Is That Legal?

Ann Bartow isn't being exactly fair.

Some guy said something kinda stupid, and Volokh replied: "Oh, really? Lets ask actual women about menstruation. So, women, how about it? Is it a life affirming shared cultural experience?"

That's an entirely reasonable response.

I found Ann's post amusing, but I did think Volokh was earnest in his question--however badly framed.

I smile and talk about it here:

http://lawandletters.blogspot.com/2007/05/essentializing-womens-bodies-and-body.html

Well here's the thing, Patrick: There is a whole lot of diverse and interesting literature that has been *already written* that could bring Eugene up to speed a whole lot more effectively than the commenters at the Volokh conspiracy, if he was actually sincere about educating himself about menstruation. And I'm pretty sure UCLA has at least one library. It even has a Women's Studies Department, not that I would ever expect Eugene to think he could learn anything from the faculty there.

Ann, I'm a woman and the UCLA's Women Studies Department has never asked for my opinion on menstruation. Nor have you. Eugene Volokh has (in a very general sense). So why is the UCLA's Women Studies department a better source on what menstruation means to women than me and other women who read the Volokh blog?

Why do you want him to restrict himself to things that have already been written? What's so inappropriate about requesting new thoughts?

Ann, while you're here, can I ask you why you seem to think most of those who responded to Eugene's post were men pretending to be women? I'm certainly female, and I didn't think any of the other commenters who claimed personal experience with menstruation seemed to be lying.

I'd put this question on your own post, but I don't feel like registering yet another username and password I'll have to remember.

Ann Bartow- I read his response as being a bit tongue in cheek. Not mocking women or mocking menstruation, but laughing a bit at Commenter Triet. He basically quotes Triet, and says, "Oh, really? Menstruation is a shared experience of womenhood? A life affirming, positive thing? That's not what I've heard. I know, Triet, lets us guys ask some people who actually menstruate, and see if THEY agree with you."

Its not reasonable to demand that he go research the subject at the women's studies department. Not everything has to be done to academic precision, particularly not laughing at silly people online.

Per the daily spam onslaught, it appears erectile dysfunction is a shared experience of maleness. Isn't abolishing it unnatural?

Since no "Women's Studies" department at any university has produced anything that could be called scholarship or research (unless you count personal essays based on nothing but ideology as scholarship), it would be fairly pointless for Volokh to ever go near.

ELM: What an absurd overstatment.