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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

DH said this joke on fb

80 replies

bluskies · 06/12/2013 19:07

I'm an on-off regular but name changed.

My dh has hurt me in our relationship (another thread) last night had a huge argument..some things he has done came out and he realises that I'll never forget about these things (lying about huge debts, searching for women online amongst other things... oh calling me fat - I'm size 10/12 and a lot younger than him..I make an effort with appearance - he's the one who is over weight)

Anyway things have been tough at the moment (redundancy and mortgage to be paid - wishing for a miracle) and this morning we said we'd have a fresh start and start being kind to one another - no more nastiness and so on.

Anyway today he sent me this joke which he thinks is hysterical and then he has just put it on Facebook

this is the joke

'I've had enough of Christmas. All year long I work my f**g fingers to the bone to buy all the presents that my kids ask for. And what happens Christmas morning? That fat fu**r with a beard gets all the credit!! Still I suppose it's my fault for marrying her.'

Btw I love comedy but AIBU to feel so Sad about his 'joke'

He's just told me to 'get over myself'

Thankyou for reading

OP posts:
Morloth · 07/12/2013 06:38

What a prick.

rabbitlady · 07/12/2013 06:47

ltb. you know it makes sense. and as you can't go right now, smile sweetly. start making plans and taking action. find your documents and proof of income. salt away any funding. put your photographs, jewellery, anything he could hurt you by taking/destroying, in a safe place. look for accommodation and find out how to access it.
being ready will give you an inner glow...

Lilacroses · 07/12/2013 08:09

Sorry you are having such a tough time Op. I'm afraid your h does indeed sound like an ignorant, uncaring idiot. You undoubtably deserve more, someone who adores and respects you. Hope you're ok.

Vampyreof · 07/12/2013 08:18

He would have blown it with me the minute I found out about the searching for women online. As others have said, in light of everything else he's done, it's not acceptable especially if he knew it would hurt you.

sashh · 07/12/2013 09:00

If the credit cards are in his name let him spend - it's his debt. If they are joint/yours then don't let him take them.

He is a twat. That is a terrible thing to put on facebook unless you have that kind of shared humour.

Shut the door behind him, change the lock and start your life as a single parent.

catsmother · 07/12/2013 09:30

One of my pet hates is people who dress up nastiness as "only joking" - be it a literal joke, like this one, that you don't find funny personally, or a more direct snidey remark which, when you object to it, is dismissed as "get a sense of humour" or similar. In other words, it's a devious way of making spite or bullying "acceptable" by pretending it's humour and that any disquiet you feel must be down to your sense of humour failure.

Rubbish. I think in the circumstances described, it's practically gaslighting. Making you think you're imagining any unpleasant intent.

As others have said, context is everything. If your OH was otherwise a good all round bloke then posting a joke like that of questionable taste (yes, Chubby Brown came to my mind too) could be seen as thoughtless rather than an attempt to dig at you - and a good all round bloke would have apologised if you'd told him that you found it objectionable . However, given a significant history of him being nasty, then it seems as if he was goading you OP ..... almost daring you to object ...... whereupon he could then score a "double whammy" by accusing you of being uptight etc (few people like being accused of having no sense of humour) as well as having made the original dig ("hidden" in a "joke").

Yes - no-one else will imagine this "joke" is specifically about you. No-one else will imagine you have a beard. But that's not the point. He sounds a nasty piece of work - and had agreed to be more kind and sensitive recently ....... you might therefore reasonably think that someone who genuinely wanted to be kind would think twice before posting up a "joke" that's pretty misogynistic.

Anyway, "get over yourself" is hardly kind is it ? I suspect you reacted exactly as he'd hoped you would - so he then has a "justifiable" excuse to verbally attack you again.

But having said all that, this "joke" kind of pales into insignificance compared to everything else that's gone on before. I know not everyone splits after the sort of things you described but my god, at the very least, if he valued you and valued your relationship, he would be making huge efforts to be kind as a matter of course - and in recognition of the huge twat he'd been - without the pair of you having to have a conversation about it. It doesn't sound as if he wants to be kind, or sees why he should be kind and pleasant.

Please, as others have suggested, start making plans and seeking advice to get out of this. You'd be no worse off getting legal advice (many solicitors offer cut price initial consultations), general housing and benefits advice from CAB etc.

ShinyBauble · 07/12/2013 10:32

'One of my pet hates is people who dress up nastiness as "only joking" - be it a literal joke, like this one, that you don't find funny personally, or a more direct snidey remark which, when you object to it, is dismissed as "get a sense of humour" or similar. In other words, it's a devious way of making spite or bullying "acceptable" by pretending it's humour and that any disquiet you feel must be down to your sense of humour failure.'

Exactly what I was trying (and failing) to articulate catsmother!

HECTheHeraldAngelsSing · 07/12/2013 10:32

Sometimes someone does everything they can to crush the person they are with because deep down they know that person deserves better or could do better and they are terrified of that person finding out.

By taking a hammer to the person's self esteem, they ensure that they feel worthless and trapped. And dependent. And grateful.

Once they've achieved that, they can do the whole "I'll leave you" thing because they have sufficiently ground you down so that you feel you can't cope/need them/don't deserve better.

I would advise getting yourself some counselling and working on realising that you are worth more than to be treated like this.

And I don't mean the 'joke'. In isolation it's a shit joke. In some relationships, it's loving and daft banter if both parties see it that way. In a good and mutually respectful relationship it would merit nothing more than an "oi y'cheeky bugger, any more of that and you'll be sleeping in the shed!" I am looking at the whole picture you describe and the part a 'joke' that puts down your appearance plays in that. In the context of your relationship and looking at the whole of his behaviour towards you, it was a nasty thing to do. One of many nasty things he's done to you.

I assume the leaving thing is to get you to plead with him to stay and to apologise for being 'oversensitive'?

themaltesefalcon · 07/12/2013 11:02

Cracked me up properly, that did.

It's just a joke, OP. Lighten up.

themaltesefalcon · 07/12/2013 11:05

The humour lies in the surprise, not in any alleged insult to you (there is none).

Perhaps English isn't your first language (we tell a joke, not say a joke), which is making you take this the wrong way?

I'd consider a spouse who took umbrage at this to be the insecure one, in all honesty.

ssd · 07/12/2013 11:10

and I'd consider anyone who found this funny to be a fucking idiot, especially if its directed at someone else.

ShinyBauble · 07/12/2013 11:11

Well, maltese, perhaps you and her soon-to-be ex are a match made in passive-aggressive heaven!

HECTheHeraldAngelsSing · 07/12/2013 11:24

He's racked up massive debts, he's verbally abusive, he's been searching other women on the net, etc etc

If you look at the 'joke' in isolation, then you miss the bigger picture.

A joke is not always a joke. Context, back story, all important. They change things.

A 'joke' about hitting your partner with a frying pan if they leave a teaspoon in the sink again is daft between a loving couple who know that they would never do such a thing and threatening and frightening if your partner kicks you round the kitchen on a regular basis.

Same words. Different backstory. Different meaning.

You can't disregard all the shitty things and the crappy treatment and say oh, it's just a joke, none of the other things he does are relevant here.

Someone who regularly puts down and abuses their partner about their weight and appearance makes a public 'joke' calling them fat and beardy.

That's not the same thing as someone who thinks and says you're gorgeous doing it.

TiredDog · 07/12/2013 11:26

It's like a lot of comments. What is acceptable to some is disrespectful to others. It doesn't matter what any of us feel about it tbh. What matters is how it makes you feel. You don't need us to validate your feelings :)

I wouldn't be with someone who thought this sort of humour was funny regardless of whether it was aimed at me. I wouldn't watch Roy Chubby Brown either It's a personal level. Yours is higher than his

MoreThanChristmasCrackers · 07/12/2013 11:30

YANBU

My dh would do similar and the joke is funny if your relationship is sound and everybody who knows you knows it is.
However, the fact he has hurt you and isn't apologising but putting it onto you is not good.
I couldn't be with a man like this who is so dismissal of your feelings.
Good luck OP, you deserve better and its ok for us to say ltb but not so easy if you love them.

daughterofafarmer · 07/12/2013 11:33

It's not funny, it's rude and hurtful.

What a prat.

This is another reason why I hate Facebook!

Agree with pp about moving this to 'relationships' thread

LastOneDancing · 07/12/2013 11:33

To other wanky 'Jim Davidson' nobbers in the pub - probably hilarious.

In your own front room, just the two of you when you're messing about, being giddy goats & both know it's not malicious - maybe funny.

Jokes at the expense of the OP on a public forum when they're having problems at home - not funny.

Vivacia · 07/12/2013 11:39

Cracked me up properly, that did Which bit Maltese? I'm not clear whether you're referring to the lying, running up debts, cheating, insults or the comment on Facebook?

PacificDogwood · 07/12/2013 11:44

The 'joke' is not very funny - I agree the 'fun' is in the surprise of the last line but is misogynistic claptrap ("I earn my fingers to the bone and Her Indoors spends it all" - stereotype, anyone?).

He sounds like a verbally abusive twat.

Unfunny joke from twatty husband who has form and is moving out again? I can see a patter here, OP.

FiscalCliffRocksThisTown · 07/12/2013 11:48

The joke made me laugh, it is clearly not his own ( heard it before) and clearly nowt to do with you.

The other stuff and is general attitude to you IS a problem though.

JinglingRexManningDay · 07/12/2013 11:49

I recognise you from other threads about him. I'm surprised you are still with him tbh but you're ground down by him I suppose. As an isolated thing it would be just a joke but considering his total lack of not just respect but human decency towards you then I think its safe to say he is not going to change,he just wants you to accept that this is your lot in life.
Don't accept it.

Topseyt · 07/12/2013 11:55

Sounds like you ought to dump him. It is not at all funny. Disrespectful more like.

He obviously thinks he is the bee's knees, but he isn't. You know that.

PacificDogwood · 07/12/2013 11:57

Oh btw, I don't for second believe that the 'fat' comment in the joke was aimed at you - it's there to make you think of Santa, misdirection if you like.

It's still not v funny.
And he still sounds like a twat.

scottishmummy · 07/12/2013 11:59

This isn't about the joke,you and him have issues.something else is riling you

BumPotato · 07/12/2013 12:11

If he's left his FB open at home, do change his status to "single" and mean it.

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