The Stepford Wives language after the publication of Levin's book and it is generally used as a derogatory term which refers to a submissive and docile wife who seems to conform blindly to the stereotype of an old-fashioned subservient role in relationship to her husband. It is sometimes used in reference to any woman, even an accomplished professional woman, who had subordinated her life or career to her husband's interests and who affected submission and devotion to him even in the face of the husband's public problems and disgrace. The Stepford Wives The Stepford Wives is a 1972 satirical thriller novel by Ira
Bernard Levin with "Truth's" support of the Anglo-French military action in the Suez Crisis. The proprietor and editor of the long-established weekly "The Spectator", Ian Gilmour, invited Levin to join his staff. Levin left "Truth" and became the political correspondent of "The Spectator". He declared that he was no expert in politics, but Gilmour advised him, "review it as you would review television". Levin wrote his column under the pseudonym "Taper", from the name of a corrupt political insider in Disraeli's 1844 novel "Coningsby". He followed Gilmour's advice, becoming, as "The Guardian"<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Simon Hoggart said, "the father of the modern parliamentary sketch":