I (MA student) meet Prof X (who likes to give himself a feminist veneer in his seminars and lectures) with his assistant on the way home.

We have met briefly before. Like me, he owns a dog. While sitting on the train together, he shares private details about the stressful and frustrating aspects of being a parent. Apparently, he and his wife equally contribute to the care of their two children. It turns out mid-conversation that his assistant (much younger than me, in the midst of her BA program) not only looks after his dog on campus but also in her free time. The male dog always sleeps in her bed. “Well,” asks Prof X, “is he (my dog) also allowed to be in your bed?”