Ann Coulter: A Role Model for the Modern Woman

January 21, 2009     Posted in Reality

anncoulter.jpg There are a few universal truths that everyone who has left their house in the last thirty years are aware of. One is that airplane travel will never be known for the stellar in-flight snacks. Another is that Paris Hilton will never be a productive member of society. A third truth is that nobody will ever be able to agree about Ann Coulter, and her shock-jock style of being a political pundit.

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By Sarah

Personally, while I don’t agree with all of her views, I am a fan of Ann Coulter. I admire her courage to speak her mind without fear of consequence, and her strength to continue putting forth her opinion boldly even when a vast majority of Americans absolutely cannot stand her. I disagree with her on some of her stances, and my views tend to be less extreme than hers, but overall I support her whole-heartedly. So, with that in mind, I’m putting forth an opposing argument to the accusation that Ann Coulter is the anti-feminist.

In the early 1900s, when suffragettes were working tirelessly to grant women the right to vote, they were often treated horrendously by the male-dominated world around them. They were jailed for their protests, and force-fed when they went on hunger strikes to protest their treatment. The suffragettes were treated as deviants by society, and derided as being radical lunatics trying to usurp male authority. While they had a base of support from women, they were despised by male authority figures, and other women turned against them.

Ann Coulter would not want to be called a feminist, as Gloria Steinem would define it. She does not support abortion, has never burned a bra, and will never use affirmative action as a weapon to suit her own ends. She is not, however a force detrimental to women. If a political slant was removed from her writing, she would be hailed as a woman breaking the somehow ever-present glass ceiling, and her satirical tone would be portrayed as “edgy” and “revolutionary,” not “antagonistic” or “condemning.” But because she uses an “edgy” tone that goes against the grain of a sizeable portion of politically conscious citizens, she is demonized and slandered by her critics. In a liberal-slanted media, the negative focus is fixated on Ann Coulter’s blunt conservatism, and similar liberal pundits, such as the charming and soft spoken Arianna Huffington, are spared a harsh public eye and actual criticism of shallow, vacuous writing.

You may not like what Ann Coulter says, or writes, or thinks. But it is undeniable that in the formerly male-dominated world of politics, she is a force of nature. She speaks her mind without concern for popularity, without padding her words with compromises and concessions, and has never allowed a man to get the best of her in a debate. She even earnestly supported Hillary Clinton in the 2008 presidential campaign, turning against the Republican nominee to support a fellow “glass-ceiling demolitionist.”

You may call her series of books irrelevant, but the mere fact that she has authored six New York Times Best-Sellers is an indication that her opinion is far from irrelevant, and especially not in the area of American politics. Labeling her as batsh*t insane is a baseless act, and one that demeans politics from a mature playing field to childhood playground taunts. It is also a violently anti-feminist act, because it supports the idea that bold, vocal women should be stifled in their opinions and labeled as insane, social deviants incapable of independent thought. To criticize her for how she dresses and portrays herself, when she is styled more conservatively than the vast majority of our society, is wrong. It is in fact, a one- way ticket back to the 1950s.

Is she good for women, or bad?

Ann Coulter is good for women because she proves that a woman can succeed in a male dominated world without compromising her femininity in order to gain respect. She is strong, beautiful, and very intelligent, all traits that should be valued by women, and certainly meet the requirements of a female role model. She is not a twisted, bitter, and man-hating drone of Third Wave Feminism. Instead, she is a bold, vivacious, and well-educated woman who represents traits modern women should strive to achieve. Whatever opinions other pundits have about her, they still value her opinion enough to continually invite her on their shows to have intelligent, and, at times, loud debates with her. Her arguments are intelligently constructed and witty, which are received as abrasive and “crazy” to those on the receiving end of her opinions.

I am a conservative, Christian Republican, and I am very proud of Ann Coulter.

34 Comments on "Ann Coulter: A Role Model for the Modern Woman"

  1. Maggie says:
    Wed, 21st Jan 20097:58 am 

    Sarah, while your argument was very well-written & thought-out, I still do not like Ann Coulter & do not believe that she deserves the attention that she receives. While we may all have the right to free speech, the fact that Ms. Coulter exercises that right so irresponsibly is disgusting. You yourself mentioned that she can "speak her mind without fear of consequence".

    Personally, I'd prefer to hear less of her verbal diarrhea. She has garnered a lot of sales & public appearances not because she is exceptionally intelligent/talented, but because publishers & producers realize that her inane antics have the power to attract viewer's attention & increase sales.

  2. johnnie says:
    Wed, 21st Jan 20099:03 am 

    You didn't need the last line in you article. . .that was obvious.

  3. Gwenivere says:
    Wed, 21st Jan 20099:33 am 

    First of all I would like to state that I am an Athiest and also an Independent voter. That aside I would like to admit that I appreciate this article. I in no way agree with what Ann Coulter believes but that does not mean that I can not respect her opinion. I believe she is a very good role model for someone like Sarah who is a woman with conservative views. Ann sparks debate and debate creates change. Nothing is better than having two people with different perspectives debate over what they are passionate about. That does not mean you need to be mortal enemies with a person because they do not share the same views that you do. Ann happens to have achieved an amazing feat being that she is a conservative woman and the fact that she is a firecracker. She is very witty and can hold up her end of the conversation. I am always surprised that she can quip back facts so instantly in a conversation. I may almost never agree with her but

  4. Gwenivere says:
    Wed, 21st Jan 20099:35 am 

    (Continued because I was an idiot and accidently hit the enter key) I am proud that she is a woman that has achieved her dream.

  5. Lauren, University o says:
    Wed, 21st Jan 20099:40 am 

    Her feet look HUGE in that picture. Its scary.

  6. Christine says:
    Wed, 21st Jan 20099:42 am 

    Hillary Clinton is a bold, vocal woman, as you put it. Ann Coulter is racist, homophobic, and intolerant. I have to believe that you, having endorsed her, haven't read some of the most horrible things she has said about Jews, Muslims, and 9/11 widows. Nobody hates Ann Coulter because she is a woman. She is disliked and largely disregarded in political discourse because she is purposefully controversial and hateful. Saying you are proud of a woman who has said, referring to Muslims, "We should invade their countries, kill their leaders, and convert them to Christianity", is offensive to me.

  7. Diana says:
    Wed, 21st Jan 200910:43 am 

    I believe with both Christine and Maggie. Good on Ann Coulter for putting herself out there so boldy, I say. She is garnering attention for her views that some of us, however intelligent and vivacious we may be, could never hope to achieve. HOWEVER. Her views ARE hate-filled, homophobic, and intolerant, and they leave a really bad taste in my mouth.

    Also, the argument 'it must be good, look how many books it's sold!' makes me absolutely crazy. In order to become a 'New York Times' bestseller, all one has to do is convince a publisher – however large or small – to print 1 million copies of your book. Not SELL. Print. So I wouldn't be too impressed with that, considering how many of them the Barnes & Noble where I work sends back once a month during our returns cycle.

  8. snarktastic says:
    Wed, 21st Jan 200910:47 am 

    well written!

    ann coulter branded her image… everyone knows who she is, and though you may disagree with her, she's very successful. hillary found her success through her husband's occupation. granted, she's broken out of that now and successful on her own, but ann coulter made it to the top all by herself. so really, she's more of a feminist than hillary.

    and imagine how much fun it must be to be her? be paid to be difficult because you can… this snarky one's dream.

  9. Ryan says:
    Wed, 21st Jan 200911:00 am 

    Your support for Ann Coulter is akin to the support of Hitler received prior to World War II.

    Thats right. Hitler.

  10. Robin says:
    Wed, 21st Jan 200911:53 am 

    "I am a conservative, Christian Republican, and I am very proud of Ann Coulter."

    Well, that makes sense. No wonder the Republicans just took a severe ass-whooping at the polls. The fact that you have any respect whatsoever for this woman shows you lack any understanding of what it means to be a scholar, political pundit or even to tell the truth.

    Ann Coulter is the embodiment of the failed ideology of the conservative movement since Richard Nixon. Her xenophobic, close-minded, hateful rhetoric is so obviously on the wrong side of both history and proper ethical standards – both in journalism and in life – that to admit you agree with her or hold her in any regard, whatsoever, shows what kind of woman you are – ignorant, foolish and wrong.

    Think that's just my opinion? Go look up pretty much any "fact" Coulter includes in her books, and you'll see their either false or wildly taken out of context, thus rendering them false. And she does this to spread ideas that insight hatred, separation and possibly violence. If that's what "Christian Republicans" think of as a good "role model," then God help us all.

  11. Robin says:
    Wed, 21st Jan 200911:58 am 

    And another thing, since you've so thoroughly angered me, how do you agree with anything Ann Coulter says and consider yourself a "Christian"? Have you ever read the Bible? Do you have any clue at all what Jesus preaches. My guess is not, since if you did you would realize it runs in direct opposition to Coulter's bastardized version of a philosophy. I'm not claiming to be a Christian or anything else, but I have read the Bible enough to at least know this. I suggest you do the same before spewing your ignorant blather in a public forum…

  12. jodi says:
    Wed, 21st Jan 200912:26 pm 

    My personal response to the commenters:

    This was not about politics. This was about Ann Coulter, who is indeed a political pundit, but it was NOT about her politics. It was a response to an article which stated that Ann Coulter sets back feminism.

    Ann Coulter does/says what she wants and sometimes it's crazy and inaccurate, but the point is that she DOESN'T LET ANYONE STOP HER. She's a strong woman, and that's all that was claimed so please get off your high horses.

    johnnie: You say that like it's a bad thing.

  13. Krissy says:
    Wed, 21st Jan 200912:44 pm 

    I absolutely agree with you, & I am SO HAPPY to see this on collegecandy.

    I love this website even more now!

  14. Rebecca says:
    Wed, 21st Jan 200912:45 pm 

    Jodi,

    I'll give it to you that the article is about women's empowerment, not political philosophy. But if Ann Coulter is being held up as a feminist hero, then the state of Women must be pitiful.

    It's not good enough to merely have a strong woman, it must be a strong woman who actually supports Women's values – not some disgusting, half-assed Ayn Rand.

    Instead of showing support for Women, this post only reveals the lack of understanding of the Women's movement the Christian Republican sect embodies.

  15. Rachel says:
    Wed, 21st Jan 20091:30 pm 

    Was this a writing assignment you got a good grade on and decided to post?

  16. vi says:
    Wed, 21st Jan 20091:47 pm 

    This woman simply will not go away. Yes, everyone has the right to freedom of speech but half the sh*t that comes out of her mouth makes me want to strangle her. She is NOT a feminist hero. It is one thing to commend a woman for boldly speaking out about her beliefs but it is an enrirely different thing if everything she says is hateful and unintelligent.

  17. Beth says:
    Wed, 21st Jan 20091:50 pm 

    Obviously we are misunderstanding the point of this article…it is clearly satire.

    I mean the author called her intelligent.

    Thanks college candy I needed a good laugh.

  18. Jacks says:
    Wed, 21st Jan 20092:24 pm 

    Ryan says :

    January 21, 2009 at 4:00 pm

    Your support for Ann Coulter is akin to the support of Hitler received prior to World War II.

    Thats right. Hitler.

    Much of the same could be said for the fanatical support that Obama is receiving now. Obama is a wonderful orator. So was Hitler.

    It doesn't make Obama Hitler. One article praising Ann Coulter doesn't make her Hitler either. You make no point.

    And Beth,

    Ann Coulter is intelligent. You can't achieve her level of success without being intelligent.

  19. Charlsie - Hollins U says:
    Wed, 21st Jan 20093:42 pm 

    As a feminist, and someone who has worked for women's rights, I am so embarrassed that you would claim that she is not anti-feminist. In case you haven't heard the latest news about her, Ann has gone around saying that SINGLE WOMEN are to blame for all the bad things in America. Actually, under the concept of feminism, Ann is simply stating that patriarchy is key and that women are the ones hurting America. Very feminist, right?

    Seriously. Before you DARE throw the topic of feminism into an article and say that she ISN'T anti-feminist, you actually need to be versed on what feminism is. You should be embarrassed that you actually posted this.

    And the last statement, really … did you think your audience was that dumb?

  20. amanda says:
    Wed, 21st Jan 20096:25 pm 

    correction: i meant is NOT the anti-feminist, but at the same time haranguing other women about views that are more in tune with a female's life, body and world.

  21. Casey says:
    Wed, 21st Jan 20097:49 pm 

    i just love how liberals get so much more defensive than conservatives do. it's actually pretty funny. A lot of the comments have said that they are offended by the things ann coulter says and stands for. Do you not also consider that conservatives are offended by the things liberals stand for (abortion, gay rights, etc) these things are offensive to Christians and a lot of conservatives. No one is right or wrong, they are all opinions. You are certainly allowed to get offended, but people are allowed to have their opinions, and no ones opinions are right or wrong, they are simply that, opinions. Yours are right to you and theirs are right to them. This is why we have debate. Which is one of the points the writer of this article made about Ms. Coulter, is that she is an excellent debater, whether you agree with her or not it doesn't change the fact that she is intelligent and a good debater, as well as an example of an empowered woman. And isn't that what feminism is supposed to be about? Women having a voice, and using it, if they so choose?

    I am appalled at the people who criticized the author for her writing skills. (Amanda in particular) This article may not be to your liking and you may not agree with it, but it is exceptionally well written, you can not deny that. How dare you personally attack this girl because of her difference of beliefs. You are no better than Ann Coulter spewing her hatred. I don't care what school Sarah goes to, she is a great writer and by far the most articulate writer on this website. If you don't agree with what she writes fine. But DO NOT make personal attacks against her and her writing because you disagree with her OPINION. I should call you the next Ann Coulter (sans her intelligence).

  22. Christine says:
    Wed, 21st Jan 20098:21 pm 

    Debate is one thing. I disagree with the idea that abortion should be made illegal, but the opposite viewpoint is at least defensible. Racism, homophobia, and elitism are despicable and should not be condoned by any political group. It's not a matter of being conservative or liberal, it's a matter of being a decent, compassionate human being. Personal attacks on the writer's school or intelligence are unwarranted, but condoning Ann Coulter and the things she says is inexcusable. It doesn't matter if she's smart or articulate or what. Ann Coulter is a monster. You really can't argue that.

  23. amanda says:
    Wed, 21st Jan 200911:23 pm 

    i agree with charlsie. this was one of the dumbest things i have ever read.

    you are saying she’s the “anti-feminist” but at the same time saying she’s a feminist and empowering to women? did you reread this at ALL?

    i felt embarassed for YOU when i was reading this article. she is only a “force of nature” as you put it because she says disgusting, hateful things that get attention because they are so incredibly ridiculous. the fact that she is a racist, elitist, homophobic monster does not make her someone to admire.

    no wonder you go to “east carolina university,” a fourth tier, virtually unheard of school (at least to me before i ever came on this website, and probably most people). shame on you for thinking you’re some outspoken intellectual when all you’re producing is garbage like this.

    now i’m done.

  24. amanda says:
    Thu, 22nd Jan 20093:22 am 

    maybe it was unwarranted, but it was pretty infuriating to read at the time. in the scheme of things it was not written badly, but the subject matter was so ridiculous that it got a rise out of me.

  25. amanda says:
    Thu, 22nd Jan 20093:24 am 

    i apologize for my comment about the author's school. still, i stand by what i said before.

  26. Jes says:
    Thu, 22nd Jan 20094:39 am 

    I can sit back and see both's sides points here.

    However, I also whole-heartedly agree that the ability to simply spout off at the mouth without fear of consequence does NOT infact, make you a role model for feminism.

    Thats just crazy talk, although I can see how someone might think along those lines, who hasn't really studied feminism in depth.

    But the very basis of feminism itself- the freedom FROM this archaic way of thinking (Coulter's), not just the ability to verbalize & reguritate it, is in fact what feminism is all about.

    If that were the case- ANY woman in the world, no matter what ideology they were pushing, would qualify as such. You absolutely have to take that person's politics, ethics, into account for it to be relevant at all to whether or not they are a good role model.

    A prominent figure, yes.

    I think we can all agree that she's gained her status through her own efforts (which is the heart of this article, I presume), but whether she is someone who's ideas we choose to look up to, is for each individual to decide.

    Whether or not she is an advocate for feminism is simply not an issue. Feminism is a particular movement, with specific ideals- as someone already stated, she wouldn't dare call herself one. I think we're looking to place her into a category for her strong efforts & independent spirit, but this is not the correct one.

    *Side note- I would definitely take into account someone's truthfullness when judging their character. Anyone who consistently brings false information and statistics to the table, is unreliable at best, no matter how quick they can whip out a retort.

  27. Jes says:
    Thu, 22nd Jan 20094:40 am 

    "both side's points" ha, I'm sorry!

  28. jodi says:
    Thu, 22nd Jan 20098:48 am 

    The thing is, Rebecca, that I just don't think that any one woman could be a hero for all women. You have your ideas of feminism, the author and I have ours. Why would we expect one woman to represent something that all the women of America, or anywhere else in the world, can agree is a good thing? THAT, as I pointed out in the original article, is anti-feminist. She is what she is: You're always going to be offended by someone, but that doesn't mean that no one has the right to respect that person for the good qualities he/she DOES have. There's too much good in the worst of us and bad in the best of us to just write someone off completely and be offended when someone else likes them for DIFFERENT QUALITIES than that which offended you to begin with.

  29. Clare says:
    Thu, 22nd Jan 200912:22 pm 

    The whole 'It's so funny that liberals do _____' attitude is such bullshit. It's exactly the kind of smug, self-important nonsense that us 'liberals' are used to hearing whenever we try to speak up about something we find offensive. And for anybody who has their panties in a wad about 'liberal media bias' … I'm sorry, have you ever heard of a little station called FOX NEWS??

  30. vi says:
    Thu, 22nd Jan 20091:44 pm 

    Oh and the "force of nature thing"- tornados and hurricanes are considered forces of natures too. So yeah, I figure you've got a point about that: she is a force of nature, wrecking havoc and destruction wherever she sticks her big mouth.

  31. Pem says:
    Thu, 22nd Jan 20093:14 pm 

    Clare – unfortunately, there are a select few people on both sides who do the whole, "It's so funny that conservatives/liberals do…" I agree that it's dumb, but it's kind of the same thing to generalize it and expect it only from non-liberals. It can come from any side in any argument, really, and is a total cop-out no matter who it's coming from.

    As for the liberal media bias, I have to point out that my AP Gov textbook my senior year of high school pointed to studies showing greater sympathy for liberal viewpoints on television news stations. The thing is, it's because republicans have been in power so long. If democrats have a long run, it'll probably switch. Just happens that way.

  32. Jacks says:
    Thu, 22nd Jan 20095:36 pm 

    Clare-

    That's the whole thing about liberal media bias. Yeah, FOX is conservative.

    NBC, CNN, the New York Times, etc, all liberal..you can name one main media market conservative station, (Fox) paper, (WSJ) but you can name a hell of a lot more that lean towards the liberal side of things.

  33. Foxmulder says:
    Thu, 22nd Jan 20096:18 pm 

    Ann Coulter’s political persona is the equivalent of Stephen Colbert’s except Colbert is in on the joke.

  34. Jenn says:
    Thu, 22nd Jan 20097:56 pm 

    Multiple intelligent responses to this article from both sides. College Candy gets political! It's inspirational to read so many young ladies' passionate, thoughful ideas. Way to go, gals. :)

    As for Ann Coulter's content…despise it. However, this was an informative article worth reading. Good job.

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