Bodice rippers - is anyone that clueless?

I was recently directed to the following site, http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25191970/
which is basically a pitch for a new Danielle Steele novel. In the article, is a poll for people to say whether or not they read romance novels. Yet the question was so infuriating that I'm seeing red. The question was:

“Do you read 'bodice rippers?' and your choices are yes, no, sometimes.

Bodice rippers? Are you kidding me? Who calls them that anymore? Bodice rippers was a short-lived term that surfaced around the 1980's when a lot of historical romances first began to have fairly detailed love scenes.

Romances novels have evolved, and in my humble opinion, improved.

Today, romance novels encompass the entire spectrum. There is fantasy, sci fi, mystery, suspense, adventure, historical, and inspirational (to name a few), all within the umbrella category, or genre, of Romance. Furthermore, most romances are NOT bodice rippers. They range from sweet to erotic, and there are a number of levels in between. In addition, the inspirational genre, also called Christian fiction, is fast becoming the best selling genre of romance. This type of romance is sweet, meaning no sex. Certainly no bodice ripping.
Women who respond 'no' to this survey are probably saying that they don't read 'bodice rippers,' which is probably not an accurate answer to the real question which should be 'do you read romance novels?'

If they reply 'yes' I have no doubt that the author of this poorly researched and poorly worded survey question will proudly proclaim that women love ‘bodice rippers’ and condemn us as a group for being immoral, or something equally ridiculous. If they say 'sometimes' their reply goes into a third answer, which, really splits up the yes answers which will be used to 'prove' the author's theory that no one reads romance any more. All false conclusions make me grind my teeth.

Why do people keep bashing romances? They are the best selling genre on the market. Romance authors are intelligent, talented people, most of whom have degrees and who spend countless hours researching for each of their books. They work longer and harder than most other professionals, and their pay ranges from ‘no where enough to compensate me for my sweat and tears,’ to phenomenal.

No one writes romances because they have nothing to do. Or because they think they’ll get rich next month. They do it because sometime inside drives them do to it. And they do it to help other people escape the pressures of life; have an adventure and fall in love, without leaving their home.

Do you read romances?