Erma Bombeck
Erma Bombeck was a renowned American humorist and author, best known for her insightful and humorous writings on the challenges of suburban family life and motherhood. She began her career in 1952 with a humor column titled "Operation Dustrag," which humorously addressed the monotony of housework. After taking a break from journalism to raise her children, Bombeck returned in 1965 with a weekly column that quickly gained popularity. By the late 1970s, her work was syndicated in over eight hundred newspapers, and she became a prominent voice in American humor.
Bombeck's writing resonated with many women dealing with the pressures of domestic life, as she offered a relatable perspective that combined wit with wisdom. In addition to her newspaper columns, she published several bestselling books, including "The Grass Is Always Greener over the Septic Tank." She also became involved in social issues, particularly the Equal Rights Amendment, although she kept her political views separate from her writing. Her contributions extended to television, with appearances on shows like "Good Morning America." Despite some setbacks in her television career, Bombeck's legacy remains as a beloved figure whose humor captured the everyday experiences of many families.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Erma Bombeck
- Born: February 21, 1927
- Birthplace: Dayton, Ohio
- Died: April 22, 1996
- Place of death: San Francisco, California
Identification American humorist
In addition to being a popular columnist, Bombeck was a successful author of books, a television star, a lecturer, and an advocate for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). By the end of the 1970’s, she was a household name.
Erma Bombeck began writing a humor column, Operation Dustrag, for the Dayton Journal-Herald in 1952. It was an uproarious take on the drudgery of housework, which Bombeck’s recent marriage impressed upon her. She left journalism in 1954 after adopting a child; she later gave birth to two children. In 1965, Bombeck returned to journalism and began a weekly humor column focusing on suburban family life.
Bombeck came by her new job in a typically simple manner. In 1964, she went to see the editor of her local paper, the Kettering-Oakwood Time, and asked to write a column, for which she earned three dollars a week. In the late 1960’s, she moved to the Dayton Journal-Herald, her original newspaper, and wrote two columns per week. Soon, the Newsday Syndicate began to distribute her column, At Wit’s End. It soon ran twice a week, then three times. By 1968, the column was syndicated in two hundred newspapers; by the late 1970’s, it would appear in more than eight hundred.
By the 1970’s, Bombeck was on the lecture circuit. Fans flocked to hear her poke fun at their daily lives. The success of her lecture tours and newspaper columns led her to publish books. Her most famous was The Grass Is Always Greener over the Septic Tank (1976), followed by I Lost Everything in the Post-natal Depression (1973).
Bombeck’s popularity led to her appointment in 1978 to the President’s National Advisory Committee for Women. Bombeck had never been an activist, but the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which Congress approved in 1972, presented an issue that demanded her attention. She was angered by the fact that although a vast majority of Americans approved of its passage, the proposed amendment had stalled in its attempt to pass in three-quarters of the states after a quick acceptance by thirty states. Her belief in the correctness of the amendment led her to begin a tour under the sponsorship of ERA America.
However, Bombeck managed to keep her political beliefs out of her writing. She continued to publish her humor column and books. She received an advance of almost one million dollars for the paperback rights to If Life Is a Bowl of Cherries, What Am I Doing in the Pits? (1978). Her books began to be released in first printings of 700,000 hardcover editions.
In 1975, Bombeck added television to her accomplishments. She appeared on Good Morning America, a challenger to the Today show for morning ratings. She stayed with the show for eleven years. Other television opportunities followed that were not so successful. On October 25, 1978, a television film of The Grass Is Always Greener over the Septic Tank aired, starring Carol Burnett and Charles Grodin. It was not a ratings success, and the critics panned it. Undeterred, Bombeck conceived two potential series, but both flopped. She then turned down other offers to come up with sitcom ideas. Her life had become too hectic.
Impact
The secret of Erma Bombeck’s success was profoundly simple: She wrote about experiences common to many women who were overwhelmed by the enormous work of motherhood and suburban life. The relentless needs of one’s family and its ups and downs needed a light but wise touch, and Bombeck supplied it.
Bibliography
Bombeck, Erma. The Grass Is Always Greener over the Septic Tank. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1976.
Bombeck, Erma. I Lost Everything in the Post-natal Depression. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1973.
King, Norman. Here’s Erma! The Bombecking of America. Aurora, Ill.: Caroline House, 1982.