The XX Factor: Slate women blog about politics, etc...

They're No Better

I always like to hear an old voice from the Independent Women's Forum if just for nostalgia's sake. And Charlotte has always been one of my favorites. So Charlotte, here's my reponse. There is already such an office novel. It's called Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris. In it, the MEN are pathetic, conniving, sad, desperate office-cooler junkies. It's set in an advertising firm, and their current project is an attempt to make breast cancer funny. Nearly an entire chapter is devoted to their obsessing over who stole someone's office chair. It's a great novel and very convincing. And then of course there's the original office buffoon, David Brent (the Ricky Gervais character) in The Office. A much grander idiot than any woman could ever be.

As for the cultural complaints—the I can't believe that Celine Deon sells tickets or that Oprah Winfrey exists. I can only say I feel the same way about Seal, and Barry Manilow, and also the Capital Gang.

And the charge that Hillary has stocked her staff with idiot female loyalists. That one is easy. We've just lived through the male version of that phenomenon. No great brains in that operation.