What's your thoughts on couples with a stay-at-home partner?

[Godhumor]

Bringing this up more out of curiousity, as my wife is still livid at an encounter we had with a few days ago.

I work while my wife made a decision (i.e. her choice) to stay at home and work on the house, volunteer, etc. I've never had an issue with this nor have we ever felt the need to defend this position until a work acquaintance absolutely tore into the two of us a few days ago at a dinner (Thankfully, she did so in private).

She vehenemently threw around terms like "barefoot, pregnant and in the kitchen", accused my wife of pandering to my need to be in charge, accused me of desiring a submissive partner to exert my will upon and left off by saying that she was ashamed to know young couples were continuing the traditions her generation fought so hard to eliminate.

However, it is an interesting enough debate, that I am curious to how others view stay-at-home husbands/wives, and, if you or your partner are one, have you ever felt the need to defend that particular decision to others?