The dishwasher, the washing machine, and the liberation of women

I was just unloading the dishwasher, and remember several months back watching Joy Behar on The View, I think, upset that some man had said the dishwasher (or maybe it was the clothes washer) was the most important advancement in the 20th century for the liberation of women. I seem to remember Joy wasn't amused.

But I've gotta tell you, short of my huge-ass TV, I don't think there's anything in my new condo that gives me as much joy, after nearly 20 years of apartment living, than having my very own dishwasher and clothes washer. (Okay, the microwave is pretty darn cool too, in a Star Trek kind of way.) I can't imagine having to wash the dishes for an entire family, every day, and do all of their clothes, every day. I remember watching my grandmother wash clothes with that huge squeeze roller thing on top of the washer, to wring the water out of each garment (not her machine, but not very far off either). Good God, I'd have killed myself.

So was the guy really that out of line? Your thoughts? Feel free to weigh in in the comments - you don't need to log in, just comment away.

PS I just realized I keep calling the washing machine "the clothes washer." Is that a real name for it? Is this my midwest upbringing seeping through? Or mom's Greenglish?