I'm not sure that I appreciate the link between feminism and lack of modesty. I certainly have never seen Hillary Clinton, Eleanor Smeal or, for that matter, self proclaimed feminist Sarah Palin, wearing anything revealing and thank goodness for that. None of these women would support unseemly apparel. I would attribute the trend more to television shows like Top Model and The Girls Next Door (widely viewed by men for obvious reasons) that glorify the perfect body as well as younger "role models" like Miley Cyrus who consider bikinis an appropriate form of jogging attire. Moderation is key in this situation. I'm certain that conversion to FLDS costumes would be at least as disturbing.

The book is extremely well documented in regards to what feminism has or hasn't done. Feminism has done a great deal of documented damage in regards to women, modesty and sex.

Certainly no one is suggesting FLDS attire.

And back to the feminism subject, other than voting, I certainly can't put my finger on hardly any areas where feminism has done something constructive for women. Sexual freedom? Oh, wait, now we have men that won't commit, children without fathers, unwanted pregnancies and STD's galore. Women don't want to stay home with their kids? Oh, now women can't stay home, even if they WANT to b/c they can't afford to or they're divorced. Women can act immodestly, wear unseemly clothes, have affairs with anyone? Oh dear, now men are addicted to porn and sex, have no respect for us and view us only as sexual objects. Women can have sex and birth control anytime they want or need it? Well, that's 40 million children down the drain....literally.

Yes, the facts are inconvenient and ugly. However, nothing constructive or revolutionary is going to result from us sitting back and ignoring the glaring inconsistencies within our culture.

All that the book is pointing out is that we are not doing our girls any favors by allowing them to continue believing these lies.

If feminism brought women nothing more than than the right to vote, I would think that is more than enough to praise it, rather than dismiss it. Every time I vote, I think of the small pewter statue of a woman holding a right to vote sign that sat on an end table at my parents house for years. However, every woman who has the choice to either work outside the home or stay at home with her kids should thank the feminists who gave her the opportunity to make that decision. As for clothes, I think that is a decision best left with the teens and their parents, rather than blame feminism.

Cadydid, 

It appears that you are absolving men of all responsibility for their behavior. I suppose the evil feminists made them do it. Feminism is simply the belief in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes. As a movement, there have been many phases and continue to be reassessments as younger women find themselves in a different environment. I think most women agree that modesty is a desirable trait but I don't understand how you can entirely condemn a movement focused on equality which has indeed produced and fostered the success of the women that I previously mentioned. I personally find the repressed June and Ward Cleaver lifestyle of the 1950's to be a far scarier place.

I agree with Cadydid that there is an issue that we as parents and adults should address. However, I agree wholeheartedly with itswhatitis and nataliegott. It is not due to feminism. Young girls are having a hard time finding out what it is to be a woman - period. Young men don't know how to treat a lady, because it's hard to define and even find one nowadays. Not saying they aren't out there... because I know there are plenty. Just not enough in the lime light being broadcasted on television shows and promoted as positively as the negative ones are. I think that if you see a problem, don't sit and complain. Instead become active and get involved. Find a solution or volunteer and join a cause. That's what feminist did and thank God for them! 

Women Power ;0)   -smiles-

http://www.taikimes.com

These are some of the legacies of feminism, for which I'm personally grateful:

voting rights
property rights
rights of contract
reproductive rights (including access to birth control & prenatal care)
protection against domestic violence
protection against sexual harassment
protection against rape
maternity leave
workplace rights (equal pay for equal work)
protection against gender discrimination

I was a History major undergrad, and I did my thesis on the Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) which really formed the foundation of the earliest feminist movement. Basically these were devoutly religious women who were crusading for prohibition, mainly because their alcoholic husbands were abusing them in their homes. By networking with other women in their church circles, they found themselves moving outside of their comfort zone and into public life. Once they experienced that freedom and ability to affect change, it led to having them campaign for the right to vote.

I can't imagine what life would be like if the feminist movement hadn't occurred. From the earliest WCTU members praying in the saloons to the bra-burners of the 1960s, ALL of these women deserve our thanks.

Ariel Levy's book, Female Chauvanist Pigs, almost takes an opposite view: that all the current girls-gone-wild sexual behavior is the pendulum swinging BACK from the feminism of the 70s. That the slutty dress and behavior of today's teens is anti-feminist. Girls using themselves as sex objects is the opposite of feminism.