<p>
</p>
<p>I agree, but that’s just a reformulation of the problem. The question then is, why did society change to accommodate so many presumably unmotivated students to attend college than ever before, and should society continue to encourage that change through taxpayer subsidies? </p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Look, nobody is claiming that Animal House was a documentary. But at the same time, let’s not be naive: pop culture has a tremendous influence on shaping societal demands. Simpson and Bruckheimer never claimed that Top Gun was a documentary, yet that movie generated a whopping 500% spike in Navy recruitment of enlistees wanting to become Navy fighter pilots. LA Law is widely credited with a surge of applications to law school, and the recent surge of interest in careers in criminal investigation is undoubtedly linked to the influence of shows such as CSI, NCIS, Bones, Law & Order, Criminal Minds, and the like. Hence, Animal House and more recent films of its ilk depict a debauched lifestyle that surely influences what people think should be their college experience. Again, let’s be perfectly honest, there are hordes of unserious college students who are far more interested in partying and socializing than in the academics.</p>