"Sarah Palin - now don't laugh - is writing a book. Not just reading a book, writing a book. Actually, in the word of the publisher, she's 'collaborating' on a book. What an embarrassment! It's one of these 'I told you,' books that jocks do"
About this Quote
The real target isn't just Palin's book deal; it's the idea of Palin as a legitimate political intellect. "Not just reading a book, writing a book" relies on an unspoken premise that she doesn't read - a dig at her public persona as an anti-elite populist and at the media's recurring fixation on her gaffes. When he corrects himself to the publisher's term, "collaborating", he performs a second, more cutting insinuation: she isn't the author so much as the brand. The scare-quote energy turns publishing jargon into evidence of fraud.
Calling it "one of these 'I told you' books that jocks do" is loaded snobbery disguised as cultural critique. It casts Palin as the quarterback of politics: charismatic, improvisational, not bookish, and therefore suspect when she enters the realm of authorship. The subtext is about status policing - who gets to produce "serious" narratives in public life - and it also winks at the industry that monetizes politicians' celebrity whether or not they can write. Matthews is venting, but he's also reinforcing a media-era hierarchy: ideas come from the credentialed; everyone else sells memoir as merchandise.
Quote Details
| Topic | Sarcastic |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Matthews, Chris. (2026, January 17). Sarah Palin - now don't laugh - is writing a book. Not just reading a book, writing a book. Actually, in the word of the publisher, she's 'collaborating' on a book. What an embarrassment! It's one of these 'I told you,' books that jocks do. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/sarah-palin-now-dont-laugh-is-writing-a-book-72599/
Chicago Style
Matthews, Chris. "Sarah Palin - now don't laugh - is writing a book. Not just reading a book, writing a book. Actually, in the word of the publisher, she's 'collaborating' on a book. What an embarrassment! It's one of these 'I told you,' books that jocks do." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/sarah-palin-now-dont-laugh-is-writing-a-book-72599/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Sarah Palin - now don't laugh - is writing a book. Not just reading a book, writing a book. Actually, in the word of the publisher, she's 'collaborating' on a book. What an embarrassment! It's one of these 'I told you,' books that jocks do." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/sarah-palin-now-dont-laugh-is-writing-a-book-72599/. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
