Gloria Steinem Slammed for Suggesting Young Women Support Bernie Sanders to Chase Boys
Feminist icon Gloria Steinem has drawn the wrath of the Twitterverse for suggesting that young women supporting Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign are doing so to gain the attention of men.
“When you’re young, you’re thinking, ‘Where are the boys? The boys are with Bernie,'” Steinem told Bill Maher Friday night on the comic’s HBO show “Real Time.”
Maher leapt right on her comment. “Now if I said that, ‘Yeah, they’re for Bernie because that’s where the boys are,’ you’d slap me,” he said.
Also Read: Bill Maher Endorses Bernie Sanders: 'F-ck Yeah' (Video)
“No, I wouldn’t,” she replied.
Maher had been pressing the 81-year-old feminist about why polls suggest that young American women are backing the Vermont senator over Steinem’s preferred Democratic candidate, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton.
“Women are more for [Clinton] than men are,” Steinem said. But when asked why millennials seem to support Sanders more, Steinem explained, “Women get more radical as we get older…. I don’t mean to overgeneralize, I’m sure that you got more radical, but men tend to get more conservative because they gain power as they age and women get more radical because they lose power as they age.”
Also Read: Bernie Sanders to Appear on 'Saturday Night Live'
Plenty of people online seemed willing to slap Steinem for implying that millennial women are fickle (or hormonal) for choosing to support Sanders instead of Clinton.
#ThatMomentWhen feminist icon Gloria Steinem says something ridiculously sexist to female #Sanders2016 supporters. pic.twitter.com/37pLagmtzK
— MercurialMiss (@MercurialMiss) February 6, 2016
some1 tell gloria steinem it is extremely easy to get laid in the year of our lord 2016, we don't need to pretend to like old jewish men
— Sophie (@insopherable) February 6, 2016
This is condescending and reductive, @GloriaSteinem. Is this really what u think of young women who disagree w u? https://t.co/AFlFqYP8Wg
— Jaclyn Friedman (@jaclynf) February 6, 2016
Also Read: Top 6 MSNBC Debate Moments: Hillary Loses Cool, Sanders Takes High Road
.@GloriaSteinem is a "feminist" who thinks women can't think for themselves: https://t.co/FrV1ExayNC#FeelTheBern #BernieSanders
— Kathy (@KatProgramming) February 6, 2016
@cnnbrk This just in, Gloria Steinem loses respect and can kiss millions of young women's asses!
— Chelsea Sparks (@OleChelsChels) February 6, 2016
NEWS FLASH: Gloria Steinem outs herself as sexist, ageist, obsolete. https://t.co/yULVCTTR97
— Poesy Heldora (@Heldora) February 6, 2016
Gloria Steinem broadswipe insulted every millennial chick in the country. Mark the damage done to feminism for HRC. https://t.co/OFmUZ3xrM0
— LianaRish (@LianaCorr) February 6, 2016
Related stories from TheWrap:
Bill Maher Endorses Bernie Sanders: 'F-ck Yeah' (Video)
Bernie Sanders to Appear on 'Saturday Night Live'
Top 6 MSNBC Debate Moments: Hillary Loses Cool, Sanders Takes High Road
Bernie Sanders Tops Hillary Clinton in January Fundraising by $5 Million