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Lately, I find that women who call themselves feminists are too easily provoked and a little oversensitive. They launch heated protests against any statement they view to be an attack on women without regard to the context. Such exaggerated reactions can be likened to the blind fanaticism of religious zealots.

I’ve come to this conclusion by following the Twitter status of prominent Indonesian media personality Mario Teguh. His comments about women on the micro-blogging site have drawn much criticism, resulting in his account being revoked. On the surface, it seems like trivial news, a tempest in a teacup. Another Twitter entry has become a social matter, I said to myself. Are there journalists out there whose sole job description is to keep an eye on social networking sites? There are much more newsworthy matters to report on in our world. However, I think this matter deserves discussion because of the many misunderstandings surrounding this man.

Mario is a motivational speaker and therapist. He also has his own program on Metro Television and hosts an online consultation forum, dispensing sage advice on business, careers, family and many other important facets of our lives.

He ignited controversy by tweeting this message: “Women who like going to parties, clubbing, staying up all night, snobby chitchatting, smoking and sometimes getting drunk are not a good choice for marriage.”

It was like waving a red rag to a bull. Many female readers were indignant, immediately accusing Mario of gender bias. One response cited actress Rahma Azhari’s calling him a racist. Hilarious. I had no idea women were from another race.

Well, I’m a woman, and I agree with Mario on this one. He’s giving the same advice that any parent would give to their sons regarding the choice of a life partner. He’s not being sexist. His statement did not make a generalization about all women. He didn’t say that ALL women like to go clubbing, smoke and get drunk. He only points at the small portion of women who have such habits. This hardly makes him a misogynist.

“Gender bias is the prejudice in action or treatment against a person on the basis of their sex, for example, the inequality between men and women’s salaries,” Mario says. He doesn’t brand all women drinkers, smokers and clubbers simply because they are female, he only says that the ones who do these things may not be the best choice for a mate.

Can anybody accuse Mario of being sexist based on his opinion regarding ideal brides? If they do, it’s pure hypocrisy. Everybody has their own notions about their ideal life partner. It’s highly unlikely that a man and woman who disagree about Mario’s views could possibly be interested in each other. Regardless, the commentator’s job is to give common-sense advice, making him unlikely to extoll the virtues of spending too much time at a nightclub.

Jaleswari Pramodhawardani, a gender studies researcher at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), presents a laughable argument. She says Mario’s statement on Twitter was based on a patriarchal construction, namely that what is good or bad is defined by men. As a man, however, Mario is entitled to write about women just as women express their opinions about men. In his post, the sexes could easily be reversed. Parental advice to a girl seeking a husband would no doubt include avoiding suitors who spend their evenings in bars with a cocktail and kretek in hand. These are simply mainstream opinions. The perception of gender bias may stem from Mario’s omission in his argument of men who exhibit the same behavior as the women he chastises for party-girl lifestyles.

Much of the criticism aimed at Mario is a convenient way for people to deny responsibility for their bad behavior and unhealthy habits. When someone points out an uncomfortable or inconvenient truth, it’s too easy to deflect criticism with accusations of sexism.

Perhaps feminists are incensed by their notion that Mario is promoting the traditional notion of “good, obedient women.” It’s a conservative viewpoint held by many people, but I wouldn’t call it sexist. Nonetheless, it’s clear that he won’t be winning any feminist awards anytime soon.