HAHAHAThis has got to be a joke- The Good Wife's Guide from 1955

[kayleybeth]

A friend of mine sent me this yesterday. I wonder if it's for real, Snopes lists it as "undetermined". http://www.snopes.com/language/document/goodwife.htm

The Good Wife's Guide From Housekeeping Monthly, 13 May, 1955



Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready, on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home, and the prospect of a good meal (especially his favorite dish) is part of the warm welcome needed.

Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you'll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking. He has just been with a lot of work weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.

Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. Gather up schoolbooks, toys, paper, etc., and then run a dust cloth over the tables. Over the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering for his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.

Prepare the children. Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces (if they are small), comb their hair, and if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part.

Minimize all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet.

Be happy to see him. Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.

Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first -- remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.

Make the evening his. Never complain if he comes home late or goes out to dinner, or other places of entertainment without you. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure, and his very real need to be at home and relax.

Your goal: Try to make sure your home is a place of peace, order and tranquillity where your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.

Don't greet him with complaints and problems.

Don't complain if he's late home for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through that day.

Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or have him lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.

Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him. A good wife always knows her place.

[greatauntoftriplets]

1. Not a joke, I have seen it before.

But it IS hysterically funny.

[southerngirlwriter]

2. The Right Wingers don't think it's a joke.....

You can download it from Limbaugh's web site. Dr. Walter Williams, a guesthost in Rush's absence, has it posted under his picture on the site as marriage advice.

[kayleybeth]

4. For real?

Well, I guess it would make for a happy husband, but imagine the poor wife!!!

Welcome to DU, by the way :-)

[supernova]

3. Yes, it's real

thankfully it can now be filed under comedy - archaic.

[qwertyMike]

5. Oh yes, and get him a cold beer

bitch!

[madfloridian]

6. No, that is correct.

There was a time there that any woman who worked outside of the home still had to meet wifely standards. It was being pushed mightily by some group.

My mother went to work when my brother and I were in college at the same time. She felt a lot of guilt, as women were supposed to be at home.

Now, as to staying out all night bit, that was not a part of it. I don't think that was stressed at all.

All women heard for a while was having a quiet peaceful evening for her husband and family. I think they are trying to start that up again.

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

7. Yes it is real. I have a copy of it somewhere in the clutter

that my father in law gave me.

All too real.

[stevedeshazer]

8. Hey, what's wrong with that?

"Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it."

We men could use a little "lift" once in a while. ;-)

[Rabrrrrrr]

15. Especially a little lift while the wife is feeling a little "gay"

and invites a friend over, if you get my drift, wink wink, nudge nudge.

[prolesunited]

9. Whatever you do

please don't post it in GD. It might give some of them even MORE ideas. :eyes:

[Kurovski]

10. "...be a little gay..."

Oh shit, honey-why not just dump the old load and shack up with that sorority sister you can't seem to stop thinking about?

That's my advice.

[Maple]

11. No it's not a joke

altho it is laughable.

That's how good wives were expected to behave.

I was even taught that in school.

Why do you think women's lib got started??

[Yaoi_Huntress_Earth]

12. Have you ever read

"I Want a Wife" which lampoons articles like this. I forgot who did it, but I know she was a feminist writer.
Love,
Yaoi Huntress Earth

[supernova]

13. Yeah, wouldn't we all

like to have a wife like this? I sure would. And I'm a hetero female!

[chefgirl]

14. GRRRRRRRR

Oh how I would love to have the moran who thought up this horseshit alone in a room for about an hour or so.

This is my favorite:

Don't ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness. You have no right to question him. A good wife always knows her place.

Yeah, I know where my place would be.....SO GONE!!!

-chef-

[HEyHEY]

16. Sounds good to me. What's the problem?

Seriously though. I often wonder about this stuff, I saw one before that talked about sex to a degree I KNOW they didn't talk about sex in th 50s so I'm not sure. But I bet you there was stuff like this around.

[Catholic Sensation]

17. Hmm

Where is the "Take Your Beatings and Keep Your Mouth Shut" section of this? Maybe it's in another article.

[ProudGerman]

18. Anybody else see the similiarities to fundy religion?

Though shall not question. Your duty is to shut up and do as you are told. You have no right to question.


Sorry if this offends any DU Xtians, but that's what jumped out at me when reading that garbage. To me, this is just more of the same "shut up, you have no right to question authority, you are but a lowly wife/person who should count themselves lucky that anyone/god deigned you worthy of marriage/life", that has been used throughout the centuries by the powers to keep their boot firmly on our throats.

Or maybe I should go back to sleep. Yeah, that sounds good.

[RebelOne]

19. Yes, definitely real

When I was in junior high school many, many years ago, that kind of stuff was in my home economics books.