Lately, I have been hearing far too many men and women use the saying, “Happy wife, happy life.” Men say it in front of their wives, who, in turn, nuzzle into them and agree with a smile. Women say it to their husbands who then, roll their eyes and shrug with a grin. What are these idiots grinning about?
As far as I can tell, happy wife, happy life is said when the wife wants something that the husband doesn’t really want or can’t really afford, but acquiesces because he doesn’t want to hear his darling spouse harp on it any further. This saying is incredibly insulting to women because it is akin to saying, SILENT wife, happy husband. But apparently married women these days don’t care to notice the insult as long as they are getting granite counter tops in their new dream kitchen.
The husbands won’t be happy for too long if they find themselves frequently chanting this mantra either. If you treat your wife like a petulant child and continually give in to her demands, not only will you lose respect for her and yourself, but your bank account will soon be as empty as your head for thinking that this kind of behavior is a good idea.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t marriage supposed to be an equal partnership where both the man and the woman are working towards the same goals in life? Maybe that’s where my expectations are too high. I am assuming that people who get married are fully grown adult MEN and WOMEN and not boys and girls playing house.
I have never understood why men always seem to want their wives to shut up. Why would you marry someone you don’t want to talk to in the first place. And why does it seem that women are intent on pushing their husbands away with constant nagging for ever more expensive things? If he is not enough in some way, isn’t that your fault for marrying him in spite of this shortcoming?
Instead of spouting cutesy sayings that belittle each other and the marriage itself, perhaps you should try thinking of yourselves as allies that help and support each other and see how that goes. Just because something rhymes doesn’t make it a good idea upon which to base your marriage.
Couldn’t agree more. I, too, view marriage as an equal partnership where both persons are working towards the same goals in life. Why would you marry someone who disagrees with your life-goals in the first place? If you don’t have mutual goals, then just be friends. Also, saying, “I love hugs and doing drugs” doesn’t mean you should do drugs just because it rhymes with hugs. Nice post, cheers.
No kidding. I like the last line of the post, haha!
By the way, the whole reason I titled this post http://feelinggoodfeminism.wordpress.com/2012/07/02/lovemarriageresponsibility/
love & marriage [& responsibility] is because of that inane song “love and marriage go together like a horse and carriage” which somehow instills people with the idea that when you get married, there will be love. It’s not automatic like that! People who are true romantics work hard to create a good relationship.
Oddly enough, this stupid phrase has been common around DC lately, too. Did a tv show wreak some quote-havoc or what??
There is a better saying out there, and it will ensure EVERYONE is happy. It is “HAPPY MAN, HAPPY CLAN”, and it is true. If you keep your man happy, then your whole family will be happy beacuse it will be a priority for the man. If a man needs a moment before he opens the door to come in the house, then you have a problem, and you need to fix it fast. If your man is not happy, then he will look elsewhere to find happiness.
BTW, the “Love and marriage” song refers to sex, not “love”, but back then they were not allowed to mention sex, and back then sex was only supposed to happen after people were married. (thank God that has changed) So the song should be “Sex and marriage, sex and marriage go together like a horse and carriage”.
Just thought you should know.