Parody of Frug Article Draws Angry Response

The annual spoof edition of the Harvard Law Review has touched off a major protest, centered on the parody of an article by the late Mary Joe Frug.

Frug, a feminist scholar at the New England School of Law, was murdered in Cambridge last spring. Students and faculty organized a protest yesterday, harshly criticizing the parody of one of Frug's articles.

Protesters said the parody was entitled" He-Manifesto of Post-Mortem Legal Feminism" with a byline of "Mary Doe, Rigor-Mortis Professor of Law."

The Crimson was unable to obtain a copy of the spoof edition, which was distributed to a limited audience on April 4--the anniversary of Frug's murder--at a banquet honoring the recently elected president of the Review.

In a statement released by 12 third-year Law School students, the students said they became aware of the parody this Wednesday. Calling the piece "ugly, hateful," the students said it was not only insulting to Frug but representative of a trend of misogyny at the Reviewand the Law School.

"That a piece so disrespectful toward a murdered woman could go out on the anniversary of her death...is appalling," said Kirstin S. Dodge, one of the 12 students who signed the statement, which contained several separate responses to the parody.

In addition to the statement, students held a vigil in front of Pound Hall last night. And, after seeing the written responses which detail the parody, professors and students attending a conference on critical legal studies at the Law School last night. entered a meeting of Review editors,according to several students present.

The students and professors, several of whomknew Frug personally, questioned the editors aboutthe parody.

Review staff members declined to commentlast night, referring all questions toReview President Emily R. Schulman `85.

Meeting Called

Contacted late last night, Schulman alsocriticized the parody and said Review staffmembers would meet today to discuss the issue.

"I was personally offended," Schulman said. "Ithink it is impossible to read the piece withoutbeing thoroughly insulted," she said, adding thather remarks represented the Review'sofficial position.

The spoof was published under Schulman'spresidency, although she said it was produced bythe previous editors.

David Allen, the former president of theReview, could not be reached for commentlast night. Schulman said that Allen was notresponsible for the parody, but she would bot namethose who were.

Student protesters said that the Reviewspoof was partly an attempt to undermine Schulman,the third woman to hold the journal's top post.

The students singled out for criticism CarterProfessor of General Jurisprudence Charles Fried'sintroduction of Schulman at the April 4 banquet.Fried was "toastmaster," a job that entails pokingfun at the new Review president.

"I have to tell you, I've never met EmilySchulman before this evening, but she reallyscares me," the students quoted Fried as saying.

Fried went on to call Schulman "threatening,""powerful" and "formidable" the students said.

Students protesters said Fried's remarks were afurther insult to women, in addition to the parodyof Frug's work.

One Law School student who signed the response,Andrea Brenneke, wrote that Fried's words are anexample of "the resistance and acts of retaliationleveled against women for entering into positionsof authority within traditionally white, male andprivileged institutions."

Schulman also criticized Fried last night,saying that the tradition of toastmaster "does notexplain anything."

Fried could not be reached for commentyesterday.

The article which was parodied in the spoofissue--Frug's "A Postmodern Feminist LegalManifesto (An Unfinished Draft)"--Was originallypublished in the Review in March of thisyear.

According to the student response letter,Law Review members were split on whetherFrug's article should be published.

Students who were opposed to the publicationtook revenge for the final decision to publish bywriting the hateful parody, according toBreakneck.

Tracey Merwise, another third-year Law Schoolstudent who helped organize the response, saidthat what began as a tasteless spoof became"warped."

Unknown Source

Although only those who attended theReview banquet were supposed to receivecopies of the Harvard Law Revue, the spoofissue, "some unknown person stuck a Xerox of thecover sheet and inside front page into Law Schoolstudents' mailboxes," Manley Williams said.

Neither Frug's husband, Gerald Frug, nor herson steven Frug '93 could be reached for commentlast night.

Student protesters called the parodymisogynistic, and an example of the Law School'spoor record on dealing with women and minorities.

"I think that this is an unusual display ofmisogyny in that it's so blatant, so clear, soraw," Dodge said."

And Julia R. Godrdon '85, a third-year LawSchool student, who said she has been called infront of the Administrative Board forparticipating in a sit-in at Fried's office onMarch 18, said she found it ominous that theLaw Review was the forum for this sort ofdisrespect.

"The faculty holds the key" to increasing itsdiversity, Gordon said, adding, "The LawReview is the place where professors areincubated.

The students and professors, several of whomknew Frug personally, questioned the editors aboutthe parody.

Review staff members declined to commentlast night, referring all questions toReview President Emily R. Schulman `85.

Meeting Called

Contacted late last night, Schulman alsocriticized the parody and said Review staffmembers would meet today to discuss the issue.

"I was personally offended," Schulman said. "Ithink it is impossible to read the piece withoutbeing thoroughly insulted," she said, adding thather remarks represented the Review'sofficial position.

The spoof was published under Schulman'spresidency, although she said it was produced bythe previous editors.

David Allen, the former president of theReview, could not be reached for commentlast night. Schulman said that Allen was notresponsible for the parody, but she would bot namethose who were.

Student protesters said that the Reviewspoof was partly an attempt to undermine Schulman,the third woman to hold the journal's top post.

The students singled out for criticism CarterProfessor of General Jurisprudence Charles Fried'sintroduction of Schulman at the April 4 banquet.Fried was "toastmaster," a job that entails pokingfun at the new Review president.

"I have to tell you, I've never met EmilySchulman before this evening, but she reallyscares me," the students quoted Fried as saying.

Fried went on to call Schulman "threatening,""powerful" and "formidable" the students said.

Students protesters said Fried's remarks were afurther insult to women, in addition to the parodyof Frug's work.

One Law School student who signed the response,Andrea Brenneke, wrote that Fried's words are anexample of "the resistance and acts of retaliationleveled against women for entering into positionsof authority within traditionally white, male andprivileged institutions."

Schulman also criticized Fried last night,saying that the tradition of toastmaster "does notexplain anything."

Fried could not be reached for commentyesterday.

The article which was parodied in the spoofissue--Frug's "A Postmodern Feminist LegalManifesto (An Unfinished Draft)"--Was originallypublished in the Review in March of thisyear.

According to the student response letter,Law Review members were split on whetherFrug's article should be published.

Students who were opposed to the publicationtook revenge for the final decision to publish bywriting the hateful parody, according toBreakneck.

Tracey Merwise, another third-year Law Schoolstudent who helped organize the response, saidthat what began as a tasteless spoof became"warped."

Unknown Source

Although only those who attended theReview banquet were supposed to receivecopies of the Harvard Law Revue, the spoofissue, "some unknown person stuck a Xerox of thecover sheet and inside front page into Law Schoolstudents' mailboxes," Manley Williams said.

Neither Frug's husband, Gerald Frug, nor herson steven Frug '93 could be reached for commentlast night.

Student protesters called the parodymisogynistic, and an example of the Law School'spoor record on dealing with women and minorities.

"I think that this is an unusual display ofmisogyny in that it's so blatant, so clear, soraw," Dodge said."

And Julia R. Godrdon '85, a third-year LawSchool student, who said she has been called infront of the Administrative Board forparticipating in a sit-in at Fried's office onMarch 18, said she found it ominous that theLaw Review was the forum for this sort ofdisrespect.

"The faculty holds the key" to increasing itsdiversity, Gordon said, adding, "The LawReview is the place where professors areincubated.