Good Housekeeping?
A recent salvo in the gender wars occurred a few weeks back when Forbes.com published a column by editor Michael Noer suggesting that men should never marry career women. Here’s a taste: “the more successful she is, the more likely she is to grow dissatisfied with you.” WTF? He’s ascribing marital dissatisfaction to the fact that a woman works? Maybe, Mr. Noer, it has something to do with the marriage itself.
This sort of attitude hurts SAHMs as much as it does working moms and women in general.
It reminded me of this column from the 1950s, which appeared in Housekeeping Monthly magazine. I’m letting this get really big so you all can read it. That is, if you can scrape your eyeballs off the ceiling since that’s where they may end up after you get an inkling of what our mothers had to put up with: 
The underlines and other assorted marginalia come courtesy of my good friend, T., who sent this article to me in horror.
Oy.
Comment by: Jacquie - 09.12.2006 - 4.43 pm
Heh,
Only problem…my mother in law thinks that I SHOULD be doing all that–no kidding. She asked me why I didn’t iron D’s shirts, and I said because he doesn’t know how to iron!
Thanks for the laugh.
Comment by: Journeywoman - 09.12.2006 - 5.15 pm
Oh I love it. Especially the part about HIS topics of conversation being more important than my own. That one made me actually snort a bit. And, get that pic! Happy Woman all dressed up and in heels slaving over the hot stove. Too much.
Comment by: wzgirl - 09.12.2006 - 7.29 pm
Ditto, wzgirl, re: his topics of conversations. Actually, this came out in my homestudy, that my mother was (to some extent) Suzie Homemaker. And I wished that I had had a stronger mother. It wasn’t her fault but it was my problem, know what I mean?
Comment by: Carrie - 09.12.2006 - 8.02 pm
All that - and heels. I would have made a horrible 50s wife.
Comment by: Jessi - 09.13.2006 - 9.43 am
Oh My God!!!! Thank goodness I was born in the 70s. My husband may not think so, as apparently, a wife was nothing more than a housecleaning, baby (oops, excuse me, little treasure) making, cooking, SILENT pleasure partner! What man WOULDN’T want a Stepford wife?! Any man with half a brain that enjoys a real partner. Amen.
Comment by: Carrie - 09.13.2006 - 9.50 am
There are some classic lines in that.
“His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.”
“During the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by.”
“Speak in a low, soothing, and pleasant voice.”
I was shocked at the Forbes opinion, too. And wasn’t the counter-point an afterthought after the overwhelming negative reaction?
Comment by: atomic mama - 09.13.2006 - 6.25 pm
I give that out to my Psych of Women students. It starts the ball rolling.
Comment by: Nicole - 09.14.2006 - 7.36 am
I’m sorry. I can’t stop throwing up.
Comment by: holly - 09.14.2006 - 12.39 pm
I’ve seen that before…it gets my gag reflex going every time!
Comment by: Connie - 09.14.2006 - 7.47 pm
no wonder valium became so popular.
Comment by: Kelly - 10.25.2006 - 8.18 am