Conservative transgender activist Brianna Wu (née Brianna Flynt) was a contributor to the Millsaps College student newspaper The Purple & White in 1998, then again in 2000 after a hiatus to start the failed animation company Socially Unconscious Productions.
Wu left Millsaps a second time after Fall 2000 without earning a degree.
Socially Unconscious comics
Wu published 11 comics at Millsaps, ten of which were the Socially Unconscious series. The comic received criticism from faculty and students and was discontinued in October 2000. Wu continued developing work in the Socially Unconscious universe after dropping out of Millsaps a second time.
Article excerpts
Wu published eight articles in The Purple & White and was quoted in another. Most are about the intersection of politics and entertainment, as well as technology issues at Millsaps. Selected excerpts are below.
Monicagate is devastating to Feminism (September 18, 1998)
Monica Lewinsky is a whore. I’m talking about the actual meaning of the word. I’ve seen the people on Politically Incorrect saying that Monica’s just an innocent victim in all of this. I want to slap those people.
Women are always asking for equal rights, it is my hope that they will start to realize equal responsibility as well. Putting the burden of fault of every sexual transgression on the male takes away from the rights and responsibilities of women to think for themselves and make good, morally sound decisions.
Keeping Millsaps up with the times (September 25, 1998)
A few of you might remember a cartoon I drew last semester about obsolete computer equipment in the mathematics department of Bishop University, the fictional college that my characters go to both in my strip and in my upcoming animated series. Math hasn’t changed much in the last 200 years and it made a joke about the fact that mathematics departments are generally notorious at colleges for having very old equipment. This strip is one of the most popular I’ve ever published, getting letters from a flood of colleges and universities. The lesson? When a department is behind the times, people talk.
Superb faculty overcome Millsaps problems (October 2, 1998)
Still, every week we tell you about what’s wrong with Millsaps, I thought that this week it would be nice to tell you what’s right with Millsaps- the faculty.
(Improvise a headline here) (October 2, 1998)
What do Monica Lewinski, a stray sock, and a Polish astronaut have in common? It’s not a riddle, but it might be a skit at the next show of Capital City Improv, Jackson’s improvisational comedy group.
The skits range from smart political commentary, to the insanely wild. Expect to see an impersonation of Trent Lott one scene, and a Fight between [local lawyers] Don Evans and Richard Schwartz the next.
Future grads get interactive help (October 9, 1998)
Sponsored by the career center, an interactive video-conference was available for Millsaps students to take advantage of. Because of the interactive nature of the technology, students were able to hear other students questions, as well as ask questions themselves. The chance to both experience Millsaps technology, and such a renowned expert was important to ambitious students.
Gore has slight edge in debates; Bush wins in expectations game (October 5, 2000)
It was a night of few surprises. Both candidates debated expertly, giving remarkably prepared answers to remarkably predictable questions The thing that made the debate so intellectual, detailed monologues on the issues, was slightly disappointing to viewers used to highstakes theatrics and mistakes.
West Wing more reality than fiction (October 12, 2000)
The West Wing has become one of many shows that has been a hit at NBC over the last few years. Even more remarkable is how directly the show has chosen to handle its leftist thinking. […] Not surprising since the behind-the-scenes melodrama of the Clinton administration has often been the better show.
Students React to Art for Our Sake (October 12)
âOne of the biggest advantages an artist has is that people are too dumb to tell the difference between good and bad. In fact, an artist can just repeat the same message over and over, and most people will never notice.â
Spring semester 1998
January 22 (masthead credit: none)
- Socially Unconscious 01: [the benefits of lying]
April 20 (masthead credit: none)
- Single-panel comic [criticizing professors who give hard tests right after student evaluations are complete]
April 24 (masthead credit: none)
- Socially Unconscious 02: [criticizing âUniversity Mathmatics [sic] Dept.â computers]
- On September 25, 1998 Wu said “This strip is one of the most popular I’ve ever published, getting letters from a flood of colleges and universities.”
- A letter from Math professor Darren D. Wick about this comic appeared in the Fall paper (September 25):
Math professor views concern
Two comments regarding [Brianna Wu’s] cartoon in the April 24 1998 issue of the P&W:
1) Iâm relieved that [Brianna] wasnât commenting on OUR department (weâre not a University).
2) Iâm confused as to whom [Briannaâs] cartoon was directed, since I know of no âUniversity Mathmatics Dept.â (sic) anywhere.
PS. When typing this letter, the word processor kept correcting my misspelling of Mathematics. It took me four tries to get it wrong. It probably would have been easier had I used a Commodore 64. Does anyone know where I can find one? - The editors included the previous semesterâs comic for reference: “Here is the above mentioned cartoon that appeared in the April 24 1998 issue of the P&W. This cartoon previously appeared in other college and university newspapers in sydication [sic].” Wu’s syndication claim remains unconfirmed.
https://archive.org/details/millsapscollegepurpleandwhite19981999/page/n41/mode/2up
Fall semester 1998
Wu was not listed on the masthead for the first two issues that fall. Wu stopped contributing after six weeks, following three letters to the editor criticizing Wu’s writing and cartoons. Wu was taken off the masthead after making no contributions on October 30.
September 11 (masthead credit: Contributor)
- Wu front page story: âRising crime prompts heightened securityâ
- Socially Unconscious 03: [how to plagiarize]
September 18 (masthead credit: Contributor)
- Wu Opinion piece: “Monicagate is devastating to Feminism” [on Monica Lewinsky]
- Socially Unconscious 04: [snarky replies to reader feedback]
September 25 (masthead credit: Contributor)
- Wu Opinion piece: âKeeping Millsaps up with the timesâ [on technology]
- Socially Unconscious 05: [tips for Greek pledge week and meeting âhot sorority girlsâ]
October 2 (masthead credit: Contributor)
- Wu Opinion piece: âSuperb faculty overcome Millsaps problemsâ
- Wu Arts & Entertainment piece: â(Improvise a headline here).â [on local improv troupe]
October 9 (masthead credit: Cartoonist)
- Wu Guest article: âFuture grads get interactive helpâ
- Socially Unconscious 06: [masculine self-insert gets rejected by a calculating sorority type]
October 14 (masthead credit: Cartoonist)
- Socially Unconscious 07: âThe Male Guide to Selecting an Outfitâ flowchart
- Darren D. Wick letter: âProfessor defends Math departmentâ
To the editors of The Purple and White: Regarding [Brianna Wu’s] article in the September 25, 1998 edition of the P&W:
1) [Wu] writes that “math hasn’t changed much in the last 200 years.” Indeed, I would argue quite the opposite, that mathematics has changed more in the last 200 years than any previous time in history. In particular, the last two centuries have seen the discovery of non-Euclidean geometry, the development of set theory, and the results of Kurt Godel. These ideas not only shocked the mathematical community, but have changed the face of mathematics forever. I would venture that even the greatest mathematicians of the 18th century (were they alive today) would not recognize the majority of modern mathematics.
2) [Wu] writes that “mathematics departments are notorious at colleges for having very old equipment ” and also suggests that “here at Millsaps,” the mathematics department is “behind the times.” My personal experiences indicate otherwise. As a graduate student at two universities, I had access to state-of-the-art computing equipment and software, and there existed computer laboratories devoted solely to undergraduate mathematics courses. A similar situation exists at other institutions I have visited. And here at Millsaps? I have a Pentium machine on my desk. All students and faculty members have access to up-todate software packages with a variety of capabilities, including scientific word processing, graphing, analyzing data, solving differential equations, and even doing calculus and linear algebra. Moreover, these resources are often employed by our faculty as tools for use in the classroom. I would suggest that here and elsewhere, mathematicians are doing a fine job of keeping up with current technological innovations.
https://archive.org/details/millsapscollegepurpleandwhite19981999/page/n69/mode/2up
October 30 (masthead credit: Cartoonist)
- no contributions
November 6 (masthead credit: none)
Hiatus (1999â2000)
Wu left college to start Socially Unconscious Productions, which failed about a year later after burning through $170,000 in unpaid loans to Wu’s parents.
Fall semester 2000
Wu returned to Millsaps in Fall 2000 and published three Socially Unconscious comics in a new art style focusing on “sorority girls” and student journalists before the strip was discontinued.
September 28 (masthead credit: none)
- Socially Unconscious 08: introduces Allison Holiday and the “boozy, cutthroat socialites” of sorority Beta House
October 5 (masthead credit: Senior Political Correspondent, Contributor)
- Wu Politics article: “Gore has slight edge in debates; Bush wins in expectations game”
- Socially Unconscious 09: introduces jaded student journalist Lani Cameron at school paper The Bishop Beacon
- Treuty Dominick letter: Student takes issue with depiction of sororities in recent comic
Dear Editor,
I was deeply offended by the crass and misleading cartoon placed in the A & E section last week. Its depiction of sorority women is not only offensive but also inaccurate. We are not the hypocritical, inebriated fools portrayed in your illustration, and the decision to run the cartoon during rush was potentially hurtful for the well-being of all the sorority women on Millsaps campus.
As your article above the cartoon illustrates, Greek women do a lot more than party. Yes, we have fun together. Yes, one goal of Greek life is to forge life-long friendships. Yes, we have several parties a year. However, we also earn more money for charity than most organizations. Delta Delta Delta earned over $4,000 for the children’s cancer clinic. Chi Omega’s Walk-A-Thon grossed over $5,000 for breast cancer research. Kappa Delta earned $700 for their charity in a single evening. Phi Mu earned $3,000 for the Children’s Miracle Network with their raffle. Over the course of three days, Millsaps sororities earned $12,700 for charity.
In addition, the week of Rush is one of the most important of the year for sororities and for freshmen women. It is also a time when the freshmen women going through Formal Recruitment have to make many difficult decisions. Having misleading portrayals of sororities in no way facilitates their making a good choice.
Sororities are one of the largest institutions on Millsaps campus-and also among the most enduring. They should be treated with a respect reflecting their importance in students’ lives at Millsaps.
Sincerely,
Treuty Dominick
October 12 (masthead credit: Contributor)
- Wu Arts & Entertainment article: West Wing more reality than fiction
- Wu quoted in a piece titled âStudents React to Art for Our Sake,â about a series of large sculptures installed on campus:
âOne of the biggest advantages an artist has is that people are too dumb to tell the difference between good and bad. In fact, an artist can just repeat the same message over and over, and most people will never notice.â
[Brianna Wu], Staff Cartoonist - Socially Unconscious 10: features Beta House members “taking advantage” of a beta male student
October 19 (masthead credit: none)
2001
Wu drops out of Millsaps again, publishes an unorthodox resume with many false claims, and moves to Washington to work for Republicans.
References
note: unlinked urls contain deadname
Comics (Spring & Fall 1998 / Fall 2000)
[Wu, Brianna] (January 22, 1998). Socially Unconscious 01 [The benefits of lying] Millsaps Purple & White (p. 205 in url) https://archive.org/details/millsapscollegepurpleandwhite19971998/page/n205/mode/2up?view=theater
[Wu, Brianna] (April 20, 1998). Comic [professor test after evaluations] Millsaps Purple & White (p. 209 in url) https://archive.org/details/millsapscollegepurpleandwhite19971998/page/n209/mode/2up?view=theater
[Wu, Brianna] (April 24, 1998). Socially Unconscious 02 [Criticizing “Mathmatics Dept.” [sic] computers] Millsaps Purple & White (p. 220 in url) https://archive.org/details/millsapscollegepurpleandwhite19971998/page/n219/mode/2up?view=theater
[Wu, Brianna] (September 11, 1998). Socially Unconscious 03: [on how to plagiarize] Millsaps Purple & White (p. 30 in url) https://archive.org/details/millsapscollegepurpleandwhite19981999/page/n29/mode/2up
[Wu, Brianna] (September 18, 1998). Socially Unconscious 04: [snarky replies to reader feedback] Millsaps Purple & White (p. 46 in url) https://archive.org/details/millsapscollegepurpleandwhite19981999/page/n45/mode/2up
[Wu, Brianna] (September 25, 1998). Socially Unconscious 05: [tips for Greek pledge week and meeting âhot sorority girlsâ] Millsaps Purple & White (p. 38 in url) https://archive.org/details/millsapscollegepurpleandwhite19981999/page/n37/mode/2up
[Wu, Brianna] (October 9, 1998). Socially Unconscious 06: [masculine self-insert gets rejected by a calculating sorority type] Millsaps Purple & White (p. 65 in url) https://archive.org/details/millsapscollegepurpleandwhite19981999/page/n65/mode/2up
[Wu, Brianna] (October 14, 1998). Socially Unconscious 07: [âThe Male Guide to Selecting an Outfitâ flowchart] Millsaps Purple & White (p. 74 in url) https://archive.org/details/millsapscollegepurpleandwhite19981999/page/n73/mode/2up
[Wu, Brianna] (September 28, 2000). Socially Unconscious 08: [introduces Allison Holiday and the “boozy, cutthroat socialites” of sorority Beta House] Millsaps Purple & White (p. 39 in url) https://archive.org/details/millsapscollegepurpleandwhite20002001/page/n37/mode/2up
[Wu, Brianna] (October 5, 2000). Socially Unconscious 09: [introduces jaded student journalist Lani Cameron at school paper The Bishop Beacon] Millsaps Purple & White (p. 49 in url) https://archive.org/details/millsapscollegepurpleandwhite20002001/page/n47/mode/2up
[Wu, Brianna] (October 19, 2000). Socially Unconscious 10: [features Beta House members “taking advantage” of a beta male student] Millsaps Purple & White (p. 70 in url) https://archive.org/details/millsapscollegepurpleandwhite20002001/page/n69/mode/2up
Articles (Fall 1998 / Fall 2000)
note: unlinked urls contain deadname
[Wu, Brianna] (September 11, 1998). Rising crime prompts heightened security. Millsaps Purple & White (p. 20 in url) https://archive.org/details/millsapscollegepurpleandwhite19981999/page/n19/mode/2up?q=lewinsky
[Wu, Brianna] (September 18, 1998). Monicagate is devastating to Feminism. Millsaps Purple & White (p. 34 in url) https://archive.org/details/millsapscollegepurpleandwhite19981999/page/n33/mode/2up?q=lewinsky
[Wu, Brianna] (September 25, 1998). Keeping Millsaps up with the times. Millsaps Purple & White (p. 41 in url) https://archive.org/details/millsapscollegepurpleandwhite19981999/page/n41/mode/2up
[Wu, Brianna] (October 2, 1998). Superb faculty overcome Millsaps problems. Millsaps Purple & White (p. 51 in url) https://archive.org/details/millsapscollegepurpleandwhite19981999/page/n51/mode/2up
[Wu, Brianna] (October 2, 1998). (Improvise a headline here). Millsaps Purple & White (p. 55 in url) https://archive.org/details/millsapscollegepurpleandwhite19981999/page/n55/mode/2up
[Wu, Brianna] (October 9, 1998). Future grads get interactive help. Millsaps Purple & White (p. 60 in url) https://archive.org/details/millsapscollegepurpleandwhite19981999/page/n59/mode/2up
[Wu, Brianna] (October 5, 2000). Gore has slight edge in debates; Bush wins in expectations game. Millsaps Purple & White (p. 41 in url) https://archive.org/details/millsapscollegepurpleandwhite20002001/page/n41/mode/2up
[Wu, Brianna] (October 12, 2000). West Wing more reality than fiction. Millsaps Purple & White (p. 61 in url) https://archive.org/details/millsapscollegepurpleandwhite20002001/page/n61/mode/2up
Resources
note: unlinked urls contain deadname
Millsaps College (millsaps.edu)
- Archives: The Purple & White
- libguides.millsaps.edu/purplewhite
- Purple & White
- bondi.millsaps.edu/paw/ [limited archive]
Internet Archive (archive.org)
- Millsaps College Purple and White, 1997-1998
- archive.org/details/millsapscollegepurpleandwhite19971998/
- Millsaps College Purple and White, 1998-1999
- archive.org/details/millsapscollegepurpleandwhite19981999/
- Millsaps College Purple and White, 2000-2001
- archive.org/details/millsapscollegepurpleandwhite20002001/