Welcome, gossip goddesses. Mother-in-law jokes are a tired trope. The gag appears in TV shows, plays, novels, joke books, and films from throughout human history. The oldest written mother-in-law joke is actually from the late first century! It appears in Satire VI by Roman author Juvenal, where he states that it's impossible to be happy while your mother-in-law is still alive. The trope is born of the stereotype that mother-in-laws are overbearing and perpetually jealous of their child's spouse while also maintaining that they are not good enough for their child.
While most MILs do not fit this trope, there is a hint of truth to every joke. For every wholesome or neutral mother-in-law relationship, there is one that likely does fit the stereotype. In our story today, a woman with a nightmare MIL finally stands up for herself after being disrespected for years, leading to a rift between her and her husband. Take a peak down below for the full story.
