Just yesterday Broadsheet was complaining about a jewelry ad for suggesting a woman deserves a reward for eating nothing but lettuce. Today it's talking about Lynn Harris losing her baby weight before she gets back to work? Wishing Lynn and family all the best, and hoping for the happiest, healthiest recovery from childbirth that includes as much or as little weight loss as Lynn herself would like.

Oh cripes BS, what the hell. It was a nice fluffy post until I saw thinner. I'm pregnant now, great, nice to know the women in my life will be saying hey you big pregnant whale, better lose that baby weight and fast! Ooh hope I can fit in a work out plan between all those breastfeedings, sleepless nights, diaper changing, cleaning the house, doctor appointments and other stuff during maternity leave. Hey, I'll be barely holding onto my sanity, but a workout plan is like 2nd on my to do list.

Oh and the puppies, cute, but my enjoyment is severely diminished when the keepers can't be bothered to clean their pen. There is dog poop on the puppy pads! There are chewed up pads. Where are the keepers so I can yell at them!

Did hell freeze over? My BF just told me just yesterday he thought during- and post-pregnancy women were extremely attractive (they 'glow', he said - and YES, he even likes 'em AFTER!).

And BS tells one of its contributors to 'get thee on a treadmill' before returning from maternity leave.

My head assplode.

Relax, everyone: It was intended as a joke, a little wink that Lynn will be approximately 7 pounds lighter, thanks to the delivery of her child.

I'm pretty sure they're referring to the fact that, circumference-wise, there's generally a notable change between nine months pregnant and postpartum. Because you're not pregnant anymore? That bit?

Seriously. Let's not overreact, here.

When so little is said positively of women's bodies (especially pregnant women) pick your words. Who care's if it's a joke? Can't you make a better joke?

when I think they're analyzing too much meaning into something simpler. Now I think I'll have to criticize the above letter writers for a similar reason.

Clearly, it was just a fun joke--I am sure Ms Harris didn't mind a bit. Let's not think everything is either a kick on the ass or a push forward for gender equality, folks! Sometimes a pipe is just a pipe. And a joke just a joke. Meant for fun. To relax and make people laugh. Not as part of some ongoing semantic guerrilla, or War on Gender Terror.

Just a joke! Don't be so easily offended, people!

To second time mom. You're outnumbered now, Lynn. Get used to the chaos! Best wishes for a nice leave, and looking forward to your return...

It is in the constitution of broadsheet that all males be castrated.

I hope he protects himself as I have.lol

The whole point of Broadsheet seems to be pointing out how language, stereotypes, and assumptions about gender permeate the media around us. It's bad form to write something that, if found elsewhere, would be picked apart (and rightfully so) by Broadsheet's columnists.

While I agree that Broadsheet columnists sometimes 'hypersemanticize' the media (that's why I mentioned advertisements in my first post), I prefer not to put words in their mouths. After all, they can speak by themselves. If they had found this "thinner" comment somewhere else and reacted to it like some letter writers here, I would have addressed my previous post at them. But since they didn't, I didn't either.

I think many 'cultural interpreters' (not only feminism, but other kinds of pundits) tend to draw conclusions too quickly from language to culture. Anthropologists and sociologists are constantly disagreeing about this; it isn't as simple as it (sometimes) seems to be...