Husband called my family The Brady Bunch

[CharlieSon]

Overheard DH on phone to MIL about Christmas Day. His parents were asked to join us for dinner but declined. Heard him say “thanks for leaving me to deal with the bloody Brady Bunch”. His tone suggested it was an insult but I’ve never seen it so don’t know what to make of it. AIBU to feel annoyed?

@donquixotedelamancha

"bicker like Klingons" LOL

Honestly if you can't get irritated with your in-laws at Christmas I'm taking my bat home. And my turkey.

My posh ex-bf referred to my family as The Dingles. Bit him on the bum as within a year one of his siblings was arrested for dealing drugs at a party, one sister ran off to join a commune and another arrested for shoplifting! I'll stick with my Dingles thanks!

I would tell him he should go be with his parents and leave you guys to enjoy a happy Brady Bunch meal.

YANBU, it is an insult. Like they are goody two shoes and don't have any fun.

It's not what he said, it's the way he said it that is the problem.

Love,
The Clampetts

He definitely meant you are a cheesy, twee, type family, with lots of cutesy traditions and in jokes, enthusiastic about group singing or games, slightly tedious.

Have you ever asked him what specific things annoy him about your family way of doing Christmas, or had it not occurred to you previously it mightn't suit everybody?

Well thanks for leaving me to deal with the bloody... anything, is not a compliment.

Maybe he just feels overwhelmed by having lots of guests.

Maybe he feels deep contempt for your family andits values.

Probably best if you ask him what he meant, don't you think?

It’s a throwaway line revealing a minor feeling of being out of sync with your family. It’s no big deal, unless you want to come in with a back story.

It does aound as though it was said in a snarky way.

Tell him you understand if he doesn't want a Brady Bunch Christmas and he can spend it with his Mother

The fact that he added 'bloody' means it's derogatory

I'd ask him what he's playing at

OP do you adore your ILs? Would you ever describe them in unflattering terms during a private chat with your mother?

www.popsugar.com/love/Quotes-From-Brady-Bunch-18275096#photo-18275412

Quote some of these randomly and mess with his silly head

DH calls my family the Munsters

"I'm not a snitcher; I just tell it like it is." —

^^

My personal fave 😂

As insults go, it could have been a lot worse!

Not sure why you don't just ask him?

Alice did the most of the cooking and cleaning. I don't think the mom did much of anything.

Interestingly, Florence Henderson wanted Carol Brady to have a job, but the producers overruled her on that.

The words “thanks for leaving me to deal with the bloody...” anything can only have been meant as an insult.

I’d be annoyed and would have to ask him what he meant. Otherwise I’d be festering on it all Christmas!

So, have you asked him just what he meant? I certainly would.

To my DH I'm sure my family looked like the Bradys. Pretty much a law-abiding 'All-American' family. Not blended, but there are a lot of us and we all get along great. All in all, we're probably pretty boring.

His family, on the other hand, always seemed to have someone holding a grudge against someone else. They also had a branch whose self-proclaimed 'claim to fame' were the number of felonies they could boast of and how many times they'd eluded the police. I don't know what 'famous name' you'd call them. The Barkers (as in Ma Barker)?

Your DH should thank his lucky stars if your family really is like the Bradys. We had to stop associating with the 'Barker' branch of DH's family once our sons got old enough to understand their lifestyle. I wasn't going to have them exposed to that!

What was his tone of voice?

I used to watch that.
And now that you say it, my DH’s family would easily be called that too 🤭

Definitely an insult but not the worst thing you could be called! I have a childhood friend who used to say similar about my family - my mother in particular. Admittedly my mum is very sugary and sweet but it's just her personality. She's very loving and affectionate and my friend felt it was too much and had to be "fake".

When you look at someone's background you can generally understand why they feel the way they do...Her own mum was an alcoholic and had left them when she was a child. She was raised by her very old-school, cynical father who although he is a kind man at heart, he doesn't do physical affection.

Some people are very uncomfortable with physical affection and so denounce those who like it. What are your in laws like OP?

Without knowing what your DH thinks a Brady Bunch means no one can tell you it he meant is as an insult.

If I used it it would be a description only, no negative implication at all, I'm old enough to have watched the programme when it was first shown but I'm going to guess your DH isn't so what he thinks it means and what it really means are probably not the same thing.

Ask him

Love to know what you call his family when you don't think anyone's eavesdropping!

OP- does your DH attend family events with good grace, and host your family politely? If so, I really think you should let this slide. It was a throw away comment in a private conversation. As long as it doesn’t reflect how he behaves towards your family then I cannot really see the issue.