Oy, people, it's normal.

Today, Boston.com has this article: "Did stress cause Palin's thinning hair?"

I am not a fan of Sarah Palin. I disagree with her policies and her opinions. I think she's pretty anti-feminist. I considered her unqualified for the Vice Presidency, not because of her sex, but because of her utter and complete lack of experience and knowledge relating to, say, helping to run a country.

But this headline is extremely sexist and inappropriate. The article itself mentions Palin only as an example of a woman whose hair is thinning slightly; the bulk of it discusses the myth that stress thins hair, and the science behind hair thinning. The article isn't actually about Sarah Palin.

So, why the title? And why the obnoxious, "I feel bad for her" quotation? Because we're making fun of her. We're criticizing her for her position and the decisions she's made. We're saying, "You have failed as a woman because you do things that make you look less feminine."

I don't like Sarah Palin, but that doesn't mean that criticism based on her sex is at all appropriate.