“I owe nothing to women’s lib,” Thatcher said, and at another point she remarked, “The feminists hate me, don’t they? And I don’t blame them. For I hate feminism. It is poison.”
Yet Thatcher is among the most effective living ripostes to so many of the things feminists say they hate, such as:
* Being judged superficially based on style. Thatcher was said by some to be “sexy” — Christopher Hitchens used the word to describe his early meeting with her at a party — but she largely ignored the fashion game. She stuck with her frozen-nimbus haircut and boasted about shopping for undies at Marks and Spencer, an unglamorous mid-market chain.
* Being defined by a man. Hillary Clinton, standing by her husband amid excuse-making for his legendary adultery, famously said, “I’m not some little woman standing by her man.” Though Thatcher’s husband, Denis, was a successful businessman, after her rise began, no one doubted who was the senior partner. Jim Broadbent shows with his twinkly-eyed performance in “Iron Lady” how Denis became increasingly amused by his secondary role, jovially calling her “the Boss.”
* Getting ghetto-ized. Far from fixating on stereotypically female issues such as the family, health and education, Thatcher was a research chemist and tax lawyer who steeped herself in economics and foreign affairs.
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