An opinion article calling for the incoming First Lady of the United States to stop referring to herself as “Dr” has prompted outrage online, with a number of high-profile figures describing it as sexist and condescending.
The Wall Street Journal editorial, authored by Joseph Epstein over the weekend, referred to Dr Biden as “kiddo” and compared her doctorate of education to an honorary degree.
“Madame First Lady—Mrs. Biden—Jill—kiddo: a bit of advice on what may seem like a small but I think is a not unimportant matter,” the article read.
“A wise man once said that no one should call himself ‘Dr’ unless he has delivered a child. Think about it, Dr Jill, and forthwith drop the doc.”
The author himself noted that he had not completed a doctorate, or “any advanced degree”, but was given an honorary doctorate. Dr Biden, who has a total of four degrees, will be the only First Lady in America’s history to continue working while serving as FLOTUS.
In response to the article, social media users flocked to Dr Biden’s defence, alleging the same article would not have been published if it was about a man.
“Dr Biden earned her degrees through hard work and pure grit. She is an inspiration to me, to her students, and to Americans across this country,” wrote Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
“This story would never have been written about a man.”
Martin Luther King Jr’s daughter, Bernice King, said, “Dear Dr Biden: my father was a non-medical doctor. And his work benefited humanity greatly. Yours does, too.”
Former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton also tweeted in support of Dr Biden: “Her name is Dr Jill Biden. Get used to it.”
Northwestern University, where Mr Epstein previously worked as a lecturer, also condemned the article, describing his views as “misogynistic”.
“While we firmly support academic freedom and freedom of expression, we do not agree with Mr Epstein’s opinion and believe the designation of doctor is well deserved by anyone who has earned a PhD, an EdD or an MD,” a university spokesperson said in a statement.
Despite calls for the article to be removed from the masthead’s website, as of Monday morning, it was still published online.
