Academic Satire
Track Chair
Outline
We invite submissions to a new experimental track for the first time at the Consumer Culture Theory Conference, Academic Satire — a space where research meets ridicule, and the trials and tribulations of being an academic finally gets the parody it deserves. This is your chance to craft a short, humorous “spin-off” article that captures the spirit of academic life with irony, exaggeration, and wit – things us academics all have up our sleeves.​
Submission Guidelines
Pieces should read like mini features or mock news articles, in the style of Private Eye or The Onion. They may take inspiration from:
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Your current or past research projects (with just a touch of creative mischief)
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A prospective project that surely deserves a grant (the application for which you may or may not get around to submitting)
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A commentary on your field’s latest obsessions, trends, or contradictions (think of your latest eyerolls)
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A think piece that no reviewer would ever actually approve
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Suggested Themes
Feel free to riff on — or completely reinvent — one of the following themes:
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“This is a combination of what all the reviewers wanted.”
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“These are the quotes I wish I had.”
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“You thought you were sick of this topic… but wait — there’s more! Or!
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Propose your own take on the absurdities of scholarly life.
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Submission Details
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Word count: 400–1000 words
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Format: Text only (no figures or citations necessary — unless used for comedic effect)
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Tone: Satirical, insightful, and recognizably “academic”
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Submission should be done through Oxford Abstracts.