"God created man, but I could do better"
About this Quote
The subtext is classic Bombeck: a middle-class, mid-century sensibility that’s been trained to be polite, grateful, and self-effacing - and then suddenly isn’t. By framing the complaint as a cosmic quality-control issue, she grants herself permission to be blunt about men (and “man”) without sounding bitter. The humor does that social work: it smuggles critique past the guardians of niceness. There’s also a sly feminist edge. In an era when women were often expected to manage the consequences of men’s decisions - at home, in marriage, in culture - “I could do better” reads like an exasperated supervisor’s note from someone stuck doing the cleanup.
Context matters: Bombeck built a career translating suburban life into sharp, syndicated comedy, making the small stuff feel culturally diagnostic. The line’s power is its confidence dressed up as a gag. It’s not theology; it’s a punchy bid for authority from a writer who understood that laughter can be a form of dissent, especially when you’re not “supposed” to speak like you’re in charge.
Quote Details
| Topic | Witty One-Liners |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Bombeck, Erma. (2026, January 17). God created man, but I could do better. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/god-created-man-but-i-could-do-better-31117/
Chicago Style
Bombeck, Erma. "God created man, but I could do better." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/god-created-man-but-i-could-do-better-31117/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"God created man, but I could do better." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/god-created-man-but-i-could-do-better-31117/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.







