That’s right. Mark last week on your calendars, folks. This is the first time a major publication has described a romantic relationship (a scandalous one, no less) as “technosexual.” Specifically, the New York Times quoted a political consultant who used the term:
“This technosexual tragedy has engulfed the city in a way I haven’t seen in 30 years of doing political consulting,” said Mr. Riddle, who helped with [Detroit Mayor] Kilpatrick’s re-election campaign. “I don’t think Detroit is going to be sweet-talked.”
The cause: Detriot, Michigan Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, who exchanged amorous text messages with his chief of staff Christine Beatty on city-owned Skytel text pagers, then after being sued, testified under oath that they did not have a romantic relationship. After a few years of legal wrangling, the Detroit Free Press managed to somehow obtain a transcript of the text messages and published them last week. So, how do married politicians have flirtatious extramarital typesecks? Like this:
The text messages cover a range of issues, from the daily minutiae of city business to political gossip to the latest doings on “American Idol.” Kilpatrick and Beatty, both 37, exchanged personal messages almost daily, including romantic notes.
“I’m madly in love with you,” Kilpatrick wrote on Oct. 3, 2002.
“I hope you feel that way for a long time,” Beatty answered. “In case you haven’t noticed, I am madly in love with you, too!”
Other texts contain sexual content, like this exchange on April 8, 2003:
Beatty: “And, did you miss me, sexually?”
Kilpatrick: “Hell yeah! You couldn’t tell. I want some more. ”
SkyTel, the Mississippi-based company that provided text devices to the city, confirmed the existence of messages to the Free Press.
Eww. On so many levels, just eww.
This little snafu also begs two questions:
1. Why would anyone with half a brain, ever, EVER send kissy-poo messages to potential mistresses on equipment where an employer or the fucking government picks up the tab? Because anyone with half a brain would guess that if they did this, then eventually, your text messages will be subpoenaed and then they will be ALL OVER THE PLACE.
2. Holy hell, people still use old school Skytel pagers?! Do these people not realize that cell phones can do this and so much more now? At the very least, why haven’t these people switched to blackberries or something?
Well anyway, the chief of staff/would-be mistress has resigned, and calls continue for the mayor to do the same. no doubt, their political careers are toast, let alone that whole perjury thing…