The internet is full of creepy fetishists of one kind or another but taking to an academic journal to defend said fetish is a new one. Stephen Kershnar, a distinguished professor of philosophy at SUNY Fredonia, has published In Defense of Asian Romantic Preference in The International Journal of Applied Philosophy.

Ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew *deep breath* ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew ew — Gail Shuck (@GailShuck) July 17, 2019

https://twitter.com/ourobororoboruo/status/1151411760328368128

I can't work out whether assuming he's an edgelord troll will preserve my sanity better than thinking he's sincere — Darius Quebec (@ksej) July 17, 2019

https://twitter.com/XxYLeeXx/status/1151125611919712256

People were horrified to discover that Kershner is not only a real academic but also has tenure.

…Adult-Child Sex: A Philosophical Defense”???? *howls into the void* THIS PERSON HAS TENURE pic.twitter.com/VQ1iJjwiZ9 — adwoa gyimah-brempong (@theonlyadwoa) July 17, 2019

Damn, what is the definition of Philosophy at Fredonia? His work is a hot mess of fetishism, racism, politics and just batshit-crazy. — Ready to Vote Right Here Right Now (@tesstea) July 18, 2019

The bio from the very school he teaches at. I have…….concerns? pic.twitter.com/1YrxSuMGGq — Climate action now (@DC_Explorer) July 17, 2019

Now in the interests of transparency, we should mention here that we don’t know if Kershnar shares that preference himself. As a philosopher, he’s written a number of similar and even more disturbing articles, including For Torture: a Right-Based Defense and Adult-Child Sex: a Philosophical Defense, and they may all be mere thought exercises designed to display his professional skills.

This guy is a troll machine imho pic.twitter.com/5Msh657yD0 — Peter Labuza (@labuzamovies) July 17, 2019

So I googled and now I am traumatized pic.twitter.com/l3qlnPpqiI — Chris Derps (@ChrisDerps) July 17, 2019

It’s like his entire CV is one long “just playing Devil’s advocate here . . . “ while in fact reifying utterly banal garden variety shitty views. So cringe. — DREW DANIEL (@DDDrewDaniel) July 18, 2019

However, if that is the case, choosing these topics to illustrate his abilities is still a bad move, and the internet cannot stop howling about it.

…Adult-Child Sex: A Philosophical Defense”???? *howls into the void* THIS PERSON HAS TENURE pic.twitter.com/VQ1iJjwiZ9 — adwoa gyimah-brempong (@theonlyadwoa) July 17, 2019

Some users are trying to look on the bright side.

I cant process the fact that this 53 year old pasty man wrote this utter filth but it really helps alleviate my anxieties about getting my own work academically published — 🐬Single💾Moms💿Against📼Vaping🐬 (@cargo_shorts69) July 17, 2019

Though others were more cynical about it.

https://twitter.com/phantasmaglo/status/1151421296611221504

With other academics commenting on the dire state of the discipline these days.

In response to your question "what kind of world is this guy living in" I am going to take a guess and say "academic philosophy" because have you seen the disaster mess bullshit white philosophers are on about these days — Rob Hill (@velocirobter) July 17, 2019

https://twitter.com/rachelvmckinnon/status/1151615856306032640

https://twitter.com/alen_irl/status/1151159521357774854

And one brave soul contacting the journal to demand an explanation.

https://twitter.com/TristanMWolfe/status/1151307049386631169

There’s some keen speculation on the man’s personal life.

Dude definitely asks his tinder matches “how much rationality you got?” — Path Integral Salesman (@litgenstein) July 16, 2019

I don’t know why some men confuse publications with their private journals. — Elizabeth Holdsworth (@eaholdsworth) July 17, 2019

"For simplicity, I will focus on when White men have an Asian preference"

aka I couldn't come up with a better research topic so I'm just gonna defend my fetish instead — 桧垣 Tyler (@tyhigaki) July 17, 2019

"Consider heterosexual men's preferences for women who are thin, feminine, normal height, symmetrical, and so on." Really telling on yourself there, dude. — Lillian M. (@McLillianCat) July 17, 2019

I hope you don't mind, I've taken the time to construct a meme :P pic.twitter.com/Htec4w1IWf — Amy (@AussieCatDoll) July 18, 2019

And quite a lot of women taking exception to the idea that any woman would fight over either him or his hypothetical Asian fetishist.

“Than her competitors” I am quite sure that no women have ever fought over this man — Emily M (@emilynm41) July 17, 2019

Her competitors. Form an orderly queue, ladies. — Kathleen Joy (@kathleen_joy) July 17, 2019

“Competitors”? — Kirsten Han 韩俐颖 (@kixes) July 17, 2019

Twitter user Yen Rong-Wong is torn over whether she should engage academically or just write it off as irrelevant depravity.

I’m torn as to how many words I should use on pointing out why he’s wrong. On one hand it’s fuckin deplorable but on the other hand it’s important for people to know there are people like that who will use a veneer of rationality/academia to justify their fucked up views — Yen-Rong Wong | 黃彥蓉 (@inexorablist) July 16, 2019

All in all, the professor is being thoroughly dragged all over Twitter.

"Why I am not a pervert in 10,000 words" — Channing (@BambooEarpick) July 18, 2019

https://twitter.com/dionnetology/status/1151655059442159616

This guy raises every red flag ever. pic.twitter.com/2OyCCNFzAl — The Core Official Movie Account (@CatalogingSteve) July 17, 2019

He owns at least two anime body pillows, and I'm sorry does this article actually have the tag "yellow fever" ?????? — Andi (@thewyrdbird) July 18, 2019

This dude should be in jail imho — The Core Official Movie Account (@CatalogingSteve) July 17, 2019

The Daily Dot reached out to Kershnar for a comment, and we’ll update this article if we receive a response.

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