I agree with you on the insulting to men and women aspect of the storyline. I actually think the superhero girlfriend has some sexist tropes the medium has never been able to move beyond. And you combine that with the bizarre youth culture worship and the idea that someone's only relatable if they're a loser and you come up with an ugly combo.

(And I don't think Peter was ever a loser, by the way. He had a shitload of crap working against him in the early issues, but that's not the same as being a loser.)