The Good Wife’s Guide
While unpacking around the new house yesterday, I noticed this on top of Fletch’s pile of papers.
Such a laugh, I had to steal it and scan it. It is uncertain if those are his underlines and highlights, or even if it is for real or just a satirical piece. It’s funny all the same.
1955, what a time to live.
September 18th, 2008 at 11:13 pm
I want a wife!!
September 20th, 2008 at 9:42 am
hahahahahaha
that is the funniest thing i’ve ever read in my entire life.
well done.
September 25th, 2008 at 9:54 am
they missed the bj’s
September 25th, 2008 at 9:58 am
That scan is older than dirt. I call BS on the story of finding it. Here is a copy with the same underlines and hilites:
http://www.girlscantwhat.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/good-housekeeping.jpg
There are many, many others. Why would you make that part up?
September 25th, 2008 at 10:29 am
You know, this almost sounds like a mission statement from a luxury catering business. Even if it is satirical, it’s interesting to wonder if women in the ’50s actually did treat the role of stay-at-home-wife as a career. Doubtless many of them married for economic rather than romantic reasons.
September 25th, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Come on…I’m a guy and well I want a woman that wants a man that going to treat her the same way….Traet her right and she’ll do the same
September 25th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
what part is supposed to be funny?
September 25th, 2008 at 4:20 pm
My god all of it was hilarious, certainly you didn’t take it seriously styx?
September 25th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
I want such a wife today!!Hahaha.
September 25th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Thanks pantsonfire, I would have never thought.
This is quite funny, though.
September 25th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
OH that’s amusing. I’ve read something very similar before but I do enjoy reading about the past!
It is shocking to think that the woman’s role was so man-centred.
Thank goodness it’s not like that now.
September 25th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Whoa I need a wife too. Maybe this explain why some woman turn lesbian. ( though I am straight )
September 25th, 2008 at 8:51 pm
I think that more woman should take notice of these simple guidelines. Even if you’re not married, there’s something to learn here, particularly within the last bullet point.
It’s really not too much to ask, is it?
September 25th, 2008 at 9:36 pm
WTF
September 26th, 2008 at 3:38 am
Lol. Wow, that was hilarious. To think that there were women that actually centered their lives around their spouse so completely. Sometimes there still are women who are like that too. It all has to do with how you were raised I guess. Seriously though, it was pretty entertaining. I got a kick out of it. 😉
September 27th, 2008 at 3:02 am
Jack ruuulz!
September 27th, 2008 at 5:41 am
I wish i could be like that!
September 27th, 2008 at 6:37 am
LOL awesome, that’s hilarious
September 27th, 2008 at 7:44 am
The story by the submitter is fake, and the doc itself probably is too. Snopes did this one awhile ago: http://www.snopes.com/language/document/goodwife.asp
September 27th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Ha, I thought it was maybe just satire, my story isn’t fake though. I didn’t actually find the book that it came from obviously, just the photocopied page, and yep subsequently found out that there are a lot of copies with the same underlining and everything.
Thanks guys for the comments.
September 27th, 2008 at 10:15 am
Some of that advice is good- in fact I do it myself- after 15 years of marriage, I have started this year, since I stay home now. Making meals, cleaning up a bit, comforting him after work… there is nothing wrong with that.
When I worked and he didn’t, he did the same for me. My husband far out serves me, make no mistake…..
One day I noticed this and began to reciprocate. It has made a big difference.
Just because this also has some very antiquated remarks that make a woman out to be a doormat- don’t throw out the good parts…..
September 27th, 2008 at 11:24 am
This is real. Our Sociology professor showed this to us, it’s from a 1950’s social sciences textbook. (She’s a major feminist and was making a point about how far women have come.) Still, funny though.
September 27th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
I’m a homemaker and I have to say..that’s sort of what I try to do anyway. Whats the harm in taking good care of my man? I’ve found through out my 20 year marriage is the more I try to do these things..the more love and affection I get in return. Granted some of it is just nuts. But hey I see no harm and it works for us.
September 27th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
It’s not the craziest thing I’ve ever seen. Besides, reword it to make it sound like this is the woman getting a certain reaction out of the man, and you’re reading a relationship article from Cosmo honestly.
I think women today are getting a little too hurt by the idea of being a wife to their husbands. If you stay home all day, and he works, as the counterpart of the marriage it is your job to take care of the house & kids. It’s a partnership.
September 27th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
well if you people would just do it.
September 28th, 2008 at 2:54 am
There’s a lot of women making comments on this without being spoken to first.
September 28th, 2008 at 5:11 am
I hope I can one day be a good wife, but please forgive me if I fall short of those standards…
September 28th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
LOL Jared…I was waiting to see who would come out with that 1 😛
September 28th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
while this article IS written in a sexist manner, it saddens and frustrates me to see the arrogant and prideful remarks on here, from women I would assume but probably some pussy whipped men too.
these are the gender roles set for us by our biology
it doesn’t mean that women cant be paid the same, or work in the same workplace, or vote, or whatever, but yes, you as a wife are obligated to treat your husband a certain way, as he is obligated to treat you a certain way. what women dont get, is that they are always the ones to break the deal first, and then they blame the man when he lets himself go too.
stop being bitches
jenniL: most women still do marry for economic reasons. yes.
September 28th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Is it sad that I want to be this person once and a while?
September 28th, 2008 at 3:20 pm
Interesting all the comments that have been made but i can see that this is funny and there are things that both women and men can take out of this article from over half a decade ago! i for one have a contract with my man and we both hold up our ends of it even though sometimes we forget we still honor it. Fun and happiness is what it is supposed to be!! so laugh have fun and enjoy life!!!!
🙂
September 28th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
LOL, that is hilarious! 🙂
September 28th, 2008 at 6:12 pm
Lady, I made myself laugh while I was typing it 🙂
September 28th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
talk about STEPFORD WIFES!!!!!!! EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
WTF IS RIGHT!!
how gross!
September 28th, 2008 at 11:53 pm
While I found it amusing, this is the life I have striven to lead for a very long time. My husband appreciates my love and attention to our home, and I am rewarded with a content and attentive husband.
This idyllic life works only if both sides hold up their ends of the deal. Women take care of the men, and the men take care of us, each in our own way, neither side believing theirs to be more important than the other.
If somewhere, some men did not hold to that bargain, and those women they affected decided it was time to shed the traditions so long established, then let them. However, they have no more right to tell me to change than I do to tell them to get back in the kitchen.
September 29th, 2008 at 12:44 am
Having grown up in that era, and become a housewife myself in the early sixties, I must tell you that THIS IS NO SATIRE! This is what our culture, our society, expected from all married women. I am appalled that some of the comments state that this is the way things should be! I was actually like this when I first married (I was 19 at the time) but I swiftly realized that living as someone’s slave went out in civil war times, and I decided I wasn’t going to do it any more. Fast forward twenty years; I divorced my first husband and married my second. But not before he agreed to a 50-50 division of labor in the house. We have been together since the late 80’s, and yes, he still does his share of the housework.
BTW, the Snopes article says that it is “undetermined” as to whether the above article was a hoax or not.
September 29th, 2008 at 4:36 am
This sort of wife still exists in India.
September 29th, 2008 at 7:25 am
Well, what’s wrong with that? These are all reasonable requests. Don’t forget ladies to use Lysol for feminine freshness. Your husband will thank you for it!
September 29th, 2008 at 11:28 pm
The world would be a better place if we all treated our spouses as a top priority and considered their needs and feelings in this way. The problem with the article is that it recommends an unequal partnership where the woman values her own needs less than her husband’s. If any of you men are wondering why your ex-wives have your house your kids and your money, it’s because this old way of thinking advises women to be completely dependent on men. Guess who’s getting the better deal here. Please encourage the women in your life to take care of themselves!
Let’s write a Good Husband’s guide. I’m sure we could come up with a few “duties” that the boys would enjoy. On a serious note, a fundamental lack of respect for women is damaging to all of us, and especially children. In much of the world wives are considered property or servants. An extreme example is a woman in Burundi had her arms cut off by her husband because their baby was not male. It’s not really that funny when you consider how these gender roles play out all over the world.
September 30th, 2008 at 2:08 am
‘1955, what a time to live.’
And, I sincerely do hope that you do not think that we have grown out of those times. If you do, I have news for you: Cosmopolitan. If you think, that’s a bit of an exaggerated statement, I have news from abroad: the rest of the world. If you think that it’s too general, and want to cite exceptions, I need to remind you that you’re only citing the exception to the rule.
Satire or not, real or fabricated, this document signifies something worth signifying and it’s by no means limited to 1955s, if you bought into this, you would have bought into that.
September 30th, 2008 at 2:11 am
lol its more like the good “maid” guide!
September 30th, 2008 at 6:30 am
What I find absolutely fascinating is number and varied responses. This cuts to the quick for a lot of people, men and women.
The sheer audacity to try and judge what is or is not a good wife’s duties, the horribly superior tone of this publication, the fact that some see it as humor and others are genuinely offended, all of these things show just how sensitive this subject still is to modern society.
As to the notion of a “Good Husbands Guide” I love the idea of these being re-written for both husbands and wives. Stuff like “Keep Your Job – It’s your duty to provide for your family…” and “A Successful Family Is A Partnership – Do your part….” “Is the trash taken out?” “Are the children fed?” “Is the TV on more than off?” would be applicable across the board.
On another tangent is the notion that a man could support his family solely on his income alone. Most of us know that is just fantasy these days. And even so many women I meet in my day to day living would at least halfheartedly agree with some of the suggestions in this “Guide” and many of the men I know have some sort of desire to have a “Wife” such as this, and would love to be the “Bread Winner” for his family.
If there is a common cause for divorce I would say it is these quaint notions warring with the reality of the world today.
Most of us as men would love to be this heroic icon of a man, and I believe many women would love for us to be this also. I also think most of us would love to have this ever supportive domestic goddess as a wife, and I have heard expressed many times, by many women, that they would love to be able to do this.
I believe it is when these notions come into conflict with our ever present shortcomings that strife steps into a marriage. We begin to become resentful because our partner is failing our absurdly high expectations of them. Added to this misery is our shame and guilt at being unable to meet the absurdly high expectations we think that we ourselves are under.
Take this rinse and repeat for 50+ years, and the result is today’s world.
If we could just learn to be a bit more honest. Slow the emasculation of the modern male. Bring back reverence of the feminine, and most importantly be true to ourselves, not what we think someone else wants, and we might even be able to find some form of quiet and peaceful accord between the sexes. Hell it could even be enjoyable (gasp!).
Of course, I am just some dumb redneck, what do I know?
September 30th, 2008 at 10:10 am
hey you guys and gals are missing out on all the fun. I have been involved with my sexy submissive man for many years and he does all those things and MORE! I call the shots….he loves the fact that i am the dom and he gets to submit…when both parties agree to the dom/sub connection it can really be an awesome arrangement….
September 30th, 2008 at 3:12 pm
Devi, I wish I could meet you, and show you how strong my pimp-hand is.
October 1st, 2008 at 10:18 am
hilarious.
and moosey, if there weren’t emasculated men, i’d end up dying an old maid! i don’t play the wifey game very well :]
October 1st, 2008 at 10:55 am
Goes to show you what happens when the men were trying to keep women down. Government trying to keep the men in power. Especially if this was taught in school. Once Tv and more recently mass media, arrived women got to see what was messed up in society. Before it was just what they were taught to do.
October 1st, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Uh. Okay, so according to ‘seriously,’ “These are the gender roles set for us by our biology”? REALLY? That has to be the biggest load of bullshit I’ve ever read in my life. If you were educated, you’d realize that women and men DID divide both stereotypically ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ tasks before the rise of urban dwellings. This was because before cities, the emphasis was on family and cooperation, NOT on taking up arms and sending out big muscle men to kill invaders. Women were no longer ‘valuable’ in society’s eyes once cities first came into being because they didn’t have as much muscle capacity as men and muscle was in demand to protect the city walls. It all just went downhill from there, and THAT is where the discrepancies and subordination of women started. It has hardly ANYTHING to do with biology and pretty much EVERYTHING to do with culture.
Did you know that there’s a tribe called the Mundegumor? They’re a warring tribe. Both men AND women are aggressive (masculine traits). The Tchambuli completely REVERSE gender roles. There, the women shave their heads, make weapons and go out to hunt. The men stay at home, dress up, take care of the kids and home and gossip all day. The Arapesh share roles equally, with both men and women helping in the homes as well as aiding in hunting and protecting the village. Why? Because it’s within their CULTURE. Look at the research: the only substantial gender differences (non physical, of course) that have been found is that male babies tend to be more active than female babies, with a slightly greater tendency towards aggression. HOW that somehow leads to women being the ‘natural’ caretakers, I don’t know. But I can assure you that there’s no such thing as ‘maternal instinct.’ Some people, no matter what their sex, may be more naturally caring than others, but this capacity for caring and nurturing isn’t exclusively in women! New moms can be just as confused about what to do as new dads (and new dads can be just as loving as a mom). New moms can even feel resentful towards their offspring. Hell, some women don’t even WANT kids, let alone to be a stay at home wife. There’s nothing WRONG with the lifestyle of course, that’s not what I’m saying… all I’m getting at is the fact that it’s nothing inborn. That’s just a bullshit excuse to rationalize keeping people in their SOCIALLY-CONSTRUCTED gender roles instead of allowing them to simply be who and what they want to be.
October 2nd, 2008 at 5:56 am
The link to snopes was helpful. More interesting articles there and questions some as “dubious” origin.
October 2nd, 2008 at 6:18 am
I love this. It shows how silly it was the way women were treated.
If this were the example of how people should live…my growing up with a single mother would TOTALLY violate the norm.
However, a nice meal is a nice touch. My girlfriend takes care of me very nicely. In the modern time though, the man has to take care of his woman as well. I WILL NEVER KNOW WHY IT TOOK SO LONG FOR THIS TO BECOME THE SOCIETAL NORM.
That being said, the other day, I went to buy my girlfriend panty hose for her job b/c she was at work. I also pick up little things, do grocery shopping, laundry, basic cooking, and rub her back. All “traditional” (read bullshit…) tasks that were “women’s work.”
God I hate the phrase “women’s work.” If men still believe this stuff to be true…they are pigs and deserve to have a cheating slut be their wife.
GRRR…equal pay for equal work. Gender is irrelevant…being nice is being nice and taking care of your spouse or partner is just the way it needs to be.
End of rant
October 2nd, 2008 at 7:30 am
i think the satirical nature of the’s comment is genius :]
if a woman is staying at home all day, she should do SOME work. there is nothing equal about some wife sitting at home watching TV all day, then expecting her husband to come home, cook dinner, and do all the housework. a wife with no outside job should clean the house when needed and cook meals for the family, if the husband is at work.
however, if both are at work during the day for approximently equal hours, the work should be split.
if a man really loves his wife, he shouldn’t care what she looks like when he comes home. this publication definitely focuses on how “my husband’s opinions are far more important than mine! oops, i have to go, or he’ll beat me for being late to his 84th blowjob of the day!” which is not equality. but neither is “my wife? oh she’ll kick me out of the house if i don’t go down on her everynight for an hour .”
the 50s were great, weren’t they?
October 2nd, 2008 at 8:23 am
I think that people are missing the point to this post. It wasnt to bring out social norms and say, “hey, women, why arent you doing this still?” but the other way around. It was posted to say, look how far women have come in the past 50 or so years, and look how accomplished women can be now. Sure, women dont get paid as much as men, and yes, there are some things that women are percieved as not being able to do that men for some miraculous reason can, but its the gender issues that our society has been dealing with for hundreds of years, and one day we may finally get it right. a few posts before I have found to be sickening, because satirical or not, there is no reason for a woman to have to SUBMIT to her husband any more. Things have changed. Yes, a woman should take into consideration her husbands needs and wishes, but she should not feel obligated to do them. A husband should feel the same need to be good and take his wifes needs and wants into account as well. Marriage is not a one way street. It takes commitment, and it takes a lot of hard work, and will power. It is hard stuff, and BOTH parties have to work hard in order for it to work.
As a whole I find this article very satirical and funny now, even though it wasnt meant to be earlier in the 50’s because this is the way women were percieved back then. I am not saying that it is bad for a woman to want to do these things for her husband, because wanting to do them is okay, and it will make for a pleasant surprise if they are done by the time her husband gets home, it is a great gesture of how much you love someone to do things that you perhaps dont enjoy doing solely for the other persons comfort and enjoyment.
it is funny though.
October 2nd, 2008 at 9:55 am
Hey guys, great hearing all the commentary from you. Just a notice to the poster a few comments up, I had to delete your comment due to the nature of its content. I sincerely hope you were just trolling for attention and not serious.
Peace.
October 2nd, 2008 at 10:37 am
very funny, that was awesome, I am wondering though, where is the guide for the perfect husband, I would like to see that..hahahha
October 3rd, 2008 at 3:31 pm
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October 3rd, 2008 at 7:05 pm
What do you tell a woman with two black eyes?
Nothing she ain’t already been told twice!
Get back in that kitchen and make me a sammich woman!
October 4th, 2008 at 7:02 am
What do you do when your dog is barking at the back door and your wife is yelling at the front door?
Let the dog in first, because it’ll shut-up once it’s in the house!
Now, shut-up, get back in that kitchen and make me a sammich woman!
October 4th, 2008 at 2:21 pm
What I find funny is the divorce rate in our society today, and even funnier is that 48% of americans actually get married while the other 52% simply live together without marriage. and the divorce rate is a whopping 68% look at the national statistics database. If you look at countries such as India where a womans focus is on her homelife, and husband you will see much more successful marriages.
I did not find the wording off one bit on this article, as a matter of fact I couldnt have worded it better myself, How many couples you know married after the 60’s are still together, Why is family life becoming the abnormal now?? I met a man today who was caring for his wife who had alzheimers, He commented that she took care of him, now he is taking care of her..
Isnt that what its all about? I mean living in the moment is fine and dandy sometimes but you have to consider your future, and NO its not sexist to say my husband is my proctector and maintainer. He is my everything and I do almost everything on that list (except I am not as pleasant when he doesnt come home in a timely fashion after work)
I agree with everything and think it is my role as a female as God put me on this earth to Complete my husband… not to compete with him, but this fem-macho attitude of not needing a man is brought to you compliments of those who are trying to corrupt good morals and behavior, to satisfy their desires and be accepted, it seems that this macho-feminism is coming from the lesbians and those who want to simply excuse their perversions.
October 5th, 2008 at 1:02 am
Obediantwife,
In India the divorce rate is non existant because it is not allowed. When a Hindu couple marry they do it for life, usually not ever having met before in their lives. This does not mean they have happy lives with their spouse. Many of them are abused, and they’re not allowed to divorce.
Basically what I’m saying is in the 50’s that sort of thing was probably happening behind the scenes. The whole “Do not complain if your husband stays out all night” is setting women up to be cheated on, and potentially abused. Not everyone can live your lifestyle simply because they are not you, or your husband. I am sure your spouse is a good man, but not all men are good men, and many would just use your desire to please them to their own selfish gain.
And in the original Hebrew the word used to describe women as mans helper is used only twice in the Old Testament: Once to describe woman, and once to describe God as our Help in ever present trouble. When we say “women should help men” we are actually describing a sort of help that is synonymous with saving someone, or rescuing someone.
I would also exhort you to read some of the stories about the women in the Bible. None of them were 1950’s wives. Deborah took her children into battle with her. Abigail didn’t listen when her husband told her that David would get no support from him because she knew he was a fool. Rahab went against her government and hid spies from Israel, and ended up marrying one of them.
Why is it when these women disobey the patriarchs we admire them as women of strength, and faith, but heaven forbid we modern women disobey our patriarchs?
The degeneration of our society has nothing to do with feminism. Every society has had corruption, and wrong things, they just haven’t been out in the open because it was not something you talked about.
Honestly I didn’t find the paper that funny. I found some of it sweet, such as making yourself pretty for him. I enjoy dressing up, and I enjoy the look on his face when I parade it. However, the suggestion that I find my place is ridiculous, especially since NONE of the women I admire (and oddly enough the ones who made history) kept their place.
October 5th, 2008 at 1:32 am
well. ms obediantwife.. im not exactly sure what your “macho-feminism” is referring to? .. are you saying that a woman is wrong to “satisfy their desires and be accepted” ? i beg your pardon miss but who are you to say that ANY woman for that matter is a Lesbian because they don’t let their husbands play God with their life?
Your post is demeaning to not only women in general but lesbians as well. Putting men down as scum is not good morals at all.. but feminism.. believing that women should be equal.. that they should be respected.. where is the harm in that?
some of those “rules”.. should never be classified as good morals. What kind of marriage can be enjoyed and nurtured if a woman who has beliefs and needs has to ” Let her husband talk before she does because his topics are more important then hers”
divorce varies situation by situation. things are much different in 2008 than in the 60’s.. my god.. women were just being noticed in the 60’s.. and this is coming from someone born int he late 80’s.
doing things to help your husband is not wrong.. caring for him is not wrong.. but i would never EVER be with a man who cannot treat me decently.. whether its abuse or demanding that I have “dinner on the table” when i just got done a 10 hour shift as well..
I do not put down traditionalists.. but ill debate anyone who doesnt accept that lifestyle choices vary.. Never would i put down your lifestyle choice, obediantwife, until you have put down other womans..
show me the good morals there..
October 5th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
All of you people don’t seem to understand. Men and women are not supposed to be in competition with each other. It’s a trick and a lie that’s being used to keep us divided for the purpose of undermining the fabric of our society. The family is the foundation of society, and the foundation of the family is marriage. If you wonder why the world is in the state that it’s in today, look at the state of marriage. Husbands and wives are supposed to work together in order to raise intelligent, respectful, responsible children who grow up and become intelligent, respectful, responsible adults, who in turn go out into the world, get jobs, pay taxes, marry and raise more intelligent, respectful, responsible children. You cannot accomplish this when husbands and wives are constantly at each others throats about who does what more than who, who’s in charge and who isn’t, etc. This scan, though obviously a bit extreme, is a good model of how to maintain a marital relationship. Husbands and wives are supposed to serve each other. When you serve another person, their needs come before your own. We individuals are too selfish. When you love someone, your attitude should be one of service. “What can I do today to make him/her feel good?”, not “If I don’t get what I want, how I want it, and when I want it, I’m gonna act a damn fool!” These days people get married for what they can get out of the marriage instead of what they can bring to it. He/She did you wrong? You’re gonna do what to get even? You’re gonna throw a childish tantrum? But I thought you loved him/her? No, you love yourself more. And when you love yourself more than anyone else, you’re the only one that you’ll ever be able to get along with. WAKE UP PEOPLE! Our society and our very lives depend on it. If you really want to save the planet, save your marriages!
October 6th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
It’s a terrifying example of media brainwashing for men and for women.
It’s worse now though. We have fox.
October 8th, 2008 at 4:31 am
[…] Check it out. It is a lot of fun. Here are some of my favorites so far: -LIST OF UNUSUAL DEATHS -FUNNY CAPTIONS -DYING FROG -HAVE A HEART -ONE SENTENCE -ARE YOU KIDDING ME? -MORE SEXISM THAN YOU COULD SHAKE A STICK AT […]
October 8th, 2008 at 5:34 am
I think this is one of the most stupid posts I’ve ever read. You should treat everybody with the same respect you’d want to be treated with.
(Basically, you guys out there actually agree with this need to get your heads out of your asses. This basically says that these guys know how to do nothing and need their women to take care of them as if they were kids. There will come a time when those women will get tired of a 50 year kid to deal with and demand things change or she’ll leave.)
October 8th, 2008 at 3:31 pm
[…] blog about this in here, it reminds me of that movie called Monalisa Smile (2003) with Julia Robert, Kristen Dunst and […]
October 10th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Hey Brad,
You are a little bitch. You think you are being sweet by doing all that shit? You know what sweet gets? It gets you dumped. You think men that think “that way” are pigs and deserve a cheating slut? You’re chick will cheat on you before anyone on this board. Boring = c-ya later. You’re not giving her anymore that one of her girlfriends could as a favor. Quit being a wuss and buying you’re g/f pantyhose. Say it out loud: I AM BORING.
October 13th, 2008 at 12:32 am
This one reminds me of god, for some reason…What exactly is the wife supposed to expect in retrun?
October 16th, 2008 at 2:04 am
Its really not funny that women were treated like second class citizens and expected to be servants to there ‘masters’. Im sorry but I dont find anything funny about telling women that they have no right to question their husbands and that ‘good wives know their place’. We shouldnt find things like this funny, as women we should still see those kind of things, even if written in the 50s, as offensive and degrading. Because if we dont then one day we will find our selves regressing back into second class citizenship. We have to stand up for ourselves and speak our minds to let the men of the world know we are not weak and subservient. My boyfriend and I make dinner together, we do things for each other. And I dont want to get married. Thats such an old concept.
If were going to be together forever we will, if not then we dont have to go through legal hell and the destruction of legal divorce. Whats mine is mine and his is his. Its called EQUALITY.
October 16th, 2008 at 3:48 am
Split list in half. Hand to each spouse. Enjoy a happy marriage where no one feels crappy about themselves.
October 19th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
THIS IS FAKE.
October 19th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
The only thing wrong with this is the “know your place” shit. If I am at home all day and my partner is working, damn straight I am going to be doing the housework and trying to make things nice for when he or she comes home.
October 23rd, 2008 at 7:19 am
Glad that women r finally fighting for their right and men 4 Gods sake u need 2 grow up and stop acting lyk big babies expecting ua wives 2 do evrythng 4 u.or u want 2 tel us that u neva used 2 eat or dress b4 u married?
October 26th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
My boyfriend’s response “A man wrote that”
haha.
October 28th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
hahahahahahaahhahahahahahah women suck.
October 28th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
You know, most of those items are over the top to make it funny, but you could put the poster/flyer in a different light and make it very relevant: treat your spouse nicely, and go out of your way to cater to their needs, and you will have a happy spouse who will most likely go out of his or her way to return the favor.
I’d venture to guess that if more women planned to make their husband’s favorite meal and have it ready when he got home from work, they’d have their husbands wrapped around their finger. Lasagna at 6 is a pretty small price to pay for a guy who would walk through hot coals for you. And it’s a whole heck of a lot nicer than being divorced but having rock solid feminista creds.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy that I was born in the 1980s and not the 30s, but at what point do we say “Feminism, you’ve gone too far?” Access to college is great, but believing men are the devil isn’t worth the energy it takes to be angry all the time.
October 31st, 2008 at 9:58 am
I read the comments here because I expected everybody to remark the same as I did when they showed this to us in high school home ec: we all laughed our tails off. “I’m not supporting any woman! My wife will have to get a job and work, just like me!!!!” was what I said.
I was pleasantly surprised to see many people commented positively. Yes, that article was written in a 50’s “light,” but as another commenter stated, just change the wording around and it still applies very well to marriages today.
Now that I’m 20 years out of high school, my wife does all of those things for me. In fact, she does everything except work for a wage, which is my job. I treat her like a woman, she treats me like a man, and our relationship only grows stronger, not weaker as a result of some competition between us. Fern’s right: I am wrapped around her finger. No woman could possibly offer me more than my wife does every day, and with that kind of security, she knows she has no reason to feel jealous of the women I work with.
Somebody above stated “The degeneration of our society has nothing to do with feminism.” OK, that’s rich! Feminism is, in fact, the ultimate oxymoron: the idea that you don’t need a man for anything (except when you need a man). Example: the greatest responsibility I have to my wife and baby is as FULL-TIME ARMED SECURITY GUARD. (We don’t trust the protection of our lives to a bunch of imbeciles or bureacrats in uniforms.) I guarantee no feminist feels as secure as my wife–I’m packing and I’m ready to use it. I’ll dispatch dozens before I let anybody hurt them. Now I know all self-confessed “feminists” say the same, but let’s face it: out at night after dark is NOT the place you want to be, even if you’re in a crowd of feminists. And considering your aversion to weapons, you’re not about to take FULL responsibility for yourselves. Hence, the obviously missing men in your lives.
And to all the women that think having a boyfriend is just as good: tell him you think you’re pregnant. Might change your mind.
One good thing: I now know there are many women out there just like my wife. Thanks, commenters, you’ve restored my faith in society…a bit.
October 31st, 2008 at 10:01 am
By the way, if you’re a feminist that thinks marriage is overrated, just wait until you’re over 50 and then see how many fewer men are interested in your body.
November 28th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Well.
In the current time this is a nice work.
This thing is need to everyone who r getting out of their loveliest life through the divorce and many things…
January 8th, 2009 at 2:43 am
Bitch get back to work
January 20th, 2009 at 4:20 am
I revised this about a year ago. It’s the good wife’s guide for the newer wife. Here’s the link: http://lifeofayoungwife.blogspot.com/2007/11/actual-1955-good-housekeeping-article.html
Check it out, let me know what you think!!!
April 9th, 2009 at 8:39 am
Amy MacDonald on Youtube…
Amy MacDonald started playing on stage acoustic first gigs when she was 15. Her influences include Travis, Pete Doherty, and The Libertines. After several concerts in mainland Europe, Amy sang at festivals such as V Fest summer 2008….
December 21st, 2009 at 5:25 am
I saw this in college. It was actually in a library book still in the school library. And pantsonfire…why would you assume this person is lying? Maybe she hadn’t seen it before and whoever Fletch is had printed it out because someone emailed it to him.
January 5th, 2010 at 9:57 pm
Hello,
The copyright of image in Good Housewife Guide and on the John Bull cover. This owned by The Advertising Archives: http://www.advertisingarchives.co.uk
We are happy for you to keep this image up on your site but we request that you put a link to our website.
Thanks
The Advertising Archives
March 7th, 2010 at 12:15 pm
i love it and think it is beautiful.
April 23rd, 2010 at 3:23 pm
Your blog has really interesting stories!
Hahaha this one is great and funny!
Lou
May 6th, 2010 at 3:38 pm
[…] her husband with a warm smile, make her husband feel comfortable, not ask him questions, etc. (http://phocks.org/p/199) Not too long ago the media told us that a man was the sole provider of the home and a […]
June 13th, 2010 at 2:09 am
Hahahahaha Very funny
July 15th, 2010 at 4:43 pm
Its fascinating how the fifties had such strong willed sassy opinionated women on one side of the spectrum all over tv, movies, and radio, and at the same time have crap like this. I cant understand the attraction of having someone you can walk all over, who doesn’t challenge you and help you grow.
September 12th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
There is a male version of this too! It’s very hard to find. Not as bad, but still a trip.
April 23rd, 2011 at 9:41 pm
All l have to say is that we must be doing something wrong for divorce to be common nowadays.
September 28th, 2011 at 6:03 am
vatterott…
[…]The Good Wife’s Guide › phocks[…]…