"I keep waiting to meet a man who has more balls than I do"
About this Quote
The subtext is equal parts swagger and indictment. On the surface, it’s a flex: she’s fearless, she’s tired of tiptoeing, she’s not asking permission to take up space. Underneath, it’s a criticism of the men around her - not as individuals, but as a cultural script that trains them to perform boldness while often avoiding the actual risk: emotional honesty, professional humility, supporting a woman without needing to be the star. The joke works because it’s not “anti-men”; it’s anti-posturing.
Context matters: Hayek’s career has been a long negotiation with gatekeepers who confuse power with masculinity and treat female ambition as an attitude problem. Coming up through Hollywood as a Latina actress and later pushing projects into existence, she’s lived the double standard where men are “driven” and women are “difficult.” This line compresses that whole history into a single, slightly profane punch.
It also functions as armor. Humor lets her say something confrontational while keeping control of the room. She isn’t pleading for better behavior; she’s declaring the bar, then raising it, and making anyone who bristles reveal exactly why.
Quote Details
| Topic | Witty One-Liners |
|---|---|
| Source | Later attribution: Women Know Everything! (Karen Weekes, 2011) modern compilationISBN: 9781594745454 · ID: 46nduIAfxFgC
Evidence: ... I keep waiting to meet a man who has more balls than I do . -SALMA HAYEK ( 1966- ) MEXICAN ACTOR I like a man who can be a real friend 289 MEN. Other candidates (1) Salma Hayek (Salma Hayek) compilation37.5% o meetings during the filming of a movie and the directors would ask what do you |
| Featured | This quote was our Quote of the Day on March 15, 2025 |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Hayek, Salma. (n.d.). I keep waiting to meet a man who has more balls than I do. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-keep-waiting-to-meet-a-man-who-has-more-balls-121312/
Chicago Style
Hayek, Salma. "I keep waiting to meet a man who has more balls than I do." FixQuotes. Accessed February 2, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-keep-waiting-to-meet-a-man-who-has-more-balls-121312/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I keep waiting to meet a man who has more balls than I do." FixQuotes, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-keep-waiting-to-meet-a-man-who-has-more-balls-121312/. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.






