mother-in-law jokes

Mother-in-law jokes are a genre of humor built on the stereotype of the wife's mother as meddlesome, critical, or unwelcome—a staple of vaudeville and sitcoms for generations.

The humor typically casts the mother-in-law as an intruder in the marriage: My mother-in-law asked if she could stay for a month. I said make it a year—I can't stand long goodbyes.

The form has declined as attitudes toward marriage and family have shifted, now often cited as an example of dated comedy.