I have the benefit of never having heard of Pinsky nor having seen one episode of “Mad Men”, so I experienced the article as containing a few insights that reso

I have the benefit of never having heard of Pinsky nor having seen one episode of “Mad Men”, so I experienced the article as containing a few insights that resonated well with me, as I’ve observed the same things, at least in the US. I thought it was clear that the professor did pronounce Pokémon correctly, thereby confirming his coolness. The point about the military, I assumed, was that rank is a proxy for age in civilian life, and indicates experience within the uniformed world. The professor gave the talk, presumably, in order to educate or enlighten the privileged brats who should have (I say this with no trace of irony) shut up and learned rather than protesting.