Fun, fun, fun! Who can be against fun? It's time to get back to those days when feminists were supposed to be without a sense of humor. We know that's bullshit so let's quit trying to prove it isn't so with crap projects like this. Read and talk and work for stuff that really matters. The violence women disproportionately suffer here around the world would be a good place to start.

I hesitate to point this out, but sneering at "fun" and demanding that someone do a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PROJECT that has nothing to do with fun but everything to do with homework, the end result of which will be feeling bad about violence around the world...I think you've just made a strong (and unpleasant) case for yourself, at least, as a feminist with no sense of humor. (I know plenty of feminsts with senses of humor, but you sure don't seem like one of them.)

Caring deeply about issues is a gift, but not everyone can, or should, be expected to soldier grimly. On behalf of feminists like me, I'm glad there's people like you around to do the work, but this isn't that kind of meeting, and you're peeing in the punch bowl.

Why can't we read and talk and work and laugh too? I have no idea how old you are, hidaily, but heads up--from my experience, if you don't get a giggle once in a while, you are going to burn out fast and then you will be of no use to anyone, including the people you want to help.

Who wants to divide the dwindling number of feminists in this country? Not me. There’s no division between feminists who spend time, energy and self on the still looming mountain of problems and abuse women face every day of their lives and those who choose to spend their time, energy and self on escapist, fun projects. There is only a need for a conversation about tactics, use of limited resources and the reality (OK, I’ll say it) of being co-opted by a materialistic cultural milieu designed to turn politics into Prada lust.

Ms. once devoted an entire issue to women’s humor. It was wonderful. It was full of truth. It was stating the obvious. Will Lithwick’s exercise serve to subvert the Harlequin/Chick lit mentality or pooh-pooh its force for accepting what diverts and often harms? No one knows the answer to that one. What we know is Lithwick is using her down time and ours in a way that ignores reality and embraces frivolity. That ain’t funny.

it seems to me that Lithwick, in the reporting she does on Supreme Court decisions, is doing her share of the heavy lifting. You seem to be suggesting that the problem is not what she does with her down time, but that she gives herself any at all. As to dividing feminists: you have accused her of not being serious enough or using resources properly. How do you see that uniting us? I would say that we can read chick lit and The Short History of Women (and that many folks do)--but I don't get the impression that would satisfy you. Are we going to start creating assigned reading lists? Rating each other on a frivolity scale?

I didn’t mean this to come out as an accusation: “There is only a need for a conversation about tactics, use of limited resources and the reality (OK, I’ll say it) of being co-opted by a materialistic cultural milieu designed to turn politics into Prada lust.” And sure, feminists can fight rape, battering, abductions, murder and torture targeting women and chew on Chick Lit (and hopefully spit it out soon after the taste comes through) at the same time. I also disagree with your insinuating I’m into “creating assigned reading lists? Rating each other on a frivolity scale?” Though I would bet more women today, even feminists, know more about trends in shoe styles and cosmetics than they do about what happened to the women’s rights movement in the 1920s. Frivolity has its rewards and its costs. These outcomes need to be weighed not compartmentalized.

Katha Pollitt’s my ideal of a tenacious fighter for women AND an individual who can see the humor in life. For all I know she may have a closet full of high fashion footwear and a dressing table over flowing with “beauty aids.” But if The Nation asked her to spend her time off doing a version of “Julie and Julia,” only leaving out Julia and emphasizing the “Julie is online” part, I doubt she would bite. Pollitt asks us regularly to support worthy causes for women. She hasn’t gotten around to asking us to help her write poetry, hip hop rap or bodice rippers because . . . why? Because, what the hell, it would be a big kick?