Email Scandals, Feminism, Gender, Law Schools, Reader Polls, Ridiculousness, Sexism, Vicious Infighting

And No, She Doesn't Do Windows

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This email exchange, between two law students at Washington University Law, took place late last month. It’s reminiscent of that Greenberg Traurig email exchange from the other day — which, in our book, is high praise.
Some background, from our tipster:

I’m an avid reader of ATL. Although I don’t see much law school coverage on your site, I thought you might find this email string between a couple Washington University in St. Louis law students amusing.

Note that the email string starts as a solicitation sent to the entire school, marketing a washer/dryer for sale. The proceeding communications are also copied to the ENTIRE school of law (including professors, deans, etc.).

Check it out, after the jump.


Here’s the email exchange. We identify the correspondents by their first names only, “Scott” and “Cynthia.” All emphases supplied by us.
We love the fact that it took place at Washington University Law School — aka “Wash U.” Geddit?
MESSAGE #1
From: Scott
Sent: Tue 8/28/2007 4:52 PM
To: School of Law
Subject: Washer/Dryer Set for Sale
$100 for set, including dryer vent and dryer electric plug (three prong). If you help load/unload, I’ll deliver in my truck to CWE, Clayton, and U-City (you provide the cheap, domestic beer).
Details:
Both are 6 years old and were purchased new. Washer is Roper Brand by
Whirlpool Corporation, Heavy Duty Super Capacity Plus, 4-speed
combination, 8-cycle washer. Washer is in working order and has no
history of problems. Matching dryer is electric, Heavy Duty Extra Large
Capacity, 5-cycle. Dryer is really being thrown in for free because,
while most of the time it works fine, it occasionally leaves clothing
mildly damp, which is solved by running a short, second timed-cycle.
Just for reference, I am ditching the set because my wife refuses to wash
my clothing until I purchase her one of the larger and prettier
front-loading sets and, well, I need clean clothing.
This list serve is for the students, faculty and administrative staff of Washington University School of Law. When posting to this list serve, please exercise professional demeanor and bear in mind the interest of the varied audiences who receive your postings.
[Ed. note: That last paragraph is appended to all messages disseminated through the listserv; we’ve omitted it from the rest of the messages in this chain. Also: Oh, the irony…]
MESSAGE #2
From: Cynthia
Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2007 9:25 PM
To: School of Law; Scott
Subject: RE: Washer/Dryer Set for Sale
Why does your wife necessarily have to provide you with clean clothing
and you not use the machines yourself to do both yours and hers?
If, as you say, you need clean clothing…
Sincerely Proud to be “That Guy/Girl”
MESSAGE #3
From: Scott
Sent: Tue 8/28/2007 9:54 PM
To: School of Law
Subject: RE: Washer/Dryer Set for Sale
Cynthia,
Thank you for your interest in the washer and dryer set.
Unfortunately, I received an earlier response and the units have been
sold.
My wife sends her compliments. Sorry, I have to run–she is
cooking me a late dinner!
Best wishes,
Scott
(P.S. I suggest you put down your latest edition of O Magazine and refer
to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joke)
MESSAGE #4
From: Cynthia
Sent: Wed 8/29/2007 10:51 AM
To: School of Law
Subject: RE: Washer/Dryer Set for Sale
Oh yeah. Sexism is really funny. I’m rolling at your hilarious
“jokes!”
MESSAGE #5
From: Cynthia
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2007 12:08 PM
To: School of Law; Scott
Subject: RE: Washer/Dryer Set for Sale
How dare I, as a wife myself, leave the kitchen and laundry room long
enough to email that your gender-role-typing jokes are not funny to
everyone! Just think about it from my point of view for an instant and
I agree to call it a truce.
Good luck this year in lawschool, ladies! Down with marriage as a form
of endentured [sic] domestic service!
MESSAGE #6
From: Scott
Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2007 12:57 PM
To: School of Law
Subject: RE: Washer/Dryer Set for Sale
Save the rhetoric please. I am not scared by “progressive” buzz words
and allegations of “sexism.” I strongly support, without remorse,
traditional gender roles (“Oh no he didn’t! Snap!”). And roles are by no
means a form of indentured (not endentured) domestic service (also
consider checking proper uses of ensure, insure, and assure). Rather,
roles are analogous to economic specialization, in the sense that it is
more efficient for individuals to specialize in tasks than to do
everything generally.
Yes, my wife does my laundry and cooks me dinner,
that is her domestic role and one that she chooses. She even
occasionally wears a cute apron for me. In turn, my role is to provide
car maintenance and household repairs. And oh, it must offend you
greatly that I open doors (including the car door) for her, because the
good Lord would not have given her hands if I was to do so. You seem to
read much into little, but I suppose “activists” have to constantly make
fires from sparks, less they stand in the unemployment lines.
And I have thought about it from your point of view. In fact, I would be
happy to discuss feminist thought as I have read assorted works of Betty
Friedan and others. However, I must warn you that I agree with Christina
Hoff Sommers that your brand of gender feminism (i.e. wishing only
“ladies” a good year at law school) is actually gender hostile and
counterproductive. I would consider first-wave, equality feminism the
ideal, and much of that has been achieved while still maintaining the
traditional values and gender roles I hold dear.
You may email me directly to spare the SOL’s inboxes, but I suppose you
prefer the soap-box method of mass ranting considering you sent two
emails within 2 hours. If mass messaging is your preferred method, I
would humbly suggest a bumper sticker instead–it would go nicely
between your “WLC” one and the red and black “Man-Eater” one.
Good luck this year in law school, ladies and gents! (See that is gender
equality.)
*******************
That was, as far as we know, the last message in the exchange. If we learn of more missives, we will bring them to you.
Also, we’re curious. What is your take on the whole thing? Take our poll, which appears below.
Update: We’ve revised the poll. At first it included two options, and now it includes three (we added “Neither”). Feel free to change your vote if you like.
Potential Correction: We’re hearing conflicting things from sources at the school about whether sending a message to this list serve is the functional equivalent of emailing the entire school, whether the listserv is opt-in or opt-out, etc.
We’re not going to get down into those weeds. The basic point is that this email drama unfolded in front of many, many people.

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