course at Washington University in St. Louis.

According to Nass, who teamed up with Rep. Dave Murphy (R-WI) in December to propose cutting UW-Madison’s funding for another course called “The Problem of Whiteness,” the elective program is proof of the university’s financial bloat.

“The supposedly underfunded and overworked administrators at our flagship campus have scrapped [sic[ together enough dollars to offer a six-week program open only to ‘men-identified students,” he wrote, according to the AP. “In short, the highly paid leaders at UW-Madison now believe that Wisconsin mothers and fathers have done a poor job of raising their boys by trying to instill in them the values and characteristics necessary in becoming a Man.”

Spokespeople for UW-Madison and Gov. Scott Walker (R) did not respond to the AP’s request for comment on Nass’ criticism.

Yet Walker, who is currently drafting the executive version of the state budget, declined to endorse Nass and Murphy’s December call to cut funding for the “Problem of Whiteness” course.

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. Oh, FFS.

  2. Maybe so, but it doesn’t excuse the double sock you stuff in your shorts each day, shithead.

  3. Next, GOP accuses university of War on Slavery in American History survey course.

  4. Of course, stepping on the UW system’s neck, destroying tenure and slashing funding is terrible for the long term prospects of the state but excellent politics, since rural Wisconsinites see the UW system as a bastion of those liberal elites that are always looking down on them from their snooty ivory towers, and will reward any punishment meted out to it. Where does this all go? Has Wisconsin just reached a demographic tipping point? Is it destined to be Kansas for the foreseeable future, trapped in a vicious cycle of job and population loss concentrating more and more power in the hands of fewer and fewer angry old white people? I grieve for my home state.

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

39 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for marnold Avatar for sysprog Avatar for clunkertruck Avatar for mollynyc Avatar for epicurus Avatar for bojimbo26 Avatar for ctvoter Avatar for steviedee111 Avatar for inlabsitrust Avatar for sonsofares Avatar for tecmage Avatar for stradivarius50t3 Avatar for theghostofeustacetilley Avatar for ottnott Avatar for captaincommonsense Avatar for generalsternwood Avatar for tena Avatar for beattycat Avatar for chicago11 Avatar for clauscph Avatar for lizzymom Avatar for drtv Avatar for shartiblartfat

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: