1) OBAMA-MAN TO THE RESCUE!

Ms. Magazine is a self-proclaimed feminist periodical. On the cover of the Winter 2009 "Special Inaugural Issue" is a photoshopped image of our current president. He's opening up his suit, like Superman does, to reveal a shirt that says, "THIS IS WHAT A FEMINIST LOOKS LIKE." Obama reportedly said, "I am a feminist," to the Feminist Majority Foundation chairwoman Peg Yorkin at a meeting. Plus, he supposedly has the strongest women's rights platform of any president so far.

Recently, however, this image and Ms. Magazine itself have come under fire by feminists. The criticism stems from the fact that Obama represents some kind of superhero in the image. Thus, people think it is implying that it takes a (super)man to save the feminists. I was not really aware that feminists were in any grave danger, so I don't really understand this argument.

First of all, I'm not a feminist, nor am I a male chauvinist or "masculist" (or whatever the opposite of a feminist is). I don't see the big deal with the picture. Maybe if GQ, Maxim, or some other strictly-male magazine had posted the image. And it had helpless women in the background (scantily-clad, to appease the target demographic, of course). And the caption on the shirt were more blatant, like "STEP ASIDE LADIES! OBAMA HERE, TO THE RESCUE!" Then, I'd see room for complaint. As it stands, though, this image was made the cover of a feminist magazine BY FEMINISTS THEMSELVES! So I highly doubt a feminist magazine would publish something they found offensive to women and feminists. If you take the time to read the article in the magazine, you'll see cover is meant to "capture both the national and feminist mood of high expectations and hope as the 44th President of the United States takes the oath of office." I think it achieves that.

Another criticism of the cover is that it is against the very values of feminism to have a male icon like this to be a feminist. That is ludicrous. It is completely hypocritical to say that men cannot also fight for women's rights. It's sexist and pretty much undermines the whole platform feminists stand for. How can you claim your goal is equality, if you don't like the idea of a man being a feminist? You can't. Either be a true equality-seeking feminist or the female version of the male chauvinists you hate so much. Pick one.

That's my two cents on the issue. It seems whoever is actually offended by this is just overly sensitive or reading too much into it. Not to mention, this victimhood over such a petty thing (especially one that is not even offensive!) kind of steps on the toes of the "strong woman" image that is so often portrayed. Put more energy into an issue that matters.