Wives in old cartoons

[Wussycat]

Something about old cartoons is really confusing. They would sometimes show wives nagging at their husbands and beating them up. Little Swee'Pea ends with Olive beating up Popeye because he made Swee'Pea cry. There's a Daffy Duck cartoon in which he's married to a very abusive woman and she beats him up after he loses their egg. There are a few Donald Duck cartoons in which Daisy nags at him. There's a Felix the Cat short where his wife hits him with a rolling pin and tells him to get a job. Weren't these cartoons made in the days when all wives were just housewives and not strong?

[The Weed Of Cri]

The role reversal of the henpecked husband in a male-dominated society has been a persistent source of humor for a century. The practice seems to have originated here in the United States, somewhere around the time American Society began to acknowledge the concept of women's rights, and women began to get a voice in society, rather than simply being men's chattel.

Strangely enough, while modern Western women have more rights and a louder voice than ever before, and while the idea of using spousal abuse as a source of humor has become politically incorrect to the point of taboo, the image of men in popular culture is lower than it has ever been. There are endless "family" comedies, prime-time cartoons, and commercials in which the wife is practical, intelligent, centered, and successful at everything, while the husband is invariably a moronic dolt.

[Sharklady]

> There are endless "family" comedies, prime-time cartoons, and commercials in which the wife is practical, intelligent, centered, and successful at everything, while the husband is invariably a moronic dolt. <

'The Simpsons' being a prime example.

I suppose it's a subtler continuation of the same humor; we laugh at the supposed Dominant Member because we can see somebody else is actually running things.

[judyindisguise]

> There are endless "family" comedies, prime-time cartoons, and commercials in which the wife is practical, intelligent, centered, and successful at everything, while the husband is invariably a moronic dolt. <

'The Simpsons' being a prime example.

I suppose it's a subtler continuation of the same humor; we laugh at the supposed Dominant Member because we can see somebody else is actually running things.

It's a comic device that's gotten pretty old IMO. The stupid husband and the smart wife who somehow isn't smart enough to realize what a raw deal she got when she married him The smart wife is also shown to be long-suffering and willing to put up with anything. Marge Simpson, Lois Griffin and Wanda (of FOP) are prime examples. Although at least Marge has put her foot down with Homer occasionally. There's apparently a subset of FOP fans out there who long for an episode where Wanda divorces Cosmo. Can't say I'd be opposed to it myself. :anime:

[tb4000]

It's not just animation, but most of the sitcoms featuring a family always feature the dad as this moronic dolt who always ends up admitting to the smart wife why he was wrong. On occasion, Homer does get the better of Marge, but it's rare. In sitcoms the guys are usually pretty intelligent and sarcastic when they're single, but once they get married, it's like idiocy overtakes them.

[Scythemantis]

Weren't these cartoons made in the days when all wives were just housewives and not strong?

They're cartoons, their entire point is to be goofy and unexpected. At the time, that was a really original and funny idea.

However I would like to see a sitcom one of these days where the wife is a loud, boorish, infantile moron. I don't think it would make a show funnier or anything, I just want the stereotype to die. Once someone does it, other shows won't be so afraid to do the same.

Idiocy is not gender-specific!

[Gokou Ruri]

"Women hitting men = Comedic gold.
Men hitting women = You're going to answer to Satan for laughing at this, you sick and twisted freak!"

Double standards are fun.

[sdp]

^^^^^
kind of like the way racism works, i always find that dumb that it's only 'right' for one to use it.

However I would like to see a sitcom one of these days where the wife is a loud, boorish, infantile moron.

sounds like Roseanne..

[nakak]

However I would like to see a sitcom one of these days where the wife is a loud, boorish, infantile moron. I don't think it would make a show funnier or anything, I just want the stereotype to die. Once someone does it, other shows won't be so afraid to do the same.

There is actually an anime like that in Japan, called "Atashin' Chi" (aka "My Family").

The show is about a moronic mother, cynical father and their children. The mother actually reminds me of Homer Simpson sometimes (ironically, their daughter is like Lisa, only less-rebellous and more annoying)

[tb4000]

^^^^^
kind of like the way racism works, i always find that dumb that it's only 'right' for one to use it.



sounds like Roseanne..

How is it like racism?

[nakak]

How is it like racism?

I think he means something like this:

"It's okay to make fun of white people, but don't make fun of black people".

Although in this case, it's because black people are still considered minority.

[Kaoru]

> There are endless "family" comedies, prime-time cartoons, and commercials in which the wife is practical, intelligent, centered, and successful at everything, while the husband is invariably a moronic dolt. <

'The Simpsons' being a prime example.

Homer is definitely an idiot, but Marge is a grouchy, frowning, critical, old-fashioned puritan, unable of having any fun.


Regarding the topic, those revolutions have not only been happening with women, but all races, sexualities and groups that have been fighting for rights. Nowadays though, it's all pretty fairly balanced, although there is a substantial lack of black persons in most animations, but also vice-versa. It probably depends on demographics.

[Sharklady]

> ... Marge is a grouchy, frowning, critical, old-fashioned puritan, unable of having any fun. <

We *can't* have been watching the same show.

[Wussycat]

However I would like to see a sitcom one of these days where the wife is a loud, boorish, infantile moron.

Married With Children is the only one that comes to mind.

[JesseCuster]

This has been going on in nearly every facet of popular culture for DECADES and still is continuing.

I really am concerned in the image of males that is being created. Young boys are likely to grow up thinking that they are SUPPOSED to be idiots when they grow up.

[judyindisguise]

> ... Marge is a grouchy, frowning, critical, old-fashioned puritan, unable of having any fun. <

We *can't* have been watching the same show.

I agree. I don't see Marge that way at all.

[judyindisguise]

This has been going on in nearly every facet of popular culture for DECADES and still is continuing.

I really am concerned in the image of males that is being created. Young boys are likely to grow up thinking that they are SUPPOSED to be idiots when they grow up.

And expect their women to forgive them for everything and clean up their messes. Yeah, the dumb husband stereotype is everywhere, especially in cartoons, and from repitition alone it's ceased to be really funny anymore.

[Happy]

I think that the reason it has gotten less funny is a combo of it becoming less of a change from real life and repitition.

[tb4000]

I hate to use the term "P.C." since so many people tend to throw it around nowadays, but I think it's become politcally incorrect to portray women as anything less than sensible and intelligent, unless they're like teenagers, then they make them stupid as all get out.

[Elven Moon]

Strangely enough, I grew up watching some of those old looney tunes, so I thought once I got married I was supposed to put curlers in my hair and hit my husband with a rolling pin