MCM under attack at NYU

[Mark Crispin Miller]

Having come under attack at NYU last week, I'm sharing my response,

as I think doing so will help me to protect myself.   

On Friday, June 12, I received an email from an administrator here, telling

me that s/he had just been sent four complaints about my MA course on 

propaganda, which I taught last fall. Each of those bad reviews, all of

them anonymous, were just one sentence:

"He spent our classes trying to convince us that 5G would eliminate the 

human race and that the moon landing was fake."

"We did not learn anything constructive or useful about political communication 

or propaganda."

"The entire course is based on Mark Miller's biases and the conspiracy theories 

he believes in.”

"The course made me uncomfortable at times as Miller refuses to hear opinions 

that oppose his own."

The person who sent me those complaints urged me to revisit my course 

descriptions, and revise them, presumably so that they would forewarn 

potential students that I'm a crank who tolerates no disagreement. 

S/he told me not to ask who wrote those complaints (a question that I wouldn't

ask in any case). In any case, all four of them are false in every detail.

Here is my reply:

Why now? Those four students all emailed you, after all this time? 

Or was it a colleague? (If so, you needn't name that person.)

Whoever sent it clearly cherry-picked some negative responses—

all of which are wholly false. I'm tempted to rebut them point by

point, but it would only sound defensive; so I am sending you

some of the very positive responses I've received from students

in my courses over this past year or so, including that MA course

last semester.

This attack on me is not the first. I don't know if you're aware of this, 

because I didn't think to bother you about it, but some colleague sent 

_______________  a number of my online posts about transgender 

ideology, which _______ then sent the OEO, with a complaint that I'm 

"transphobic." I was then summoned to that office, to be questioned 

by two OEO lawyers—who, luckily, were rational, and very quickly saw 

that there was nothing to that charge; and so they quickly dropped 

the matter.

That Kafka-esque ordeal was not only stressful, but cost me almost

$6,000, as I had to hire a lawyer for some guidance. That's money

I can ill afford, what with my medical expenses. 

That financial injury, my inquisition by the OEO, and now this blatant 

and malicious effort to malign me as a teacher make quite clear that I'm

not wanted here—despite my excellence as a teacher, as evidenced by

the effusive thanks below. 

I'll let my course descriptions stand.

MCM 

        [As I've redacted all the students' names below, let me note that they're

        extraordinary diverse, racially, gender-wise, economically and geographically, 

      with many from China as well as Korea and Japan, the Middle East and South

      America, and from all over the US.]

        

Hi Professor Miller,

Thank you so much for a wonderful semester!  Your class is invaluable and has already dramatically affected the way I receive information.  I'm very grateful it exists. 

Best,

______________ [who took the propaganda course in question]

Hello Professor Miller,

Thank you for an eye-opening few months! Have a great break.

Kind regards,

____________ [who took the propaganda course in question]

Professor Miller!

Thanks so much for such a thoughtful class and a transformative 

semester. Enjoy your break!

All the best,

_____________ [who took the propaganda course in question]

Professor Miller,

I've thoroughly enjoyed my time in your class. I look forward to learning more from you in the future. 

Thank you for the semester and happy holidays,

_______________ [who took the propaganda course in question]

Dear Prof. Mark Crispin Miller,

Could you please add me into your newsletter recipient list? Really looking forward to knowing about 

your insights on news. Thank you!

Let me know if you have any questions.

Happy holidays!

_____________ [who took the propaganda course in question]

Dear Professor Miller: 

Greetings. Thank you for your work last semester. Personally, I am truly grateful for your teaching and have fully reflected my appreciation to you in faculty evaluation earlier in December. I have gained a lot from your class and learned how to rethink our surroundings from the perspective of propaganda analysis.

Best, 

_____________ [who took the propaganda course in question]

Mark,

It has been such a privilege being your student these past two years. You've changed the way I think about thinking. You've taught me how to appreciate films--a skill that has brought insurmountable joie-de-vivre to my existence since the film class I took with you many semesters ago. Your classes also provided the environment for Gigi and I to find and build a very fulfilling friendship with each other. I cherish all of this greatly!

My school days have come to a close--for now. I am positive I will head back to higher-ed soon, and I owe that to professors like you who remind me daily of the sheer joy of learning. Thank you for your guidance, and for being the highlight of my NYU educational experience. This school doesn't deserve you, but its students need you!

Best,

_____________ [who took my undergraduate propaganda and film courses]

Hi Professor Miller,

I am writing to you because my thesis proposal on __________________ was just approved, and I wanted to make sure that you're able to be my advisor. I'll attach a copy of my proposal in case you need it. I think your guidance will be super valuable, and I'm excited to work with you again!

Thanks,

______________  [who took my undergraduate propaganda course]

I wanted to ask a couple things. First, may I be added to your listserv? I also showed my mom your site, and she would love to be added as well if possible. 

I would like a daily digest and she wants to get everything - she really likes your writing and all your curated sources.

Lastly, I was wondering if we are going to do a coronavirus class this week. I know this is late notice to request that, but I would really enjoy hearing your thoughts…maybe you could make it optional and shorter for those who are interested? Either way, I wanted to thank you for creating such an engaging and informative class. I learned so much about film, politics and life itself - so thank you. I hope we can stay in touch and that I can possibly take your Senior Seminar next year.

_____________ [who took my undergraduate film course, and told me she intends to take my propaganda course]

Hi Mark,

Needless to say, I've loved every class of yours I've taken over the years, you being the professor I've seen the most during my undergrad career and easily among those I'll miss the most.

Thank you for everything and hopefully we can meet again in the future.

____________ [who took my undergraduate propaganda and film courses]

Thanks for a great year! I really enjoyed both of your classes, and I have really learnt so much in both. Attached is my final paper. I hope you are staying well through these tough times.

All the best,
_______________ [who took my undergraduate propaganda and film courses]

 

Thanks again for an incredible semester! I have enjoyed your [propaganda] class more than any I have taken at NYU before. It has really opened my eyes to the influence of popular media in America and has made me see everything in a different light now. For that, I thank you. 

Hope you have a lovely rest of your summer!

Warmly,

_________ [who's writing here about my undergraduate propaganda course, then took my Kubrick course]

Hi Professor Miller, 

Here's my final paper. Thanks again for a great semester. I really enjoyed this [propaganda] class very much and recognize its strong impact in the way I think about not only media but everything that's presented to me on a daily basis. It truly enlightened and sharpen my perspective. I will miss it and the great discussions our class had! If you need any help with your future classes, or personal projects that you are working on, please let me know. I would be happy to help in any way I can. 

Have a great summer! 

Sincerely, 

_____________ [who took my undergraduate propaganda course]

Dear Prof. Miller,

Please see my final paper assignment in attachment. Thank you for what you've done in class - I've enjoyed this semester and learnt a lot.

____________ [who took my undergraduate propaganda and film courses]

Hi Professor Miller,

I've attached my final paper to this email.

Thank you for such an interesting and eye-opening class. It was a great semester!

Best,

______________ [who took my undergraduate propaganda course]

Dear Professor Miller, 

I have attached my final essay to this email. 

I really enjoyed writing this essay and attending your classes. 

I would love to get updates from you. Could you be able to add me to your mailing list?

Thank you so much. Have a great holiday.

Sincerely,

_____________ [who took my undergraduate propaganda course]

Dear Prof. Miller,

I apologize for turning in [this paper] a day late, and I hope you still consider it for full credit. I enjoyed delving into this essay, and this will definitely contribute to my colloquium in some ways. 

I also very much enjoyed this class - I learned quite a bit, and you've given me a toolbox with which I will evaluate every form of media that crosses my path. Now I can't watch a single piece of, well, anything without trying to rip it apart piece by piece to see who is influencing what and why. I enjoyed this class and the connections I made through it.

I wish you all the best in your career and future classes! Happy Holidays to you and yours.

Best,

________________ [who took my undergraduate propaganda course] 

I want to thank you for an amazing class. Probably the best film criticism class I've taken, so Tisch can take it's big head somewhere else. Thank you also for letting me take the course. I know the virus made it impossible for us to fulfill the full potential of the analysis of the films, but I think we stil got a lot done, especially considering the circumstances. 

Enjoy your Summer and keep staying safe,

_________________ [who took my undergraduate film course]

Thank you for a great semester! The close viewing we worked on in this class has been invaluable to me as a a casual viewer, an actor, and a writer. I will carry these skills with me and develop them as I go.
_________________ [who took my undergraduate film course]

Hi Professor,

Here is my final paper! I really enjoyed discussing my two favorite films from the class, The Killing and Eyes Wide Shut, and I hope you enjoy reading about how they are connected.

This class was one of my favorites in all my four years at NYU and it is largely due to the academic spirit and knowledge you brought to the table! Thank you so much for making my final semester so meaningful in spite of the circumstances.

I hope we continue to keep in touch and that you make an appearance for our director's movie club!

Sincerely,

_________________ [who took my Kubrick course]

Hi Professor Miller,

It has been a pleasure attending your class this semester. Your class was my only class that didn't falter because of quarantine. If anything, I think it was strangely more thought-provoking. 

Here is my final essay. I hope you enjoy. And I hope that we will all stay connected with the film club.

All My Best,

_________________ [who took my Kubrick course]

Hi Professor Miller,

I hope you're doing well. First off, thank you for a very educational and engaging semester. I will truly cherish the things I learned in your class, not just about film, but critical thinking and the appreciation of art in general. I can't think of a much better way to have spent my last semester at NYU.

Please find attached my final essay on Eyes Wide Shut. Thanks in advance for reading, and I hope you have a pleasant summer, whatever form it may take.

Best,

___________ [who took my Kubrick course]

Hi Professor Miller, this is ____________, and here is my final paper. Thank you so much for the wonderful semester! In the fall, I will be attending USC for film productions and your class has been so helpful for me to learn more about the American Cinema. Please take care of yourself in this pandemic. And I truly hope you have a wonderful summer (which will only get better)!  :D

Sincerely,

_______________ [who took my Kubrick course]

Hi Professor Miller, 

Attached is my final paper for the Kubrick Senior Seminar. 

I also just wanted to thank you for hosting a wonderful class. It really opened my eyes and gave me a stronger appreciation for Stanley Kubrick's films. All in all, I really enjoyed everything and hope to stay in contact about some of your other research. 

Wishing you all the best, 

_________________ [who took my Kubrick course]

Good evening Mark, I hope this email finds you well and healthy. I have attached my final paper as a Word Document. 

Thank you for a great semester despite the many hiccups both in the classroom and online. I wish we could have finished in-person, but we all did the best that we could and I think the discussions we had were still great. 

I am looking forward to our meeting tomorrow and thank you for taking the time to teach us some facts that we are not seeing or hearing.  

Wish you well, 

___________________ [who took my Kubrick course]

Hi Professor,

Attached is my final paper.

Thanks so much for this semester! It was a crazy one, but I'm glad that I had the opportunity to take a class with you. 

Thanks again and looking forward to continuing discussions with the rest of class through our film club,

___________________ [who took my Kubrick course]

Dear Professor Miller,

I hope this email finds you well. 

Please find my final paper attached to this email. Thank you so much for an incredible class, and a great last semester. I feel like I learned a lot from this course outside of Kubrick-related content as well- I was also wondering if you could put me on your listserv for your newsletter. 

Thanks again, and have a great summer!

Sincerely,

__________________ [who took my Kubrick course]

Hi Professor Miller,

Attached is my final paper. Thank you for a great semester, even though it was a weird one, I really enjoyed our classes!

Best,

___________________ [who took my Kubrick course]

Dear Professor Miller,

I've attached my final essay onto this email. Thank you so much for a wonderful semester–this class has truly been a highlight of my week, every week, and I've gained so much knowledge about and insight into films I know I will take with me when watching movies from now on! Thank you again, and happy holidays!

Best,

__________________ [who took two of my undergraduate film courses]

Thanks and thank you so much for a wonderful semester -- I feel like I learned a lot!

__________________ [who took my undergraduate film course]

Hi Mark,

Attached is my submission for the Kubrick course's final assignment. It was really a joy to be a part of both your film courses for this semester. I truly feel as if I have become a far more critical and informed viewer of film and I took immense pleasure in expanding my horizons with the filmography of Stanley Kubrick. 

As I graduate I intend to begin work in the film industry myself once the world returns to normal and although I do not know yet where this path may take me, I hope that maybe one day I will be able to have a role in the creation of a work as a rich as many of the films I watched in these two courses. Thank you for making my final semester an intellectually challenging and rewarding experience. 

All the best,

__________________ [who took both my film courses last semester]

Attached below is my essay on the film Parasite. It has been a pleasure being in your class and I look forward to crossing paths in the future. Take care and have an enjoyable summer!

Best wishes, ____________ [who took my film course]

Dear Professor Miller, 

How are you? This is my final paper. Thanks so much for this great semester! 

Best, 

_______________ [who took my film course]

Hi Professor!

Attached is my final paper on _________________. Thank you so much for a great semester. Your class was the perfect way to end my college career as a drama student. 

I hope you and your family stay safe and healthy during this nuts time! 

Thank you.

Sincerely,

__________________ [who took my film course]

Hi Mark,

I am attaching my final paper to this email. Thank you for this class. I felt like I learned so much not only about films and their history, but about my own deeper enjoyment of film as an art form. I used to hate rewatching movies and now I feel like I need to rewatch every one I enjoy. I hope you have a great summer! 

___________________ [who took my undergraduate film course]

I'm pleased to say that all these very positive reviews decided the administrator to drop

the subject, although s/he wouldn't tell me who had sent him/her those anonymous

complaints, or how they'd been discovered, but told me (a) that those four complaints

were not taken from any of the regular student evaluations, and (b) that the person who 

had sent them to him/her is not a department colleague.

So how had they been discovered (or concocted), and who sent them? I wish I knew,

but surely won't be told.

MCM