Singleton -- 1. A single woman in her early 30s who at times
is either an empowered, confident, content, feminist
professional; or, 2. an insecure, self-image-loathing,
job-hating, fool-acting (where men are concerned) whiner
who will "end up all alone, half-eaten by an Alsatian."
The above is a definition of the term "singleton" invented by Helen Fielding, author of the hit novel (and co-writer of the hit film) Bridget Jones's Diary. The definition comes from the CNN website.
There has been a backlash against the labelling and stereotyping of "singletons" as depicted in the novel. Some females claim that single women in their 30s have been portrayed as desperate wine-guzzling lunatics who can't carry out a conversation with a male. Others believe that Bridget is a true modern woman; she worries about her weight, tries to quit smoking on a regular basis, and can't get her love life organised. The former are embarrassed to be linked to such a woman, the latter happy to know that they aren't the only ones making a mess of their lives.