Here's a few quotes off of that page, which I insist should be read entirely to understand it,
in accordance with Snopes' rather strict copyright notices.
"The question here is whether the piece quoted above really came from a home economics textbook. Is it real, or is it yet another of those "look how far we've come" fabrications? We know the graphic reproduced above (supposedly from the 13 May 1955 edition of a magazine called Housekeeping Monthly) is a fabrication: It didn't first appear until well after the "How to Be a Good Wife" list had begun circulating via e-mail, and it's clearly a mock-up produced by adding the text of the e-mail around an image taken from a 1957 cover of John Bull magazine. (The image itself even bears an "Advertising Archives" legend along its side, indicating its source.) As for the text itself, nobody has turned up the infamous textbook that supposedly included these ten steps. The list is often attributed to Helen B. Andelin's book Fascinating Womanhood, first published in 1963 to provide instruction in "The Art of Winning a Man's Complete Love," but no such list appears in that work."
That doesn't mean that the items in this list have nothing to do with what women were being told
back then. However, it DOES mean it wasn't compiled into THIS list with THIS picture.
I thought it sounded a little exaggerated, but trust me. I lived in...make that endured...the 50s. It's not off by much when compared to actual articles in women's magazines of the day.
1. Have dinner ready: Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal — on time. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him, and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospects of a good meal are part of the warm welcome needed.
Literal Translation According to Usage.
1. Stop for take out on your way home from work. she will be too tired to cook and you don't want to clean the kitchen anyway.
2. Prepare yourself: Take 15 minutes to rest so you will be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift.
Literal Translation According to Usage.
If you are lucky enough to get home before your husband and your probably not because you most likely have an office job in accounting or some other profession and he works construction like a dog, make sure there is at least a few beers in the fridge and if there isn't call his cell and let him know so he can stop on the way home.
3. Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives, gathering up school books, toys, paper, etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift, too.
Literal Translation According to Usage.
Clear away the morning fallout from getting everyone out of the house on time. Oh and make sure the cats or dogs are not hiding any suprises.
4. Prepare the children: Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces if they are small, comb their hair, and if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part.
Literal Translation According to Usage.
Prepare the children for what? Daddy!! They are probably on a computer or PS2 and don't even care that the old man is home unless of course there is money that needs to be doled out like a freakin ATM.
5. Minimize the noise: At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of washer, dryer, dishwasher or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. Be happy to see him. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad to see him.
Literal Translation According to Usage.
Ha When you get home hubby get the washer going, vacuum the floor and fold the clothes in the dryer. Oh yeah and now we have dishwashers that need to be emptied too.
6. Some Don'ts: Don't greet him with problems or complaints. Don't complain if he's late for dinner. Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through that day.
Literal Translation According to Usage.
Hit him or her (remember whoever gets home first has the right of way) with all the BS possible because when he/she first gets home they are usually sober.
7. Make him comfortable: Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft, soothing and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax and unwind.
Literal Translation According to Usage.
Well since I am a male you know where my brain goes with this one.
8. Listen to him: You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first.
Literal Translation According to Usage.
See # 6 and guess what, whoever asks "whats for dinner" first doesn't have to make that freakin awful decision.
9. Make the evening his: Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment; instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure, his need to be home and relax.
Literal Translation According to Usage.
Why can't we all just get along. #9 is easy there is only one remote and whoever has it owns the evening.
10. The goal: Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can relax.
Literal Translation According to Usage.
The goal is to party as long as you can because when you are old like me all that is left is Law and Order reruns on the USA network.
I feel sorry for women. I noticed that there were no articles on "How to be the perfect husband".
As a consequence of the search, I did find this little tidbit.
It's off topic, but it might make you smile. The whole house is asleep and I'm giggling as quietly as I can at 1:35 in the morning. I can't wait to tell it to someone.
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Twinky
<_< :(
:unsure:
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coolchef
damn those were the good ole days
the only thing they had wrong is the the wife should have had a 40 hour a week job too
seighing for the ole days
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Linda Z
And people wonder why we rebelled in the 60s???
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WordWolf
This is NOT an actual article American women read back in the day.
http://www.snopes.com/language/document/goodwife.asp
Here's a few quotes off of that page, which I insist should be read entirely to understand it,
in accordance with Snopes' rather strict copyright notices.
"The question here is whether the piece quoted above really came from a home economics textbook. Is it real, or is it yet another of those "look how far we've come" fabrications? We know the graphic reproduced above (supposedly from the 13 May 1955 edition of a magazine called Housekeeping Monthly) is a fabrication: It didn't first appear until well after the "How to Be a Good Wife" list had begun circulating via e-mail, and it's clearly a mock-up produced by adding the text of the e-mail around an image taken from a 1957 cover of John Bull magazine. (The image itself even bears an "Advertising Archives" legend along its side, indicating its source.) As for the text itself, nobody has turned up the infamous textbook that supposedly included these ten steps. The list is often attributed to Helen B. Andelin's book Fascinating Womanhood, first published in 1963 to provide instruction in "The Art of Winning a Man's Complete Love," but no such list appears in that work."
That doesn't mean that the items in this list have nothing to do with what women were being told
back then. However, it DOES mean it wasn't compiled into THIS list with THIS picture.
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T-Bone
I think it came from an old Way Magazine.
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mstar1
darn you Word Wolf
aside from the goodies in the article itself -It is dated the day that I was born --May 13, 1955.
Im keepin it anyway
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I Love Bagpipes
I had that same thought T-bone...and could almost hear the words on a STS recording.
Uuugh.....
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Linda Z
I thought it sounded a little exaggerated, but trust me. I lived in...make that endured...the 50s. It's not off by much when compared to actual articles in women's magazines of the day.
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SafariVista
So, what were those husbands like 'back in the day'?
Did they come home with flowers and a nice velvet box from the local jeweler?
Did they open the door and speak kindly to their precious wife?
Staying out all night is a bit far fetched... w/out any questions? Humm... who wrote that article? Some secretary whose male boss had a bit of input?
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griffp
1. Have dinner ready: Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal — on time. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him, and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they come home and the prospects of a good meal are part of the warm welcome needed.
Literal Translation According to Usage.
1. Stop for take out on your way home from work. she will be too tired to cook and you don't want to clean the kitchen anyway.
2. Prepare yourself: Take 15 minutes to rest so you will be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people. Be a little gay and a little more interesting. His boring day may need a lift.
Literal Translation According to Usage.
If you are lucky enough to get home before your husband and your probably not because you most likely have an office job in accounting or some other profession and he works construction like a dog, make sure there is at least a few beers in the fridge and if there isn't call his cell and let him know so he can stop on the way home.
3. Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives, gathering up school books, toys, paper, etc. Then run a dust cloth over the tables. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift, too.
Literal Translation According to Usage.
Clear away the morning fallout from getting everyone out of the house on time. Oh and make sure the cats or dogs are not hiding any suprises.
4. Prepare the children: Take a few minutes to wash the children's hands and faces if they are small, comb their hair, and if necessary, change their clothes. They are little treasures and he would like to see them playing the part.
Literal Translation According to Usage.
Prepare the children for what? Daddy!! They are probably on a computer or PS2 and don't even care that the old man is home unless of course there is money that needs to be doled out like a freakin ATM.
5. Minimize the noise: At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of washer, dryer, dishwasher or vacuum. Try to encourage the children to be quiet. Be happy to see him. Greet him with a warm smile and be glad to see him.
Literal Translation According to Usage.
Ha When you get home hubby get the washer going, vacuum the floor and fold the clothes in the dryer. Oh yeah and now we have dishwashers that need to be emptied too.
6. Some Don'ts: Don't greet him with problems or complaints. Don't complain if he's late for dinner. Count this as minor compared with what he might have gone through that day.
Literal Translation According to Usage.
Hit him or her (remember whoever gets home first has the right of way) with all the BS possible because when he/she first gets home they are usually sober.
7. Make him comfortable: Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soft, soothing and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax and unwind.
Literal Translation According to Usage.
Well since I am a male you know where my brain goes with this one.
8. Listen to him: You may have a dozen things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first.
Literal Translation According to Usage.
See # 6 and guess what, whoever asks "whats for dinner" first doesn't have to make that freakin awful decision.
9. Make the evening his: Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of entertainment; instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure, his need to be home and relax.
Literal Translation According to Usage.
Why can't we all just get along. #9 is easy there is only one remote and whoever has it owns the evening.
10. The goal: Try to make your home a place of peace and order where your husband can relax.
Literal Translation According to Usage.
The goal is to party as long as you can because when you are old like me all that is left is Law and Order reruns on the USA network.
Love ya.
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YIdon'tgotochurch
I feel sorry for women. I noticed that there were no articles on "How to be the perfect husband".
As a consequence of the search, I did find this little tidbit.
It's off topic, but it might make you smile. The whole house is asleep and I'm giggling as quietly as I can at 1:35 in the morning. I can't wait to tell it to someone.
________________________________________________________________________
A very unattractive, mean actin' woman walks into Wal-Mart with her two kids.
The Wal-Mart Greeter asks, "Are they twins?"
The ugly woman says, "No, the oldest one, he's 9 and the younger one, she's 7. Why? ... Do you think they really look alike?"
"No", replies the greeter, "I just couldn't believe you got laid twice!
Edited by YIdon'tgotochurchLink to comment
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