Was sir in a state of awareness that bestselling novelist Danielle Steel periodically takes to her blog to air her pet peeves? She does. Her latest , written this past Monday, is when men ask her “Are you still writing?”
From Daniellesteel.net (Ed. note – ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL .NET)
The comment is an immediate put down. It is a way of suggesting that what I do is really not very important. Women NEVER ask me that question. But SOME men do. The men who do, I find, are VERY uncomfortable about my success at what I do, and VERY annoyed by it. The other really ridiculous comment is “You have an AGENT?” Of course I have an agent, I have written 130 books that are sold in 69 countries in 43 languages—they think maybe I write letters by hand and send them to publishers around the world to sell my books? Of course I have an agent (a fabulous one I love). I never say to guys, “So are you still a lawyer?…A doctor?…A brain surgeon?” They would think I’m nuts if I did. But men who are annoyed by women’s success in business have to find a way to put them down. And what better way to insult someone than minimize what they do, imply that it’s really insignificant, and inquire if they’re still doing it? Are you still bungee jumping off your mother’s roof?? Having contests to see how many grapes you can squeeze into your mouth?? (That was so much fun when I was about 8). I was actually a pogo stick champion when I was about 10, and no I am not doing that anymore. But YES, I AM STILL WRITING. In fact, I finished a book about an hour ago.
What a marvelous thing to be able to say. “In fact, I finished a book about an hour ago.” Danielle Steel writes books the way you or I write checks: efficiently and often.
Should this prove insufficient incentive to visit Ms. Steel’s site, allow me to present without commentary the names of several other recent blog posts:
Name That Baby!!!…or maybe not.
The Golden Dove
Dinner in Paris
Magic!!!
Second Chances
You cannot tell me you have something else more pressing to do this afternoon. I simply won’t believe you. Questions to consider: If Danielle Steel were a brain surgeon, how many brain surgeries would she have successfully completed since 1981? Are you also often tempted to write her name as Danielle Steele? How great is Family Album? Did you know John Waters was in the movie adaptation? Shouldn’t Faye have left Ward by like, page 100? Ward was worthless.
How much joy does it give you to verbally best men at social functions? A great deal, or more? How many of your male contemporaries do you outshine in your work? Be specific.
Tags: brain surgery, danielle steel, sexism, writing
… it never occurred to me that Danielle Steel would be funny. (Horrible: just another facet of my internalized sexism, making unexamined assumptions about certain authors because they’re women writing for a largely female audience. The patriarchy is coming from inside the house!)
I refuse to believe that her last name isn’t Steele. This is an elaborate internet hoax!
How much joy does it give you to verbally best men at social functions? A great deal, or more? How many of your male contemporaries do you outshine in your work? Be specific.
Well, one time I spent most of a party proving I knew more about the SWEU than a dude friend.
All of them. All of the brain surgeries.
It gives me bitter, twisted joy to find horrible, horrible typos in the writing of (certain, male) “professional” writers who constantly bash their contemporaries and look down their noses at the non-writers. Sometimes I do not correct them when I find them. It gives me even more “joy” to find misused words or poorly written sentences. I correct them mentally only.
oh! i resemble this remark!
Also, there is nothing better than watching a man realize you don’t think he’s smarter or funnier than you.
godddddd i love you
Once, when I was in law school, my best friend and I were at some sort of school-related function, talking to a male student who at one point looked at us, genuinely confused, and said “you’re both funny. I don’t get it.”
This same guy later told me that while I was a nice person, I would be permanently single because I “make guys feel bad about themselves by being able to do things on your own.”
Ugh. What a douche.
I went to go read the comments on her excellent burn of a post, because I wondered* what the comments on Danielle Steel’s blog would look like.
Then I hoped that Danielle Steel doesn’t read the comments section on Danielle Steel’s site.
Then I realized that OF COURSE Danielle B.A.M.F. Steel reads the comments on her own site, and she probably has a separate blog where she burns them too.
*I wonder because I’ve never gotten over the fact that behind books are actual people, real people who say things on Twitter and in real life. Books were supposed to be my screen from real people!
I would love to read an interview with someone who visits Danielle Steel’s website specifically to leave hateful, sexist comments (I assume that’s what your referring to). I legitimately wonder what their lives are like.
Ask A Troll?
If this site did Ask A Troll it would almost certainly involve an actual troll.
I think I’d rather read Ask A Troll with a bridge-guarding troll than with an internet troll anyhow. 🙂
Funnily enough, there’s a lot going on about this in England right now.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/1020…
“Are you still bungee jumping off your mother’s roof?” HA.
So what you’re telling me is I love Danielle Steel now. This was unexpected.
"Are you still bungee jumping off your mother's roof?" HA.
So what you're telling me is I love Danielle Steel now. This was unexpected.
I always get Danielle Steel and Jackie Collins confused, so I read this in the voice of a long-haired Joan Collins. It was delightful.
(And then I made three typos. <3 u, g&t!)
I always get Danielle Steel and Jackie Collins confused, so I read this in the voice of a long-haired Joan Collins. It was delightful.
(And then I made three typos. <3 u, g&t!)
Uhh. She also has 9 kids. In addition to her prolific, record-breaking career & her pursuit of other artistic work/business. She’s unstoppable!
Also the whole post is great.
Uhh. She also has 9 kids. In addition to her prolific, record-breaking career & her pursuit of other artistic work/business. She's unstoppable!
Also the whole post is great.
Being better than men is one of my favorite hobbies!! But wow, Danielle Steel is clearly a PROFESSIONAL at it. Classy and straight-to-the-point. She’s the sort of lady who doesn’t have to waste time explaining why she’s better than you, she just has to point to the GIGANTIC STACK OF BOOKS she has written. You were saying, men??
Ugh. What a douche.