Below is a small sample of responses I received from Brown students in response to my book, Out of Ivy. The big point here is not the vulgarity, but the hate. And also the inclination to avoid discourse, and spit vitriolic insults meant to make me feel dumb and bigoted. Ironically, this is the Left I try to describe in Out of Ivy. These are the people that a politically ignorant student found very unattractive.
There were SO MANY “Do not spam me” replies, many of them absent of hateful words. Even though those particular responses were not as hateful as the others, they still demonstrates the liberal inclination to avoid argument and create an offense. “Ugh, I’m so offended! Spam, my gosh!” So pathetic. The only response I got to Out of Ivy’s release from these people was “Ugh! Spammer!” and “He’s writing his own book reviews on Amazon!”, and of course, many vitriolic comments about how mean, dumb, and bigoted I am. There was never an attempt to logically engage my politics.
Spam? I wrote a book about Brown! How about, “Brown students are my primary audience!” Offensive spam? Or target market?
“Rowley, stop sending me emails and go fuck yourself. I don’t care which one you do first.”
“This school gave you the means to whore your ‘stifled intellect’ to a demographic just begging to be offended by your views, didn’t it? More to the point, QUIT FUCKING SPAMMING FOR YOUR CRAPPY BOOK!”
“you’re an embarrassment to Brown. Stop spamming our mailbox. take your pathetic college experience and keep it to yourself.”
“Though I am hardly the most outspoken ‘liberal’ or ‘feminist,’ I hope they will excuse me here if I extend on behalf of the large community of Brown students who actually do not believe they would be better off transferring elsewhere, a demonstration of the powers of free speech in offering you a big, ‘FUCK YOU!’ And no I won’t buy your shitty book, you little cunt.”
“Stop spamming me with e-mails, asshat. P.S. You are a douche. P.P.S. If you don’t remove me from your email list I will lodge a complaint with the FCC.”
“ew. you are gross. I don’t want to buy your lame ass book. I read some of it, and it convinced me that you don’t actually have a legitimate intellectual argument, but rather, that you are just a dumb pissed off white man with nothing interesting to say, as I expected. I reiterate: ewwwww.”
“Take me off your goddamn (yes I said GOD!) list now, I’m not going to by your piece of shit book. I like Brown. I am a huge LIBERAL, FEMINIST, HIPPY. DO NOT EMAIL ME AGAIN. You are a disgusting asshole for saying anything like ‘bring sexual harassment’ anywhere. You clearly have no respect for women. DO NOT EMAIL ME AGAIN”
“I’m not sure if you’re sarcastic or stupid, but don’t email me again.”
“That is a disgusting title for an email and, having just returned from Take Back The Night, where men and women spoke about their experiences with sexual harassment, abuse and domestic violence, on behalf of all the people who have experienced sexual harassment, your trivialization of the issue is bigoted and offensive.
Please remove me from your mailing list. I have no interest in being exposed to such crass lack of compassion and consideration.”
“this is crass and reductionist. I can’t imagine having such a book associated with my name. I hope you develop more ambitious and sensitive goals in life.”
“I don’t care about your piece of shit book. Get a real job.”
“I don’t believe that that’s true – I was never forced to sign the agreement you speak of, and I don’t think the term ‘first-years’ originated
as the result of ‘liberal feminists.’ Stop lying, get your facts straight and stop spamming me.”
“dude, you’re pretty lame. It’s not even that you’re wrong – you’re just lame.”
“What little chance there was that I would buy your book was just eliminated by the repeated spam emails I’ve received from your site. TAKE ME OFF YOUR LIST!!!”
“Stop spamming me. I might otherwise have been interested in your book. No way is any spammer getting my money.”
“I don’t want your fucking book, please. Take me off your list. You hack.”
“don’t spam me. My freedom of speech and choice is to not read your book and you are compensating my right of free choice by sending me this right wing propaganda bullshit. Great, you have an opinion. I have one too. Fuck off.”
“Dear Out of Ivy.com, I fucking hate you. Love, Jenna.”
“NEVER send me this inane drivel again.”
“GO FUCK YOURSELF. YOU’RE NOT CONSERVATIVE ABOUT SPAMMING PEOPLE, ASSHOLE!”
“if I were going to read it, I would get it from the library, I’m not giving you the satisfaction of making any money off me.”
“Stop your bitching, and your e-mailing me for that matter.”
“Is this some kind of sick misogynist joke?”
“Remove me from this email list or I will report it as harassment!”
“I don’t know you, I never asked for your email. Don’t email me.”
