Do Mother In Laws deserve their reputation?

Wrex · 18-01-2020 04:34PM #1

Saw a bit of the Late Late last night, and watched the bit about the Mother in Law giving a kidney to his son in law.

There was a bit of the usual " oh the Mother in Law" giggles in the audience. Got me thinking, Mother in Law jokes have been popular for decades, and as they say, no smoke without fire.

Question is, do Mother in Laws deserve their negative reputation?

eviltwin · 18-01-2020 04:36PM

Mine doesn't. She is a wonderful person and I'm so lucky to have her.

My husband's mother in law though, she's a complete bitch.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5 · 18-01-2020 04:39PM

Pretty much like thick Paddy jokes and the like.

Lazy jokes made by nasty people for a thick audience, with everyone involved mistaking recognition of bigoted stereotypes for a sense of humour.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts · 18-01-2020 04:45PM

I love my mammy-in-law.

jay1988 · 18-01-2020 04:46PM

Mines a thundering **** anyways.

limnam · 18-01-2020 04:46PM

Trenton Happy Barber wrote: »

Pretty much like thick Paddy jokes and the like.

Lazy jokes made by nasty people for a thick audience, with everyone involved mistaking recognition of bigoted stereotypes for a sense of humour.

The life and soul has arrived.

Stateofyou · 18-01-2020 04:46PM

Well deserved, I'll leave it at that.

theballz · 18-01-2020 04:49PM

Really broad question and is completely subjective - no right or wrong answer here.

Plumbthedepths · 18-01-2020 04:50PM

limnam wrote: »

The life and soul has arrived.

It must be terrible being permanently offended for some. ;-)

strandroad · 18-01-2020 04:51PM

Mine is fab, a very sensible woman and friendly too.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5 · 18-01-2020 04:51PM

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

It must be terrible being permanently offended for some. ;-)

Well I hope ye manage it okay, didn't mean to offend xx

18-01-2020 04:53PM

Mothers In Law can be angels or devils. I’ve had both.

Plumbthedepths · 18-01-2020 04:58PM

Trenton Happy Barber wrote: »

Well I hope ye manage it okay, didn't mean to offend xx

I'm not offended at all. MIL jokes are just that jokes meant to be taken light-heartedly. You seem devoid of humour. I also find 'paddy ' jokes funny. I think it's important not to take oneself too seriously. Remember you are here for a good time not a long time. Lighten up. ;-)

banie01 · 18-01-2020 05:01PM

I've had a very fraught relationship with my 1st MiL she could be, and sometimes still is a vindictive, childish and selfish bully.

I will hand on heart say, she has changed.
Don't buy the leopards don't change their spots spiel.
Granted it was only after the death of her daughter, but she has been and is an integral part of what's left of my family and was a great comfort (and I hope I returned that to her).

It's 12yrs since we lost her daughter, a little more recent than that, that we came to terms with our own differences and even though I've remarried...

She is still my MiL, I have 2 now and blending families isn't just about the kids...
It's the baggage too

She is fighting cancer at the moment...
She's doing ok, but for the 1st time in 27yrs many of them hating her...
I'm terrified of losing her.

MiLs are what ya make of them...
MiLFs are where it's at

limnam · 18-01-2020 05:02PM

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

I'm not offended at all. MIL jokes are just that jokes meant to be taken light-heartedly. You seem devoid of humour. I also find 'paddy ' jokes funny. I think it's important not to take oneself too seriously. Remember you are here for a good time not a long time. Lighten up. ;-)

acknowledge your mistakes.

Then go cry into a huge pillow.

Tut tut.

Rothko · 18-01-2020 05:04PM

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

It must be terrible being permanently offended for some. ;-)

I don't see anyone being offended

BeerWolf · 18-01-2020 05:04PM

It's a very old stereotype humour that's found the world over.

pq0n1ct4ve8zf5 · 18-01-2020 05:05PM

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

I'm not offended at all. MIL jokes are just that jokes meant to be taken light-heartedly. You seem devoid of humour. I also find 'paddy ' jokes funny. I think it's important not to take oneself too seriously. Remember you are here for a good time not a long time. Lighten up. ;-)

I'm hardly taking them seriously. They're just not funny. Maybe the first one was but it's the same joke again and again.

Hey. Hey. I like your avatar.....NOT.

Laugh at that joke or you're offended, by your logic.

Lillyfae · 18-01-2020 05:08PM

eviltwin wrote: »

Mine doesn't. She is a wonderful person and I'm so lucky to have her.

My husband's mother in law though, she's a complete bitch.

Second this!

My first MIL was a complete and utter dose though. I’m even more glad to be rid of her to be honest..

Plumbthedepths · 18-01-2020 05:10PM

Trenton Happy Barber wrote: »

I'm hardly taking them seriously. They're just not funny. Maybe the first one was but it's the same joke again and again.

Hey. Hey. I like your avatar.....NOT.

Laugh at that joke or you're offended, by your logic.

Hagar is funny though.

https://m.arcamax.com/thefunnies/hagarthehorrible/

Raconteuse · 18-01-2020 05:12PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Mothers In Law can be angels or devils. I’ve had both.

Like most people they are neither angels nor devils, just humans somewhere in the middle.

I do lol at some of the jokes though.

Stateofyou · 18-01-2020 05:13PM

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

I'm not offended at all. MIL jokes are just that jokes meant to be taken light-heartedly. You seem devoid of humour. I also find 'paddy ' jokes funny. I think it's important not to take oneself too seriously. Remember you are here for a good time not a long time. Lighten up. ;-)

Ah come on, that's fairly dismissive. Some have toxic in laws that have caused huge harm to mental health and it's no laughing matter. To be told to "lighten up" in the face of that is not something you'd say in real life?

garbanzo · 18-01-2020 05:15PM

I’d a brilliant mother in law. My wife says she had too. We were very lucky.

Both gone now. Miss them both.

fineso.mom · 18-01-2020 05:17PM

My mother in law was a lovely person, and was still lovely when her son and I divorced. My ex-husband remarried about 10 years ago and his mother in law is an absolute sweetheart. She treated our children as her grandchildren from day one and sends me a Christmas card every year.
Among my friends, I have never heard one ever complain about mother's in law.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 18-01-2020 05:20PM

garbanzo wrote: »

I’d a brilliant mother in law. My wife says she had too. We were very lucky.

Both gone now. Miss them both.

Same here. Both were much loved and appreciated and got on very well together as well.

Mother in laws are just people and have all the traits found in people generally. They are not some breed or class set apart from the rest of society or family dynamics.

hatrickpatrick · 18-01-2020 05:21PM

Why is there such a stereotype about mothers in law which doesn't seem to exist for fathers in law? I've always wondered this, doubhebags and overprotective parents know no gender boundaries in fairness...

Plumbthedepths · 18-01-2020 05:21PM

Stateofyou wrote: »

Ah come on, that's fairly dismissive. Some have toxic in laws that have caused huge harm to mental health and it's no laughing matter. To be told to "lighten up" in the face of that is not something you'd say in real life?

My comment was in response to mother in law jokes being just that jokes.
Absolutely no interest in engaging in whatever tangent you have decided to conflate my comment with.

Stateofyou · 18-01-2020 05:24PM

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

My comment was in response to mother in law jokes being just that jokes.
Absolutely no interest in engaging in whatever tangent you have decided to conflate my comment with.

Not everything is a joking matter, how is that a tangent. Lighten up!

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1 · 18-01-2020 05:24PM

hatrickpatrick wrote: »

Why is there such a stereotype about mothers in law which doesn't seem to exist for fathers in law? ...

Because the likes of Les Dawson got laughs from the portrayal.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts · 18-01-2020 05:27PM

Stateofyou wrote: »

Not everything is a joking matter, how is that a tangent. Lighten up!

If we applied that to everything, we’d be very restricted in what we can joke about. People have trauma about a wide range of issues. Should humour in any of those areas therefore be off the table?

Everything has to be fair game for humour or nothing can be. You can’t dance around everyone’s fee fees.

BuboBubo · 18-01-2020 05:27PM

I had a fantastic mother in law, unfortunately she died a few years ago. I still miss her, she was right craic.

Do Mother In Laws deserve their reputation?

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