There are many things that I would feel comfortable calling Heidi Montag. Idiot. Embarrassment. Nitwit. Someone with an unexplained ego. I really don’t think it’s necessary for the rest of the world – let alone the freaking New York Times – to compliment Heidi in any way. She’s already full of herself already and doesn’t need the encouragement to further bloat her ego. Or God forbid that of Spencer Pratt, who I’m sure will somehow manage to take credit for the New York Times calling Heidi Montag… wait for it… a “feminist hero.” I’ll just chill here while you clean the vomit up from your floor. Don’t feel embarrassed, same thing happened to me.

What’s Heidi Montag’s reaction to being hailed as a “feminist hero” in The New York Times’ review of The Hills?

“I was very honored to be called a feminist hero,” Heidi tells In Touch. “It’s a big deal to be even acknowledged, let alone complimented by The New York Times by such a profound, famous TV critic.” Her boyfriend, Spencer Pratt, was also a fan of Ginia Bellafante’s review — even though it praised Heidi for refusing to acquiesce to his demands. “Spencer was ecstatic,” says Heidi. “He’s proud of whatever I do.”

The 22-year-old aspiring singer and Heidiwood fashion designer says she considers herself a feminist (“I definitely do!” she exclaims), but was less forthcoming when asked who her own feminist heroes were. “Who are my feminist heroes?” she asked. “ Um… I’ll get back to you on that one!”

[From In Touch]

After consulting Spencer, who called a friend to look up some names on Wikipedia, Heidi reported that her feminist heroes were Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan. But then Spencer changed his mind and decided Heidi actually preferred bell hooks over Friedan. New York Times’ TV critic Ginia Bellafante’s comments on Heidi aren’t quite so flattering when read in their original context – though they’re certainly not an insult either. But Heidi might want to actually find a copy of the newspaper before she puffs her chest so far out. Oh wait, that’s just the implants. That she got for Spencer.

Defying our expectations, Heidi has emerged as a kind of feminist hero this season, climbing her way to a bigger position at the event-planning company where she orchestrates Nascar parties, and refusing to acquiesce to the demands of her fiancé, Spencer, that she get herself home on time. Her career-mindedness sets their relationship off course. Heidi identifies the problem with no name: a boyfriend who sits around an apartment decorated to look like an ’80s video arcade while trying to deny Heidi a real wedding with the glory of registering. Her groundswell of self-assertion begins when he insists on eloping, prompting Heidi to declare, “This isn’t, like, Spencer’s relationship and you decide what we do.”

[From the New York Times]

Ooooohhh, deep. Gloria Steinem just pumped her fists in the air and burned a bra in Heidi Montag’s name. I don’t think Heidi’s standing up to Spencer about their wedding was about asserting her rights and not being manipulated by a douche bag, I think it was about the desire to throw a ridiculously large party and try to out-do her friends. But if someone wants to make that sound bigger and better than it is, so be it. I’m just worried this might inflate Heidi’s ego to the point that she releases another song. Or worse, a video.

Here’s Heidi and Spencer at Perez Hilton’s Quinceanera at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on March 22. Images thanks to PR Photos.