What are some arguments against the theory of multiple intelligences?

Question

What are some arguments against the theory of multiple intelligences?

Answer 1

Equating social skills or sports or other traits with actual intelligence could harm students.  Say Johnny isn't very good at reading, math, or history, but he is very popular with his classmates.  Johnny's teacher might say "Well, it's okay that Johnny's a moron because his "social intelligence" is off the charts."  Or if he is a star athlete, the teacher would say his "body-kinesthetic intelligence" makes up for his ineptitude in school.  Or say he is Mr. Sensitive and cried for days when the class hamster died - "It's okay that he's functionally illiterate because his emotional intelligence is lightyears ahead of his peers."

These are extreme examples, but you can see how this type of thinking might actually occur on a subconscious level among well-intentioned teachers, and they might not push some of their students to develop the academic types of intelligence that really matter for school - mathematical, linguistic, etc.  

Plus, it leads to the sort of thinking that all counsellors seem to have, i.e. "Johnny is failing math, science, English, history... Hmm, he must be good at art.  Let's stick him in the art classes!"  Well guess what, being an idiot does not mean you are automatically good at art!!!!!!