Humour andjokes about one's mother-in-law (the mother of one's spouse) are a mainstay of comedy. The humour is based on the premise that the averagemother-in-law considers herson-in-law to be unsuitable for her daughter (or daughter-in-law unsuitable for her son) and may be rude, overbearing, obnoxious, and unattractive.[1]
British comedians such asLes Dawson andJim Davidson have often used them, and many televisionsitcoms have featured stereotypical mothers-in-law.
There is evidence that this joke dates back toRoman times:Satire VI byJuvenal says that one cannot be happy while one's mother-in-law is still alive.[1] Most of the mother-in-law jokes are easily translatable to other languages and are easily understandable in mostEuropean cultures.
In a book oncartooning written byDave Breger, the author lists a series of "tired gags", and gives a suggestion on how to exploit them. In his illustration, Breger and his wife go to amuseum and see aTyrannosaurusskeleton. Mrs. Breger says, "And no funny remarks, please, about that Mother called or something..."[2]
A study of mothers-in-law by Pamela Cotterill found that "they tended not to be upset by jokes because they seemed so far fetched they couldn't apply to them, but they didn't find them funny". Cotterill also found that daughters-in-law did not find them funny either, largely because they saw that one day the jokes could be applied to them.[1][3]
The jokes are considered offensive by some. A widely reported case is that of theLondon borough where, in 2010, a workshop leaflet called "Cultural Awareness: General Problems" advised against using them. The leaflet states that "mother-in-law jokes, as well as offensivelysexist in their own right, can also be seen as offensive on the grounds that they disrespect elders or parents."[4][5]
The stereotype is often portrayed on film and in popular entertainment. Some examples include:
The plantDracaena trifasciata is sometimes referred to as "mother-in-law's tongue".
