Felicity and S Lynn might have a point: maybe Salon's new scheme includes annoying readers into generating content for them.

What's next? Traister reviewing Dowd's opinion of life-like dolls? THAT should get some content rolling in!

Maureen Dowd's assertions are food for thought. I wonder, if some of her thinking is influenced by the people she has surrounded herself with. I am a 38 year old member of Generation X who has greatly benefitted by the choices feminism gave me in life. I see the same thing with other friends my age. For those who came before to fight for our rights THANK YOU. It was always reinforced to me that feminism is about CHOICE. My generation has reaped the benefits! I never ever wanted children and I love to compete in the sales arena thanks to feminism I get to enjoy my choices without being treated like I am some sort of freak or less feminine because I don't want to be a mother. I have a friend who wanted children but was the better breadwinner and loved her career so she works and her husband stays home with the kids. I have yet another friend whose lifelong dream was to be a stay at home mother. When she got pregnant she left her Human Resources Director job and never looked back. All of us made different choices and all are happy. I never believed feminism was men versus women. Men have played a vital role as mentors in my development and I have found them to be extremely supportive in promoting my career aspirations. Men are also a vital element to family life, whether its just a couple like my husband and I, or a stay at home father like my friend, or the traditional breadwinner like my other friend. I personally believe men and women act as a great balance to one another and that the men of my generation have coped well with the societal changes. Again, I think we are influenced by the people we surround ourselves with. I live in Texas where despite the "redneck myth" women seem to be a lot more independent here than when I go back to the Northeast to visit my husband's family. I am tired of people saying feminism is dead and feminism didn't work-when clearly for me and my friends it did exactly what the women who fought so hard for our rights hoped for. It gave us the choice to be who we really are inside and follow our dreams! Thanks Ladies and Gents!

Maureen Dowd's assertions are food for thought. I wonder, if some of her thinking is influenced by the people she has surrounded herself with. I am a 38 year old member of Generation X who has greatly benefitted by the choices feminism gave me in life. I see the same thing with other friends my age. For those who came before to fight for our rights THANK YOU. It was always reinforced to me that feminism is about CHOICE. My generation has reaped the benefits! I never ever wanted children and I love to compete in the sales arena thanks to feminism I get to enjoy my choices without being treated like I am some sort of freak or less feminine because I don't want to be a mother. I have a friend who wanted children but was the better breadwinner and loved her career so she works and her husband stays home with the kids. I have yet another friend whose lifelong dream was to be a stay at home mother. When she got pregnant she left her Human Resources Director job and never looked back. All of us made different choices and all are happy. I never believed feminism was men versus women. Men have played a vital role as mentors in my development and I have found them to be extremely supportive in promoting my career aspirations. Men are also a vital element to family life, whether its just a couple like my husband and I, or a stay at home father like my friend, or the traditional breadwinner like my other friend. I personally believe men and women act as a great balance to one another and that the men of my generation have coped well with the societal changes. Again, I think we are influenced by the people we surround ourselves with. I live in Texas where despite the "redneck myth" women seem to be a lot more independent here than when I go back to the Northeast to visit my husband's family. I am tired of people saying feminism is dead and feminism didn't work-when clearly for me and my friends it did exactly what the women who fought so hard for our rights hoped for. It gave us the choice to be who we really are inside and follow our dreams! Thanks Ladies and Gents!

If Maureen had opened her pool of eligible dates to include the 99.9% of men with less powerful careers than her own, she could have married long ago. But of course, she's much too sexist to ever consider dating a man that doesn't out-earn her.

Her problem isn't that she's too powerful. Her problem is that she refuses to date anyone less powerful than she is. She refuses to "marry down", as most powerful men do, because she's too old-fashioned to be with a man that doesn't make bank. And then SHE has the gall to complain about gender roles???

I'm happily married to a man that makes less than a third what I do. Our marriage is wonderful. Maureen has missed out on love because of her own sexism.

Ms. Dowd is to be admired for finally getting this/these issues out into the fresh air. I love her and her article in the NYTimes; I even cut it out for my 30 something daughters,60 something friends and clients to talk about. It raises a million good questions and makes fun of all of our inconsistencies. We,women are not one thing,one type nor should we ever have to be or try to be. I remember arguing with another,younger woman, in a 1970's conscious raising group (remember those?)about whether or not women should wear makeup. I say now it doesn't matter a hoot,but what does matter alot is human rights,women's and everyone else's and that's what can't get lost from feminism. Let's not let that get diluted down by all the side issues of taste,clothing,dating,etc.