Voting Station

Allan Bloom

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Critic

The Resume

    (September 14, 1930-October 7, 1992)
    Born in Indianapolis, Indiana
    Critic of American higher education
    Advocate of a 'Great Books' approach to education
    Wrote 'The Closing of the American Mind' (1987)

Why he might be annoying:

    He can easily be confused with fellow high-culture-maven/pop-culture-basher Harold Bloom.
    He was a chain smoker.
    He cruised for male prostitutes while in Paris.
    He equated rock musicians with Nazis: 'Whether it be Nuremburg or Woodstock, the principle is the same.'
    He wrote a 400-page book kvetching about moral relativism only to declare, 'I never stated, nor do I believe, that man is, or can be, in possession of absolutes.'
    Camille Paglia called 'The Closing of the American Mind' 'the first shot in the culture wars.'

Why he might not be annoying:

    He was accepted into the University of Chicago's program for gifted students when he was fifteen.
    Simon and Schuster agreed to publish 'The Closing of the American Mind' only after Saul Bellow offered to write the introduction.
    'Closing' became an unexpected best-seller, topping the New York Times non-fiction list for four months and selling half a million hardback copies.
    His editor noted, 'You can look at the best-seller list for the past five years and try to come up with a comparably serious book and I don't think you'll find one.'
    He jokingly opened a lecture with 'Hello, fellow elitists.'
    It is amusing to note that the ultra-devout and virulently homophobic Alan Keyes considers gay atheist Bloom his intellectual mentor.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 10 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 45 Votes: 53.33% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 12 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 23 Votes: 52.17% Annoying