Sorry - it's another link to the DM - but I KNOW this couple

[Treats]

this article

Ironically I was just googling 'Feminism' and the name of the town I'm moving to in a few weeks because I was inspired by a thread on here to think about joining a feminist group. Coincidentally a couple I know from uni live in the next street and they've just popped up as the first couple featured in this article.

I think I'm going to faint........

Ineterestingly, research shows that men whose wives earn more than them tend to do less around the home, something to do with masculinity...

i mean they do less housework than men whose wives earn less than them, or SAH

Agree dittany - it would be a VERY different article if the sexes were reversed. I just can't imagine that the Daily Mail would ever write approvingly of a woman who didn't know how the washing machine worked.

Even if they didn't take the DM shilling with a full understanding of how badly they would come across, they still basically took it to show off how awesome their life choices supposedly are. Look at us! LOOK!!!!! Everyone!

I will never understand why people think this is anything other than the height of tackiness.

No they wouldn't. Which is why it's a red herring to say it's THEIR choice to stay at home. It's a 'choice' that depends entirely on their husband's income and which they therefore have no real control over. If he decided to pack it all in and go and live in a yurt, they couldn't continue to CHOOSE to live the way they do.

(I know that is a fairly shallow reaction btw, I am just too exhausted at the moment to address the more serious issues at play)

"would those women be so happy to stay at home if their husband was on a teacher's wage say? It's all about grabby materialism too."

No - it's just about basic economics.

Going back a bit to Darlene's point about being penniless if their husband left, in fact most of those women will probably have the savings in their name, as from a tax perspective that makes sense. Am currently a SAHM and this is what dh and I do as I don't pay tax on the interest (sadly we have nowhere near enough savings to bring me close to my personal allowance - I wish!).

Also, surely the point about it being their choice is partly true. Eg a friend of mine could not go back to work as she and her dh's incomes didn't cover the additional cost of the childcare in the short term (now she can as school covers some of that) whereas these women have the choice of going back ft, pt, or sahm as money is no object. I agree it is not a choice many people have, but it is still a choice.

Bit off topic, but I couldn't cope with the pictures, it reminded me of some hideous 50s magazine.... Bet they are cringing when they see themselves

If they have any savings Ekka. It takes a lot of income to pay the mortgage on a family home and meet all the bills. There's not going to be a huge amount left over, even with the high salaries these men are earning.

It makes me wonder what they will do in 15 or 20 years, when their kids are uninterested in anything but youthful hijinks, their husbands are completely used to the fact of having to do NOTHING around the home at all EVER, and their youthful energy is behind them but they're still expected to be fulfilled by domestic chores and being a "sounding board".

Won't it be immensely tiresome by that stage, even assuming they genuinely enjoy it while the kids are at home?

It also reads like there's a bit of fantasy-homemaker stuff going on, where the love and romance in the relationship is really dependent on the women playing this role and being fragrant and lovely. I don't know how that will pan out for them as middle age tightens its grip, either.

Oh, whatever, I'm allowing the DM's version to shape my thinking - need to remind myself it's almost certainly half-made-up and not how their lives really are.

I see two of the SAHMs have cleaners.
Well, that's just cheating.

No wonder I don't run a house of 'calm' and 'order' like these paragons.

Is anyone else reading this in tandem with this thread?

'I read lots of books and news­papers, because I would hate to think I have nothing to talk about but the children and the home when Jon comes back from work.'

That was the line that got me, too, David. It's the fact that anything at all that these women do is for the children or the husband, even their sodding reading of the newspaper. Heaven forbid she's just reading them to find out what's going on in the world, with no direct benefit to Mr Big Bollocks.

Are the DM presenting this in a positive light, do you think? (serious question)

I was absolutely at the "whatever happened to feminism?" subheading. The fucking fuckers, if you'll pardon my french. They don't seem to show much concern about feminism the rest of the time, when they're hammering it home that we can't have it "all" (work and children) despite the fact that women have been managing this for the past few millennia.

In fact, the DM may be the original concern troll.

I read 'whatever happened to feminism?' as a sneer - ie you women might have been going on for years about how you want careers but when it comes to the crunch what you really want is a rich man to keep you.

Jon leaves for work at 8 and gets home after 6. Well who the hell doesn't (if they work full time). I'm out longer than that as the bare minimum and everyone here with either no kids or wives thinks I am a bit of a slacker.
Sorry I know that's OT but I am a bit irritated by the way that there is a need to present every aspect of him as totally fucking heroic, when that is just basically having a job. "Jon finds time to shower every day, and at the weekends often clips his nails too. Teeth-brushing twice a day might seem beyond the call of duty, but to Jon it's basic dental hygiene."

It's funny isn't it, SSM. No-one expects men to all agree with each other on everything. For instance, nobody (I bet) says to e.g. the Archbishop of Canterbury "well why should we listen to you say that Jesus is the son of God when even other men don't agree with you?"

Whereas with women if some women hold a different viewpoint it's looked on as hypocrisy or something, as if we're one big hive-mind. "OMG Jane said she quite enjoys ironing whereas Anna said she is tired of doing all the housework and wants her boyfriend to do his bit. MAKE UP YOUR MIND(S)!!!"

Doesn't Laura in the bottom photo look as if she's trying a bit TOO hard to look happy?

Is SAHM synonymous with 'housewife' now? Because I need to know so that I can infantilise my husband by organising his sock drawer (who has a frigging organised sock drawer anyway) and presumably by shaking it for him once he's finished peeing.

Kate I don't know how you made it to the bottom photo without your eyeballs bleeding tears of futile lady-rage.

PMSL at vezzie

These women's lives are Cinderella.....IN REVERSE!

The photos are ick though aren't they? Especially the way they're all made up to the nines and wearing their best togs. Because they care about looking nice for their man, not like those nasty hairy feminists. And, because they've chosen not to work, they've got time to focus on the important things, like getting their hair and nails done.

Although Rebecca actually does look that good, without any effort.

mind you, you'd think someone that pretty could have managed to bag a man who not only earns the money but is also capable of doing chores, like mine most of them.