Is Patti Stanger a Feminist Icon?

Anyone who has watched an episode from the 8 seasons of Millionaire Matchmaker knows that Patti Stanger has some stringent rules for both the men and women who seek out her services. And even though her mantras like "no curly or red hair" and "letting him do three-quarters of the talking on a first date" might seem old-fashioned, there's now a string of outspoken liberal feminists who see the entrepreneur as an unlikely icon for their cause.

As writer Jessica Grose, who writes for Jezebel and Double X, tells the New Republic quite succinctly, "Patti doesn't take any s---. I appreciate any woman who takes no s---." The headline for the article? "Patti Stanger: Unlikely Feminist Hero."

Indeed, it's Patti's no-nonsense attitude as well as her own background as a self-made career woman that has earned her the praise. Besides Millionaire Matchmaker and her uber-successful dating service, Patti has written three books, been a spokeswoman for a weight-loss company and jewelry line, and is now poised to launch a new line of wines and a Los Angeles bar. And, of course, she is revered for her highly entertaining, brutally honest takedowns of clients who don't do as she recommends.

"There is something truly satisfying about the equal opportunity shredding that's going on," is how Jezebel writer Tracy Moore puts it. "Yes, the women have to be perfect specimens—what else is new? But for once in the universe, men don't simply get to be rich and get whatever they want. They still have to act right! Make an effort!"

[Source: New Republic]