SOTW: “Doctor, Doctor” (dedicated to Dr. Jill Biden)

Today’s quickie is dedicated to America’s “Second Lady,” Dr. Jill Biden, whose hair is so bouncin’ and behavin’ that she could very well pass for a soap diva from ’80s primetime. Some have compared her to  Linda Evans of  Dynasty. To me,her vibe feels a little more  Knot’s Landing  (“Back to the Cul de Sac”)–although Dr. B is WAY hotter than KL’s signature blonde, Joan Van Ark. Those inaugural boots! Sigh…

Anyway,  a story in today’s  L.A. Times  discussed Dr. Biden’s penchant for the title of “doctor,”despite (?!?) the fact that she is a Ph.D and not an M.D. Speaking as someone who spent the better part of her 20s getting one of those “Piled Higher and Deeper”/”Player Hatin’ Degrees,” I got a little peeved at the douches chuckling condescendingly about Dr. B’s request to use the title, even though she doesn’t “heal the sick.”

Newspapers, including The Times, generally do not use the honorific “Dr.” unless the person in question has a medical degree.  “My feeling is if you can’t heal the sick, we don’t call you doctor,” said Bill Walsh, copy desk chief for the Washington Post’s A section and the author of two language books.

Just because I can’t crack someone’s chest open to massage their heart, doesn’t mean I (or Dr. Biden for that matter), can’t massage hearts in other ways–with poetry, pop, history or art. What about healing the ignorant? Aren’t they just as “sick”?

As one of the experts cited in the story remarked, no one gave much of a fuss about calling Henry, “Dr. Kissinger” during his time at the State Department. Does Dr. Biden somehow deserve the honorific less not only because she’s a woman, but because she’s an adjunct at a community college?

Dr. B in her badass boots totally earned it, so she can rock it. This is for you, Dr. B — A little double Doctor showcase from the Scorpions + Michael Schenker, followed up by some Thompson Twins. Let the healing begin. – (Dr. KT)