DieA – I just don’t agree with your modern definition of feminism and who needs it.

The mentality that feminists are man hating butch dykes is total backlash because the American culture isn’t ready to really balance the genders out and they won’t be until the we start taking better care of our children (the boys specifically). As long as we are actively removing empathy from one group of people, there will be a group of people that will be able to comfortably dominate others.

Just because American women have it better than women in 3rd world countries does not mean that feminism is not necessary. Gender equality is an important and that’s what feminism is about. A true feminist doesn’t just care about women’s rights but about human rights in relation to gender.

I have no issues with Oprah. I neither like her or dislike her. In one area I give her props is that she gets people reading… her book club has brought so many people into reading who weren’t doing so previously.

@...vutterfly: What’s the deal with the book by Eckhart Tolle (whoever that is?). I don’t have TV so I am unaware of all these people. I can’t watch the Oprah show because she dumbs down for her viewers. I understand why she does that as much as Dr. Phil does but they should demand more from their viewers, not let the viewers demand less.

I have never thought of Rosie O’donnel and her like to be man hating feminists. Are there particular situations that support this label?

Just about everyone I knew calls themselves a feminist, are part of feminist communities and are intelligent, caring people… not man hating at all (a few are lesbians but appreciate and respect men).

Women who man-hate are not feminists… they are sexist and are hypocrites. Unless we’re going to find a new word for feminism, people need to help others reassociate positively by using it openly. And people who know what the word means should stop perpetuating bullshit stereotypes.

I’ve never come across a “man hater” type feminist book. I’m guessing they are out there? I have a book called “Who stole feminism” that talks about women undermining their own cause. Most of my other books are gender study books, that are about gender roles, the lack of equality and what we all do to cause that. Maybe I shop at the wrong book stores? :p

@...vutterfly: So what you’re saying is that because the word is “feminist” (implying female bias) that it should be changed to something else… never mind the fact the word has a clear meaning as defined in the dictionary.

“Atheist” used to be a word that was meant to be derogatory. It was quite offensive and it has slowly become something that defines a group of people.

The way I see it, as long as our culture has an underlying hate of women, it doesn’t matter what word we use. It makes more sense to me to use the word appropriately and disprove the stereotypes pushed on us by a few people and the media.