Mark, “discussion” is the operative word here. What UI posted was not encouraging discussing it was provocation. Now I know how men like to throw insults and slurs in what they loosely call debate; and then they say, sure I was only joking. I believe that UI achieved what he needed from the post, however it cannot go unchallenged.

It’s important that all humans know the difference between insults, taunts, and downright baiting and discussion. The gap is mighty.

As for the labelling of the debate as catfighting etc - I can’t think of another issue where so many blogs started debating with each other and posting, counterposting and commenting. I certainly have expanded my blogworld horizons and am now reading lots of blogs who’d I never heard of before. If the debate was about testicular cancer screening or some other male specific topic we could have called it a dogfight but the name wouldn’t actually take from the debate or the topic.
Apologies for the urological reference - I can’t really think of a topic that men would find as personal as some women do feminism even though feminism is a social force that has affected both sexes profoundly.
Actually most urologists would contend that testicular cancer has been ignored because it affects males and women have been getting more than share of public information campaigns etc. with regard to breast cancer (and so they should). While practically all women know about breast cancer and the huge importance of self examination, very few men know about testicular self examination or the symtoms of prostate cancer. Testicular cancer affects men in their 20s and is very curable if diagnosed in time. And unlike breast self-exam, which can miss tumours, testicular self exam is very specific and useful.
I’ll get off my testicular self exam hobby horse now…
(I didn’t really realise I actually had an opinion on testicular self exam until I started typing!)

I suppose its how you view it, I think its typical that a debate on feminism is deemed a catfight. And some of the posts which were called irony by the author just weren’t and nor were they funny, I found those responses just plain nonsense and resorting to slinging idiotic insults, again typical and boring.

I also find it hilarious people’s comments about Twenty Major, he is seriously funny and is an enviable writer, if thats what various people were aspiring too, they failed miserably.

The fact is sometimes when you mention feminism there are people who throw their arms in horror - what can you do. It says more about them than really.