[jmyc]

The "earning them a master's" doesn't ruffle my feathers. A master's thesis in itself doesn't mean much; it doesn't have to present new results nor have any impact. Presumably this student had to complete the coursework required for the degree, and his adviser let him wank around with lolcats for the thesis. The thesis alone didn't earn him the degree, and given that the bar isn't that high for master's theses anyway, it's not that big of a deal.