Professor tells student to 'get out of the Bay Area' if they want a girlfriend
Context of the comment
- The professor replied on Reddit to a student thread about post‑graduation plans; another commenter derailed into frustration about not having a girlfriend.
- The professor’s advice: leave the Bay Area to improve dating prospects, citing “stark differences” in women’s behavior where women are more plentiful vs. within range of San Francisco/San Jose.
- Some note the article’s framing (student asked about dating) is incomplete; others link the original thread and argue no one directly sought dating advice from the professor.
Professional appropriateness
- Many consider the remark wildly inappropriate for someone in a position of authority, especially because it generalizes about “behavior of women” in the same region as his students.
- Others say this was more like an informal class/online discussion than a formal professional setting, and that candid life advice is part of mentoring.
Interpretations of the remark
- Critical readers see it as: Bay Area women are categorically worse or “undesirable,” implying they are to blame for men’s dating struggles.
- Defenders read it as: women have more leverage in a skewed market, are understandably pickier, and men might rationally move to a friendlier market.
- Disagreement centers on whether he implied “bad behavior” or simply “different behavior under different incentives.”
Dating markets & gender ratios
- Multiple comments cite data and anecdotes that certain Bay Area cities have more men than women, especially in tech‑heavy age ranges.
- Others counter that at Berkeley itself women outnumber men, so blaming a gender skew there is questionable.
- Many agree that large gender imbalances change dating behavior for whichever side is in short supply.
Misogyny vs. market analysis
- Some label the comment “misogynistic” and say broad judgments about “women’s behavior” are inherently hostile.
- Others insist it’s basic supply‑and‑demand or human‑behavior analysis and that calling it misogyny is a bad‑faith overreach that stifles debate.
Free speech & institutional response
- One camp: you can say what you want but must accept consequences (apology, reputational harm).
- Another camp: forced apologies and job threats over “unwoke” but off‑duty opinions are chilling and amount to censorship by mob pressure.
Alternative advice & broader dating culture
- Some argue better guidance would focus on self‑confidence, friendships, and not centering life around “getting a girlfriend.”
- Others maintain that location strategy is legitimate, given perceived mercenary/status‑driven dating cultures and rising singlehood.