Who would’ve thought that a university that renamed its communication school after the comedic and fictitious anchorman Ron Burgundy would end up banning the word “anchorman” from being said on campus?
According to Campus Reform, Emerson College put out an editorial style guide, known officially as the “Guidelines for Inclusive Language,” forbidding the use of words that threaten gender inclusivity.
Part of the guidelines read as follows:
In 2013, Emerson briefly named its communication school the “Ron Burgundy School of Communication” to celebrate a visit by actor Will Ferrell, who portrayed the mustachioed news anchor in the films Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and its sequel Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues….
Now, Emerson is advising students to replace “anchorman” or any other “man” construction with gender neutral alternatives.
Artificial not manmade
Business executive not businessman
Camera operator not cameraman
Chair not chairman
Guard or staff not man (v.)
Humanity not mankind
Layperson not layman
Police officer not policeman
Spokesperson not spokesman
Workforce not manpower
I’m surprised they left out “Lady not woman.”
And while it’s nice to want to include people of all genders, Emerson’s policing of language runs contrary to its mission statement to “explore and push the boundaries of communication, art, and culture and, thereby, to contribute to the advancement of society.”
What’s the point of pushing boundaries if you’re constraining your students in what words they use and ideas they possess?
