The Orbis

Issue date: 3/27/07 Section: News/Features

Self-proclaimed radical feminist and author of the book "Get to Work: A Manifesto to Women of the World," Linda Hirshman spoke to a Vanderbilt audience March 15. Shortly into her talk, when a toddler in the audience began making soft cooing noises, Hirshman stopped speaking suddenly, looked up into the stadium seating and said "I'm not going to be able to tolerate that much longer." Members of the audience were a little surprised because many had not even noticed the child's noises until she pointed them out. When the child began to coo again, Hirshman stopped her speech entirely, folded her arms and stared directly at the woman with the young child, refusing to continue until the mortified woman and well behaved child exited. Yes, someone who calls herself a feminist, and, worse, someone who has dedicated her entire career to convincing mothers it's their duty to get out of the house, behaved this way to a mother who went out of her way to attend. Note to Linda: Feminism is about supporting women, not being as unaccommodating as possible to them, and merely lacing your liberal feminist rhetoric with unapologetic, in-your-face bitchiness does not a radical feminist make.

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