The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/25332
Casual Chit Chat Each week, we have a casual conversation with a member of the community. This week, Philosophy Professor Jeremy Wisnewski of Hartwick College and Cassandra Miller chit chat, casually. At the Beardoff held last Friday at the Autumn Cafe, you won Most Original and second in the Other category – De- scribe the style of your facial hair and the responses you’ve gotten toward it: The beard is just a long goatee with no accompanying moustache. It’s fairly unruly. When I was in Tur- key recently, people would actually come up to me and talk to me about my beard. Some people touched it. Folks seemed to really like the beard in Istanbul. I can’t say the same thing about responses to the beard at home. My wife, Dorothy, has been patiently waiting for me to get rid of it. You’re a philosophy profes- sor who’s written a recently released book about torture titled “Understanding Torture” — briefly explain what makes torture morally problematic: I think most people recognize that torture violates the dignity of human beings, and that it also taints those who employ it. Lots of people nevertheless maintain that there are cases where torture is per- missible (when dealing with terror- ists, for example). In my most recent book on torture, I try to show that there are never circumstances that justify torture. I come at the issue in a number of ways, but my primary aim is to show that, once we’ve got a firm grip on how torture is actu- ally carried out, and what it actually involves, the so-called “exceptional” cases cease to be exceptional at all. You’ve also edited or con- tributed to books relating to philosophy and pop culture, including “30 Rock,” “Family Guy,” “The Office,” “X-Men,” “Twilight” and “Arrested De- velopment.” Which show/film did you find most interesting to learn or write about philo- sophically and why? This is a tough question. I enjoyed working on all of the books. I’m most proud of the “30 Rock” book, though. comedy, so I might be a little biased. You just came back from a January-term study abroad trip to Greece and Turkey; what was one of your favorite experi- ences from that trip? The essays in that book manage to come at the show from a lot of dif- ferent perspec- tives, tackling issues about race, gender, sexual ori- entation, profession- al ethics, capitalism and more. “30 Rock” is still my favorite For me personally, it was going to the site of Troy. I’ve been obsessing about Homer’s Iliad for the past couple of years, and I hadn’t seen Troy before. Finally getting there was fantastic. What can a student do to piss you off? I would love to say “nothing.” But I still get irritated by students not tak- ing class time seriously (by texting in class, or not doing the reading, or not being engaged in the discus- sion, or whatever). I would much prefer it if these things didn’t bother me, but they do. If I student hit me with his or her automobile, that would also piss me off. If you were a woman, what kind of woman would you be? A very ugly one, with a beard. You’re vegan — is there a food made from an animal product that you miss eating? There are plenty. I mainly miss cheese. Lovely, lovely cheese. You’re not only a philoso- pher, but you’re also a rocker. Tell me about your band(s): I’ve been in bands since I was a kid. Right now, I’m playing with two different groups. The Redacted has been together for about three years, and I drum in that band. I’ve also recently returned to playing bass (my first instrument) in another band: The Johnny Meltdowns. It keeps me busy, and I love it. Shows coming your way soon! Who are three of your favor- ite musicians? I find myself cycling through favorites every few months. These days, I’ve been listening to a lot of Willie Nelson, even though I’ve never been a big country music fan. I also have much love for The De- cemberists and The Frames, as well as for old-school heavy-metal outfits like Overkill and Slayer. I suppose my tastes are eclectic. What’s the best part about living in Oneonta? It’s gotta be having access to the O-Town Scene every week. Feb. 17, 2011 O-Town Scene 7