I guess academia is too loose a term for the point I was making but no it wouldnt surprise me that people find him any number of things. On the other hand every academic I know, albeit these are all in science, who has heard of him is either apathetic or a mild fan.
The point is that even in his most cherry picked quotes there's nothing I would even call edgy, other than to the ears of a far left ideologue. There's nothing edgy about saying that 'we don't know the full ramifications of birth control on society yet' or that 'men don't know how to handle crazy women'. Because it's true, we don't. And the last time I checked being a religiously minded prude was not an extreme position either.
As per his debates with Sam Harris it's very easy to deconstruct Peterson's more hair brained ideas. Which is why you know anyone who responds to Peterson with alt right hysteria is either off the rails or intellectually vacant.