Wow, is anyone else sick and tired of the promotion of the idea of women as bubble-headed shoe addicts?

Skip the Shoes, and Change the World
Women, you've been challenged. By skipping the next shoe purchase at Payless and instead sending that $26 to a political candidate, you could forever change politics. "They need to start enjoying that pleasure instead of pinched toes," says Democratic fundraiser Susie Tompkins Buell, the founder of Esprit clothing. The idea was suggested by the Woman's Campaign Forum in a new report that found women to be poor political donors. "What if you could change the world for the price of a pair of shoes? Women can," says the report. Consider: The average pair of shoes costs $26.75, and if women gave up one purchase in 2006 to a candidate, they would have donated $1.3 billion. "If we think about all the women who are buying shoes at $50, $100, $500, the power is enormous," adds the report.

So let's look at this a bit more carefully.

1. Shoes are a necessity, political contributions are a luxury.
2. Since we judge women's outfits and appearances a lot more keenly than we do men's, is it at all surprising that they buy more shoes? I can get away with four pair of nearly identical black shoes and a pair of tennis shoes. If a woman were to have that wardrobe, she'd never be able to get a job, as interviewers would think her batty and unprofessional.
3. People who are shopping at Payless are probably doing so because that's what they can afford. These aren't the people who worry about having to decide whether or not to invite Dennis MIller to their million dollar fundraisers for Barack or Hillary. These are people who probably have just enough money to pay the gas bill. Political contributions are out of the question.
4. How come I haven't heard, "What if you could change the world for the price of a power-drill. Men can." I'd love to see the founder of Home Depot come out and say that.

Christ, just once, can we take women seriously?

-dx