What he gave me isn't advice, that's called an "insult"
Scripting Languages (Python, Ruby, etc) teach you how to use a language but not as much to understand what's going on in the background. A basic knowledge of C is very good to have, data structures, algorithms, and just procedural programming in general is a good idea to understand to be able to optimize later. Although PHP resembles C somewhat (based on what I've heard) so you probably do have some knowledge of concepts behind C, but I would recommend at least taking a few classes at a university or college, simply because they give you a well-rounded education, and you will learn other nice things such as design patterns. Java is ubiquitous in the college environment though, I would recommended taking a class that explicitly says it's C and then one for C++.
Excellent copywriters can make very good money, and can be integral to the success of any company. I don't see any way that this is somehow "insulting".
If you're hellbent on doing something from the tech side, then I offered advice on the foundational skills/knowledge you should start with.
You also made a huge assumption about my existing CS knowledge and what I'd like to do with it. I was asking if I should persue a degree in it, not whether I should study it at all, and the main factor here is the time involved, not the difficulty of learning it.
Aside from that, your language was dismissive and presumptuous, and what you said, more or less, was "better stick to journalism, kid, anything else is too much for you."
Re-read what you wrote and really think about what it says.