Ester Bloom

Not too long ago, Americans tended to be wary of male politicians who were married to ambitious, working women. Back in 1992, when her husband was running for president, many found the professional success of prospective first lady Hillary Clinton off-putting and suspicious. She famously got into trouble for an offhand comment that suggested she preferred pursuing a career over staying home and baking cookies. As part of her public penance, and to provide proof of her femininity, she had to release her own cookie recipe.

There are a lot of things we’ve come to expect when we buy a package of Girl Scout cookies: the joy of knowing we’re supporting troops of 10-year-olds, the addictive crumble of a Thin Mint. But most of us don’t expect to be asked for a tip.