This is the Broadsheet problem. Things in praise of women are good, but things in praise of men are not. Count me with those who wish that rather than being segregated into the pink section (and if anyone can explain to me why celebrity gossip belongs with information about Plan B contraception without collapsing into the kind of stereotyping that many of us would rather avoid, I'd really appreciate it), "women's news" were covered as news, not as Pink News.

This really can't be had both ways. If you can say "women are funny" and have people understand that it doesn't refer to all women (many women are not funny, of course), then you have to be able to say "In Praise Of Men" without footnoting that we hate Dick Cheney.

This is, to me, a mission problem for Salon and for Broadsheet. If you think women's issues need more coverage, just cover them. If you think there isn't enough celebrity gossip because two stories about how fascinated we all are with Jennifer Aniston isn't doing the job, then add more celebrity gossip. But you can hardly stick a pink banner at the top of the page, lump choice in with a woman marrying a dolphin because they're both "women's stories," and then click your tongue at people who think it's possible to speak of men in general and positive terms.

I kind of don't get the whole thing, to be honest.

Oh, dear.

"they earn real money"

Well, that really SHOULD make anyone happy. Who could ask for more than the opportunity to make real money?

"they have birth control out the wazoo"

The birth control really works better when it's left *in* the wazoo.

"and yes, they have abortion rights, though in certain areas, that is certainly under attack"

This is under attack in all areas, not in some areas. And as appealing as it would be to hold my gaze fast to my own navel, knowing that I can probably still find a place in my blue state to have an abortion should I need one does not eliminate my concern about the places where it is already nearly impossible to find an abortion provider. It does not help the people (men AND women, both of whom are affected by unplanned pregnancies) who live in states in which it would be immediately illegal to obtain an abortion in the event constitutional barriers were removed, nor the people who live in states where Roe is currently suffering death by a thousand cuts in the form of restrictions making it more dangerous, burdensome, and expensive to take care of your own health.

"Lesbians are free to be who they are"

Unless they want to be married. I hate to assign the IRS the responsibility for establishing one's identity, but somehow in this case, I think there are people for whom "who they are" would involve a desire to be "married filing jointly." I think it's safe to say that there are still a few ways in which we haven't achieved 100 percent perfect cultural equality for same-sex couples.

"women decide their own fashion statements"

Yes, it's true. I really have nothing to complain about, societal-stereotype-wise, now that they let me wear pants. Oh, pants, how you do make up for a thousand instances of institutional prejudice.

"they play sports in abundance"

And as you know, ESPN focuses most of its energy on the WNBA, the WNFL, the WNHL, and WMLB. And if you've visited your local high school recently, you know that nothing drives a pep rally like the male cheerleaders all devoted to giving it up for the girls' track team.

"they win overwhlemingly in the divorce court"

After a divorce, a woman's standard of living typically drops 27 percent, while a man's increases by 10 percent. Those lucky divorced women. They get all the free stuff.

"and if they could put a voting block together, nothing stops them from running our congress and presidency"

You make a good point. If women simultaneously gave up every other political conviction we have about the environment, education, crime, foreign policy, domestic policy, taxation, social services, civil rights, and the designated hitter, we could form a single voting bloc based solely on who has what body parts, and then we could elect a woman who would at least be a woman, although we would presumably know nothing about her positions on the environment, education, crime, foreign policy, domestic policy, taxation, social services, civil rights, or the designated hitter. But at least it would be a woman!

"Of course, if the feminist movement gave a shit about their sisters of color - or if they had the cunts (as opposed to the balls) to really go after rap music and the oppressive muslim and African societies, then we'd be seeing a much different movement"

...rap music? Seriously?

And if you think feminists aren't yapping about oppressive Muslim and African societies, you need to stop listening to so much rap music and read more.

"- but all they care about - it seems, are the middle and upper middle class"

There's a fair argument that the traditional feminist movement has been both classist and racist. But that's not because white middle-class women have achieved perfect equality and have nothing to complain about.

"and what white guys are thinking and or doing"

Oh, white guys. They really are so distracting. Can you blame us?

"So they hem and haw on issues that effect about one percent of women overall. That's why this stay at home business (and I don't know anyone who can actually afford to do so) is so important - it's all they have..."

Wait, issues about work-family balance affect about one percent of women? Wow. I must know a lot more women than I thought.