Claims of academia being out of touch with the “real world” are hardly new. This week, it was the turn of a Conservative MP in the UK to draw the ire of many after a Twitter attack on the profession. 

Personally, never thought of academics as 'experts'. No experience of the real world.

— Glyn Davies (@glyndaviesmp)

Glyn Davies, MP for Montgomeryshire, posted the tweet on 29 October, inspiring vast numbers of academics to defend their honour, uniting under the hashtag , a term coined by ̽����Ƶ's very own editor-at-large, Phil Baty.

Feels like a hashtag is needed for this. Are you a ? Let your MP know!

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— Phil Baty (@Phil_Baty)

Some scholars' responses to the inflammatory tweet featured plain statements of fact…

>50% of US's economic growth since WWII attributable to science & technology. That's real world.

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— Scientists for EU (@Scientists4EU)

...while others focused more on tried-and-tested academic wit.

That moment when you just can't choose the window of your ivory tower from which to throw scraps to the peasants.

— Ben Stanley (@BDStanley)

In fact, light-hearted mocking seemed to be the preferred method of expressing disapproval… 

Since Waitrose started accepting rambling lectures about Foucault as payment for expensive cheeses I've no need to be a

— Harriet Palfreyman (@hjpalfreyman)

Sometimes I reload the printer with paper I've opened all by myself

— Scott Hames (@hinesjumpedup)

I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion...and I worked in Asda once

— Martin George (@martingeorge)

Mr Davies’ tweet also allowed for some lovely online academic bonding…

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yeah, 5 years at the SPAR, one as Asst Manager, one as Manager

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— Dan Horsfall (@DanHors83)

 ...while some chose to highlight the irony in a well-paid MP attacking academics for lacking the “common touch”, either through precise, poignant comparisons…

Dear I could have funded my whole project on chemo side effects in kids for same £ as your annual expenses

— Dr Vicky Forster (@vickyyyf)

...or through the use of a somewhat blunter instrument:

Dude, you literally work in a palace.

— Jonathan Healey (@SocialHistoryOx)

Beyond the humour, the serious implications of dismissing and demoralising people who have chosen to dedicate themselves to a life of the mind, cannot and should not be ignored.

- you need a reality check, so here's my bio. We all now need an apology.

— Claire Nally (@tinyhippo1979)

You can follow the , where you can also .

Read next: Real World Academics – a response to Glyn Davies MP

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