[mwfunk]

If it's being used as a teaching language, it depends on the students. Some students will rail against the idea of learning a tool, any tool, that they don't think they would use professionally, even if the purpose of using the tool is to give them a different perspective on programming.

Also, some people just really hate the parentheses (not me).

Also, some people really hate the Beatles (not me). More so in the '60s as contemporary artists, less so now when they're more likely to be referred to in a historical context. But still. The White Album had no shortage of devastating reviews when it came out.

I'd imagine Scheme as a teaching language would be less controversial in schools where the CS students are more likely to already know some programming when they start, and/or don't have as much of a trade school mentality.