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?

My husband calls us the Waltons 🤣 to our faces though, and it’s a compliment. We’re a pretty standard family with some step children thrown in and it’s totally drama free, whereas his was and is hell on earth. I wouldn’t get upset about a Brady bunch reference but I’d probably be a bit like ‘oh so we’re the Brady bunch eh!? It’s like that....’

If your dh is a cynical/pessimistic/quiet/introverted person and your family is particularly jolly at Christmas maybe be just finds it hard work; which it would be if it doesn’t come naturally.

I can do jolly in short bursts but it does get wearing. Sometimes you just want to kick back at some point over Christmas with a glass of baileys and watch a film. If your family tend towards energetically engaging over Christmas it’s probably just not his thing.

Ask him. You might be able to help him come up with strategies to make it more enjoyable for him.

Play him the theme and tell him you're the one in the red ribbons

Does he mean your family are Americans, they n America?

Is your mother a lovely lady?
Does she have three very lovely girls?
Do they all have hair of gold like their mother, the youngest one in curls?

If my DH was referring to my family as the 'brady' bunch when on a call to his parents it would definitely be said as an insult. I would have called him out on it right way

Yup we got called the Dingles once too

Do feel free to give us more background OP

If I heard someone making derogatory comments about my family then I would probably join in. But then again, I am under no delusion about what a weird bunch of fuckers they are. Does he really need to love your family? Is it not quite normal to think your iL´s are a little much at Christmas?

My brother loves to be a grouch. Our parents are acrimoniously divorced and family gatherings are always difficult and small. We all give each other a hard time (albeit in a loving way), are self conscious, sarcastic and have all battled and won our substance abuse indulgences.

His wife's family by contrast is far bigger and they all love love love each other. Everything is wonderful all the time, they go out for walks, they eat organic food, they never drink too much or at all really. They hold hands and burst into song after every mealtime.

My brother would say exactly the same as your husband but he's just being humourous; he and in fact all of us adore his wife's family.

Rather The Brady Bunch than the Addams Family (which is what me and my partner call my relatives).

My SIL once commented that my kids were always singing! And asked why they were so happy all the time ... I don’t care if we’re the Brady Bunch, I rather that than be wondering why small children might like to burst into song now and then! We mostly see them around big holidays, so yeah, there is some singing of Christmas songs or whatever...

My DH does the clicky finger thing and calls us the Addams Family when we are all meeting up.
No reason for that, there is just a lot of us compared to his family and he
is just being a dick.

Rather The Brady Bunch than the Addams Family

Why? I much prefer the Addams.

Thanks for that - I now can't get the tune out of my head!

I'd also much rather the Addams family tbh, at least they're characterful. If someone told me someone else's family were the Brady Bunch I'd assume big & blended at best, eerily twee at worst - or both.

Not a family one but I used to call Ex DPs over involved with each other friendship group "Dawson's Sodding Creek".

I think its clear that it's not a positive thing given his other words. No idea about the Brady bunch but a sarcastic 'thanks for leaving me to deal with the bloody (anything)' implies it's not a positive thing and he doesn't enjoy their company at all.

The Addams family were a great, loving family. Basically the Brady Bunch minus the annoying tweeness.

If I heard someone making derogatory comments about my family then I would probably join in. But then again, I am under no delusion about what a weird bunch of fuckers they are. Does he really need to love your family? Is it not quite normal to think your iL´s are a little much at Christmas?
Love this 😅

I’d let this slide. It was a private conversation and only a very mild insult. It’s totally normal to let off a little steam about your in-law family from time to time. Actually if that’s his biggest gripe it sounds like you have a fantastic thing going!