Back when Rick Santorum was still gunning for the G.O.P presidential nomination, it looked like both the candidate and Republican party had major trouble with this nation's ladies. Santorum's screeds on abortion, rape, contraception, and combat sure did support the idea that the Right was waging a war on women.

But not-so-slick Rick stepped out of the race, making way for Mitt Romney's candidacy.
By that time, stats had already been circulating about GOP gender gaps -- more women, especially in light of attacks on reproductive health rights, began leaning left. It then seemed like pro-life Romney would further foster this shift, especially with his apparent discomfort toward working women.

Like Santorum, this attitude has definitely been reflected in polls, with Barack Obama besting Romney by 16 percent among women in some surveys.

Thing is, women's opinions might not matter all that much when it comes to Romney's overall viability.

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Writing on the Rush Limbaugh/Sandra Fluke controversy in his column, Frank Bruni makes the point that there are a whole lot more words in the English language for sexually "transgressive" females than there are males -- who also typically wind up being lauded for their promiscuous proclivities.

"What's a male slut?" he muses. "A role model, in some cases. In others, a presidential candidate."

Bruni, articulating the injustices of this double-standard, then details some of the backlash Limbaugh faces, including calls from some prominent feminists that the FCC remove him from the airwaves.

Of course, asking the FCC to step into the fray is nothing short of open advocacy of censorship, and it's disheartening and unconscionable to see this promoted by respected feminists.

(This point was made yesterday in the Atlantic, which also voiced concern over Limbaugh's possible prosecution.)

But it's worth emphasizing that censorship isn't just wrong -- it stands to hurt the feminist cause more than help it.

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When Rush Limbaugh called Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke a "slut" and a "prostitute" on his radio show Feb. 29, it sure seemed like the end of an era might be upon us.

Public outcry prompted sponsors to pull support from the show, leaving many to wonder whether the conservative stalwart would have much longer to lash out against liberals and ladies.

To be fair, Rush did damage control issue an apology, but many saw the mea culpa as meaningless -- worthy of all-out mocking.

But as bad as Rush's gaffe might be -- and to be clear, it is bad -- you have to wonder: could this bolster Limbaugh's languishing career?

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According to this piece in the Wall Street Journal, cops have been telling women in the areas affected by the Slope Sex Fiend (or whatever it is we're calling him/them) to avoid wearing skirts and shorts because it's "easy access." A young woman named Lauren is quoted saying that she and two friends had a weird interaction with a cop: "He pointed at my outfit and said, 'Don't you think your shorts are a little short?' He pointed at their dresses and said they were showing a lot of skin." Ew!

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There's a new sexist T-shirt for young girls in town, this one courtesy of fast-fashion mega-chain Forever 21. The store is offering a shirt that will accomplish two things: wear out within two weeks and also send a message to your daughter that because she's female, she's not very smart.

Unlike J.C. Penney's entry in this field, Forever 21's shirt is still for sale, though the website says it's out of stock.

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​A Saudi Arabian woman told AFP she defied the country's ban on women driving, taking the wheel for four straight days before she was stopped. 30-something wife and mother Najla al-Hariri drove "to defend her belief that Saudi women should be allowed to drive.''

"I don't fear being arrested because I am setting an example that my daughter and her friends are proud of,'' she said. She will also be offering driving lessons, thank you very much. Nayla al-Hariri is ruling pretty hard right now.

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An ultra-Orthodox Hasidic newspaper, Der Tzitung, has photoshopped Hillary Clinton from the iconic White House situation room photo taken during the Bin Laden raid. (They also 'shopped out Director of Counterterrorism Audrey Tomason.) The paper has a policy against publishing photographs of women because it could be seen as sexually suggestive.

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​Contrary to popular belief, both women and men were into the (magical!) royal wedding. According to a study that looked at social media activity among 100 million people, women made up 57% of those planning events to watch the wedding on TV, not the 99% you chauvinist pigs probably assumed it would have been. But apparently women and men watched the wedding for totally different reasons. Can you guess what they are? Duh: Women watched for the "romance," men watched because of its importance as a historical event. More »

​Hey, here's a new thing: teenage girls wearing revealing clothing. That doesn't sound like teenage girls! The Wall Street Journal has a far-out opinion piece about the phenomenon. Jennifer Moses, the author of Bagels and Grits: A Jew on the Bayou and Food and Whine: Confessions of a New Millennium Mom, wonders: "Why do so many of us not only permit our teenage daughters to dress like this--like prostitutes, if we're being honest with ourselves--but pay for them to do it with our AmEx cards?" More »

Three years ago this week, an intoxicated famous chick showed up at the apartment of a 26-year-old Brooklynite and ended up spending the night in his bed. Here's his story--and photos--of his escapade with this famous hot poontang, yo.

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