For starters, We try not to think about feminism. Truth be told, it isn't that hard to keep it out of mind in this day and age. After all, my older friends tell me that in the 1970s you couldn't get laid without knowing what ERA meant (here's a hint, baseball fans: it's the Equal Rights Amendment).

But these days, it's hard to find a bona fide feminist. Sure, you're chatting with some chick (that's right, I said chick, because in case you hadn't noticed, our politically correct '90s lexicon is now extinct — too bad, so sad) and she says, "I totally believe in feminism." Of course, she's wearing one of those low-cut shirts and a pair of Juicy pants that scream, "objectify me as a whole, but focus on the T&A, boys." Well, that should be your first clue. Her politics might say equal pay and equal rights, but everything else about her screams modern woman.

I should note that these benefits probably weren't the intended results of feminism. The advantages that men reap today are the result of several decades, if not more, of social change. Remember the ol' days where the boss could nonchalantly pinch the secretary's butt at work? Well, those days are no more.

Yet some might say that the more things change, the more they stay the same. They may be right. In any case, I'm happy with the present state of affairs and you guys should be too.

If anything, women are more like men these days and we have feminism to thank for it. So I, for one, love feminism — here's why.
friends with benefits
Face it: The courting rituals that your dad and grandfather practiced are about as dead as disco. These days it's all about casual sex, occasional dating and the nebulous world of "friends with benefits." This might not have been one of the goals of feminism, but it's certainly a nice byproduct.

According to the history books, you used to have to ask a woman out on a date. Casual dating was fine, but if you wanted more in the bedroom, you'd have to make her your girlfriend. But not so fast, big guy. Along the way, you needed to buy her dinner and flowers, open doors for her and, in short, be the perfect gentleman. We're talking about a lot of work.

Honestly, when is the last time you bought flowers for a girl who wasn't your girlfriend? I rest my case.

So now we have this level playing field. You don't have to bang your head against a wall trying to be the model of chivalry anymore. You can just be you, which leaves her free to be herself, which leaves both of you free to trim the fat out of casual dating and get to the good stuff.

Was that what feminism was aiming for? Well, yes and no. On an abstract level, most intellectual proponents of feminism would have to agree that a society that doesn't chastise a woman for hooking up is a step in the right direction. After all, men were always free to play the field, but it was only a select few women — labeled outcasts or worse — who could join us. Now that all women are free to find their FWB (friends with benefits) relationships, we're finally marching toward equality.
who's your daddy?
If you hadn't noticed, we're in the middle of a sexual revolution when it comes to the word "slut." Feminism always talks about the power of language and reclaiming words that men use to hurt.

"Slut" is one of those words.

These days it has a mixed meaning. Call one of your girlfriend's friends a slut, and you'll never hear the end of it. That's when you'll see the "I'm a total feminist" side of her. But call your girlfriend a slut while you're in bed together and she'll love you for it.

What gives?

It's all about reclaiming the language, partner. When you call her friend a slut, you're being a typical male pig. So you don't do that. You're Mr. Sensitive. Good for you. But she doesn't want Mr. Sensitive in the bedroom because he's not going to pull her hair or slap her butt. She wants a man who can make her feel a little naughty, a little dirty. That's when you call her a slut.

See, here's the dirty secret that feminism unlocked: Women love sex, they love it just as much as we do. Your job: Make them feel like a lady (or what passes for one these days) outside of the bedroom, signal that you could be dangerous in the bedroom, and then be that bad boy when you're alone together.

This isn't an easy one to wrap your head around, I know. But it's all about context. Feminism has taken us from "slut" as a common but hurtful word, to taboo, and back again; only this time it's how you use it and who you use it with. You don't have the freedom to hurt, but then again, you both have the freedom to enjoy some wild times in bed together. Now that's progress.
strippers, porn stars & hookers
We're talking about the holy trinity of harlots here, so I put them together. Hookers, porn stars and strippers all do basically the same thing — get you off for a price — but to varying degrees. Now, it might seem strange to mention the holy trinity of harlots in a rant about feminism, but you clearly haven't been keeping up with your feminist literature.

You see, while early feminists seemed content to label these women as victims, current feminist thinkers argue that women who sell their bodies (in one form or another) really maintain the power (feminism is all about power — who has it, what they do with it and how they maintain it). The point is that the holy trinity is now on the cutting edge of feminism, which maintains that you, the male customer, are being objectified.

You can thank feminists for the Brazilian wax...

Truth be told, I never really give it much thought when I go to my favorite strip club (although if money is power, then it's clear who's in charge at the end of the night). What I do know is that I don't mind being objectified and that the holy trinity is becoming more mainstream, which is a good thing.

Who would've thought that the proliferation of strippers, porn stars and hookers would be the by-product of feminism? Not me. But I guess that's what happens when new ideas meet the old-fashioned market place.
grooming at its best
When a lot of guys think about feminism, they think about butch women with tons of armpit hair, leg hair and hair down there. Well, that's true. But look around. When was the last time you were with a woman who wasn't well-groomed? In fact, if you're not into hair, you're living during a historical high point.

I don't know if feminism is directly responsible for this, but here's my theory: Feminism got women thinking seriously about their hair. True, women shaved before feminism, but it was a matter of custom, not personal choice.

In the heyday of the feminist movement, it was chic to go natural. But to break with years of custom, women had to think about their grooming habits for the first time. True, it was rough going for us guys at first, but now we've come full circle. Or rather, the ladies have. Instead of just shaving a little, most women shave or wax it all.

Why?

Well, after careful consideration, that's what women decided would be hot. Or, put another way, those early female pioneers who were bold enough not to let it grow, found far better results in the bedroom than their peers. In other words, women are even more concerned about their looks. Not bad.

Think of it this way: Feminism freed women's minds so they could think for themselves, even if hardcore feminists aren't happy with the conclusions most women have come to.
pro women
All right, so these probably aren't the intended goals of feminism. You've got me there. But it's hard to argue with the results. I like to think of feminism as the opposing quarterback who threw the interception that set up the touchdown that led to your team winning the Super Bowl. They basically got the ball rolling on this one, but many of them don't necessarily like where it went. Well, too bad. That's the risk of a political movement; you never know where it's going to end up.

So where did feminism get us?

I[b]t's hard to say. But one thing is clear: The reactionary guys who thought that feminism would leave them without a date or a job missed the boat. We're guys, and we're far more capable of adaptation than you might think. After all, we survived the ice age. And like any species bent on survival, we not only discovered how to cope with the new world order, but how to thrive in it. Good work, boys. [/b]

Here.