Image: Shutterstock
The year 2020 is almost here. It is not only a new year but also the beginning of a new decade. Some of you might already be busy cracking your resolutions for the new year, so we have a good one for you: stop encouraging sexist and wife jokes.
With the advent of social media, we saw wife jokes explode on apps like WhatsApp and Hike Messenger in this decade. Perhaps even you thought something was off with these jokes but just couldn’t put your finger on it. Allow us to take apart some of the wife jokes that have been doing rounds to help you figure out what’s wrong with these.
1. Can I Cook Or Can’t I?
Image: Shutterstock
A husband and wife were out on a dinner date. When the food arrived, the husband began digging in. Surprised, his wife said, “Honey, you never forget to say your prayers at home before dinner!”
Her husband replied, “Yeah, but here the chef knows how to cook.”
Homemaker, housewife, caregiver – these are all labels the society has imposed on women. The joke is hinting at how a woman is expected to keep an immaculate household, know how to cook and please her husband at all times.
2. Wife Not Wanted
Image: Shutterstock
A man felt too lonely, and decided to post an ad that said: “Wife Wanted.”
He woke up the next morning to get over 100 replies in his inbox, saying, “You can have mine.”
Despite everything a wife does for her family, to be portrayed as merely an endurance is a grave insult. It’s high time we got rid of this attitude. There’s no harm in acknowledging her worth and the value she brings to your life. In addition to that, it also brings out the fact that wives are treated as properties.
3. One Is Not Enough
Image: Shutterstock
Every man wishes for a beautiful wife, a co-operative wife, a smart wife, and a loving wife. Unfortunately, bigamy is an offense.
There are too many unrealistic expectations placed on women and young girls. To be a good wife, they need to be smart, physically attractive, affectionate, loyal, and so much more. Instead of blaming your wife for “falling short”, accept the fact that nobody is perfect, and it is not perfection that makes a good marriage. Value your spouse for what they are now.
4. The Talkative Woman Joke
Image: Shutterstock
After finishing dinner at a restaurant, husband and wife cracked open their fortune cookies. The wife’s note read, “Be quiet for a little while.” The husband’s read, “Talk while you have a chance.”
Not all women are talkative. Also, there are plenty of talkative men out there. Other than making a bland generalization, this joke doesn’t even carry any humor.
5. The Kitchen Joke
Image: Shutterstock
The husband asked his wife, “Where would you like to go to celebrate our anniversary?”
She said, “Somewhere I have never been to before!”
The husband replied, “The kitchen sounds good?”
Clearly, this joke belongs to the 18 century. Women may or may not cook, and it’s their choice. Also, there is no mandate prohibiting men from cooking if they wish to.
6.The Hysterical Woman Joke
Image: Shutterstock
The husband to a friend: When my wife gets upset, I say “calm down” in a soothing voice.
Friend: What happens then?
Husband: She gets more upset.
Describing women as “hysterical” for expressing their emotions is a carryover from the times when scientists with twisted minds were doing experiments on human behavior. It’s about time we did away with these.
7. Obligation To Endure
Image: Shutterstock
A man at a coffee shop looked disturbed by the messages he’d just received. “You have a nagging ex-girlfriend?” the barista asked the man.
“Yeah,” he said, “My wife.”
Other than sending a toxic message about marriage, the joke is rather flat. A marriage need not pit the man and the woman against each other.
8. The Dumb Woman’s Lane
Image: Shutterstock
The wife came back from the store after buying an expensive “brain-stimulating” product without really reading the label. After reading the label, she exclaimed to her husband, “This is just rosemary extract! I can’t believe I spent so much money on something that I have growing in my backyard!”
“That’s great,” the husband replied, “You’re already smarter.”
If you still believe that all women are ditsy, you might want to pick up a book and start reading. In the last decade alone, we saw many smart and talented women emerge and do brilliant things in the world. Of course, women can and do read labels before they spend money on stuff.
For some perverse reason, we seem unable to stop enjoying wife jokes. These are proving to be hard to get rid of, but silence is not going to help. Next time such a joke pops up in one of your chats, speak up. This new year, let’s try to leave sexist jokes behind and pick up healthier mindsets.
