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 Todd DormanTodd Dorman is a columnist for The Gazette. His blog has been bringing smiles to readers' faces since November 2007. |
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Derision Blooms in ‘Insular’ Iowa
Prof. Stephen Bloom is truly the Michelangelo of hick-punching.
Rarely has rural Iowa been smacked around as artfully as it is in Bloom’s sucker-punching essay “Observations from 20 years of Iowa Life,” published on The Atlantic’s website.
One minute, you’re enjoying a truly vivid description of swaying, growing corn. The next, you’re confronted with a hollowed out, meth-addled, farmer-tanned wasteland devoid of all hope but filled to its feed cap with meatloaf and Jell-O.
Hawkeyes and hunters and Jesus. Oh my.
It’s quite a page-turner, from the “slums” of Keokuk and the “skuzziest” cities on the polluted and “commercially irrelevant” Mississippi, down Interstate 80s bleak crossing of “corpus Americana,” to our regularly scheduled Friday night combine demolition derbies. Bloom has beaten his pen into a machete. Although the University of Iowa professor wielded it while working safely in Michigan.
You must read the whole thing. But here’s a taste:
“Those who stay in rural Iowa are often the elderly waiting to die, those too timid (or lacking in educated) to peer around the bend for better opportunities, an assortment of waste-toids and meth addicts with pale skin and rotted teeth, or those who quixotically believe, like Little Orphan Annie, that “The sun’ll come out tomorrow.”
If you bet a bottom dollar that Bloom would strike a nerve here, winner-winner, meatloaf dinner. Most Iowans I know who read it don’t like it. But of course, it wasn’t written for us. It was written for far off outsiders, giving them a welcome chance to shake their heads, sigh, and thank goodness that they don’t live in these horrid hapless hustings.
It’s billed as an exploration of the state that leads the presidential nominating process. But Bloom is much less interested in the caucuses than he is in constructing a dreary Midwest dystopia with boar semen signs, young boys all nicknamed ‘Bud,’ accosted dog walkers and people who maliciously insist on wishing him a “Merry Christmas.” Gay marriage is a fleeting judicial fluke. Our divided politics is “bizarre.” Wind energy is promising, but hey, don’t forget the suicide rate.
“Housewives” spend their time baking contest pies, even in a state with one of the nation’s highest percentages of two-parent working families.
Iowa has problems. Big, deep and difficult ones. Bloom makes some perfectly valid points about rural decline. His description of Iowa’s meatpacking industry is well-crafted and spot on. Clearly, the author of “Postville” knows this stuff. Some of his observations are thought-provoking.
But those few meaty moments sink into a deep trough of self-indulgent derision. And those backward insular conservatives he clearly despises should send him a big fat thank you note for handing them yet another handy chance to showcase their insistence that the inuslar halls of liberal academia have little more than contempt for “real America.”
He might have also noticed that this presidential campaign that we’re so famous for starting hasn’t addressed virtually any of the dire issues Bloom describes. Sounds like the subject of a worthwhile essay.
But, frankly, we all owe Bloom thanks. Each of our minds hold large, locked-tight ledgers of dark disdain for the people and places we otherwise hold dear. It’s the flip side of our bright side, where our misgivings and grievances are kept.
I suspect it might feel very good, for a moment, to loudly proclaim the contents of that ledger, unedited and unvarnished.
But I also suspect I’d sound like a pompous, callous, judgmental scold that no one would want to be around for more than five minutes. Now, I know that suspicion is correct.
Well, Todd, I’ve defended Bloom, since their are folks who want him unemployed because of that essay.
Now, if I wanted to pull a “Bloom,” then get me going about how some Iowans operate motor ve-HICK-uls…
Klinzman, when was the last time you were wrong?
What the heck kind of question is THIS!?
Thank you! This is exactly right.
Well gee Jeff…if you’re someone who’s employed by the State of Iowa, who’s tasked with educating people in the State of Iowa..and then you go and insult, deride, and otherwise spit in the face of the people who write your paycheck–yeah, I’d say your job could be in jeopardy.
You can go on and on about the 1st Amendment and “academic freedom” all you want.
The 1st Amendment doesn’t act as a shield to protect you from consequences of your speech. Courts have held over and over again that the 1st Amendment doesn’t protect you from negative consequences that might result from your speech–such as possibly losing your job.
Bloom can say whatever the heck he wants to. As I have told you multiple times, Jeff–for every action..there are consequences.
Therefore, Bloom shouldn’t be surprised that there has been such a negative reaction when he writes an article that is as full of stereotypes, falsehoods and mischaracterizations about Iowa, its communities and its people.
He shouldn’t be surprised that there are people who are calling for his job. When you’re someone who works for the taxpayers of the state, Jeff, you’re held to a higher standard.
Todd, you are overreacting: your “spit in the face” metaphor shows me you have lost all perspective, and are being hypersensitive, looking for the smallest reason to take offense.
I’m glad you keep threatening Bloom’s employment, since that demonstrates you DO apply political criteria to determine a person’s fitness to do his or her job, particularly if that person is a public employee.
You (and I) know absolutely nothing about Bloom’s teaching, so calling for his head just because you were offended by his essay tells me you care nothing about Bloom’s actual performance as a teacher and an academic.
Look at the context and the essay: “Atlantic” is not a “hard journalism” magazine, and Bloom’s piece is meant to be his personal impression of the state. If anything, Bloom’s essay sailed right over your head: I read much sympathy and affection for the state, but Bloom, horror of horrors, is ambivalent about Iowa, and has the brass cojones to actually express that ambivalence. I’ll say it: Bloom has complicated feelings about the state, and you cannot see that complexity, so you have a hissy fit.
I take this one personally, because I’ve had other people on this forum question MY fitness to do my job because they disagree with my politics. And, do I really have to remind you of the time three of your friends complained about a text I helped edit, finding it objectionable because I am a “known Marxist?”
Jeff..once again your academic elitism shines bright as day.
I really don’t give a rip about Bloom’s politics. What i DO care about Jeff is that Bloom is a state employee who is represents the people of our state.
Therefore, it should be expected that he treats the people, its communities and culture with a level of respect and dignity.
This article completely lacked that in all aspects. It was a rude, smug, inaccurate picture of our state and her people.
Do I deny that our state has its share of problems? Of course not. There is no where that is perfect, Jeff.
However, Bloom paints a picture of Iowa that is so far out of touch with reality, that is so condescending in tone and disrespectful to the people he gets his salary from.
So, quite frankly Jeff..I dont care if someone wants to have a critical discussion about issues/problems etc, in our state.
However, when that crosses into the realm of disrespect and outright rudeness that’s where the line must be drawn.
“What i DO care about Jeff is that Bloom is a state employee who is represents the people of our state.”
Wrong, Todd, Stephen Bloom is a tenured U of I faculty member. He is obligted to perform his professional duties, which do NOT include earning your approval.
“However, when that crosses into the realm of disrespect and outright rudeness that’s where the line must be drawn.”
Todd, I remember how the elder Bush and many conservatives milked the manufactured “political correctness” controversy, in part, by claiming that people were being too sensitive and free spech included offensive speech.
Welcome to the future! As I have said many times already, your beef with Bloom is based on your being offended, and that is insufficient reason to advocate firing him.
What struck me about Bloom’s essay Todd was how he was bold enough to reveal some hard truths about life in Iowa. And while that may make many people uncomfortable, it’s reality. While Iowans aren’t the country bumpkins many outsiders see them as, the reality of the state those Iowans inhabit often isn’t as bright and shiny as they’d like to believe it is.
As some like to say: “reality bites.”
What I find most appalling and at times even laughable is that if Bloom or any other professor had written is this manner about living in inner city Chicago or a ghetto and stereotyped black people, it would be national news and Klinzman and his two Kronies on this site would be freaking out and calling for Bloom’s head.
Typical liberal thinking … tea off on white people and it’s “satire” or “reflective” or worse they accept it as the “truth”. But, even make mention of a minority group in any way and be strung up in the town square!
Oh, and just to be sure I’m staying on topic, Bloom is an idiot and a coward who hides behind his pen. 20 years of “frustration” and what did he ever do to try and change things for the better in his eyes? And yes, he should be fired.
Being a paid employee of the state of Iowa should not mean that you cannot speak your mind – even if it hurts the fee-fees of the people who pay you (the taxpayers). Bloom in entitled to his opinion – he is also entitled to self promote himself to sell books. It also entitles him to withering criticism about absurdity of some of his comments. Iowa IS full of morons, meth heads, stupid hunters, etc – just like every other area of the country. Iowa is also full of tremendous people, great natural resources and a rich history of local culture – that is why we CHOOSE to live here and love it here – even with its warts. My only confusion is why Mr Bloom continues to live here after 21 years of what sounds like a painful experiences.
“It also entitles him to withering criticism about absurdity of some of his comments.”
BINGO, David! I have been less interested in defending Bloom’s essay as a piece of writing than I have been in asking people to consider why they react so defensively. The hub-bub over this essay, and behavior of many critics, is very “unIowa,” if our core values are modesty, respect, and moderation in word and deed.
BTW, Todd, congrats on the front page placement. Is the Gazette trying to milk this tempest in a teapot!?
And my favorite comment from the Atlantic’s website article: “I have serious doubts that any of those comments at the end actually occurred in Iowa City. If someone in a pickup had yelled at him to free his dog from its bourgeois subjugation, I’da believed it.” THAT is why I love Iowa!
Bloom is truly amazingly clueless. You are right to state that he sounds ‘pompous, callous, judgmental’. How can anyone live in the state for 20 years and know so little. Bloom writes like, well, like he’s trying to be a real writer again and fails miserably. Hs humor falls flat and instead he come across as a pompous ass and perennial bitter outsider.
It would be a sad day in Iowa if Professor Bloom was terminated for exercising free speech. Whether he is right or wrong, he has a right to his opinions and a right to express those opinions.
Those that call for his resignation are telling us that they do not believe in free speech (i.e. they do not believe in complying with the constitution).
I don’t remember who originally said this, but I believe it and I will repeat it here – - “I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend your right to say it.” That is what liberty, freedom and America is all about.
You’re quoting Voltaire, Rich, but the provenance is contested. Oh shoot, I used “provenance,” which makes me a Bloom-loving snob!
BTW, have you noticed how no one took exception to Bloom’s gratuitous references to pig excrement? Bloom missed an excellent opportunity to talk about the environmental hazards of hog confinement facilities, and how our current governor and his political allies have worked to subvert local control in regulating such facilities?
“Smell of meny,” indeed…
Forgive me for being semi-serious in response to your tongue-in-cheek comment, but it pleases me to know that the quote I provided originated with Voltaire.
I feel very strongly that America owes a lot to the philosophers of the Great Enlightenment. So much of what America became is due to their thinking and their writing.
Sadly, I am confident that over half of our country does not even know what the Great Enlightenment was and only a very few know how it influenced the founding of our country.
You mean to tell me the ideals of the American founders came from snooty French intellectuals!?
Heh, heh, heh: now I crank up my references to Althusser, Foucault, and Derrida…
I find his comments about pickup trucks, meth and dogs as hunters-only similar to the barbs aimed at my native South. Besides, I doubt Bloom would get so many hunting-related comments about his dog if it were not a HUNTING BREED! If he had a Lhasa Apso, he would not get those questions. Cheap shot artists like Bloom are a dime a dozen.