A Superdon (or celebrity don) is an academic who repeatedly appears in television documentaries. The term is a portmanteau combining Superman and University Don. The term is a Britishism, and has no exact analogue in American English.

Examples

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Many count Superdons as those who have appeared on TV repeatedly. On this basis the following could be considered:

In literature

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  • Kingsley Amis' satires on University life makes reference to the phenomenon, but not by name, where lecturers seek fame to hold on to their positions and to try and achieve tenure.
  • 'Howard Kirk' was a fictional history 'superdon' created by Malcolm Bradbury
  • In the Da Vinci Code, the protagonist, Robert Langdon, could be considered a 'superdon'.

Miscellaneous

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(Q)What is the difference between God and Professor Bradbury?
(A)God is everywhere, Professor Bradbury is everywhere but here

See also

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Category:Academia Category:British television Category:Education in the United Kingdom

Own Page

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I gave it its own page. Not sure why it was here...Sure there is some reason. Pliny 14:42, 24 June 2006 (UTC)