Are "Husband Jokes" A Real Thing?

I was doing my usual rounds on the internet this morning when I came across a thread on Imgur titled, "There's dad jokes, granddad jokes, is there such a thing as 'husband jokes?'" The post consisted of a series of images of silly things husbands did, like buy blackberries instead of blueberries. You know, because men are all doofuses in the kitchen. Or... something. But I don't know, guys. I don't think they're at all funny, because all they do is capitalize on harmful gender stereotypes — and when harmful gender stereotypes are involved, everyone loses.

Being the sleuth I am, I decided to poke around a bit and try to figure out where these images came from. Turns out, they're pretty hard to trace. Most of the images seem to be re-blogged from a Tumblr called "Rhymes With Random," which first posted them about seven months ago — but it's not even clear if they're pictures of real things that actually happened, or if they were just created for laughs. Either way, though, the pics made the Internet rounds pretty quickly, even getting mentioned on BuzzFeed.

But whether they're real or not, these images are still worth talking about — because ugh, really, Internet? Can we stop with the cheap gender stereotype jokes? It's really not good for anyone when we say things like, "Lolz, husbands can't fold fitted sheets or pack lunches without cat food in them." All it does is serve to reinforce the message that dudes shouldn't cook or clean because they're so bad at it, which is a total social construction. We talk a lot about how gender stereotypes hurt women, but these images are a heavy-handed reminder that they hurt men, too. They're not limited to one gender — and they always hurt, no matter who they're referring to: Men, women, or anyone who sits anywhere else on the gender identity spectrum.

Look, I certainly don't think that clickbait-y articles online are the most insidious incarnation of gender stereotypes, but maybe we should try to limit the amount of gendered bullshit we point at and go, "HAHA, THESE ARE SO FUNNY." There are way funnier articles out there that don't rely on trite, cliché jokes about how men can't cook.

Here are some of the images, and exactly why they're bullshit.

1. Lulz Husbands Can't Fold Fitted Sheets

Actually no one can fold fitted sheets, because fitted sheets are the devil. Laundry ineptitude extends to all genders.

2. Suh Funny That Husbands Can't Do Kitchen Things

You know that thing that guys have where they're just unable to pick six equally sized potatoes? Me neither, because that's not a real thing.

3. Cooking Is for Womenz

Silly woman wouldn't have come home to pasta on the stovetop if she had been smart enough to know not to ask her husband to prep dinner, because that's obviously her job. (Except no. Just no.)

4. Husbands Can't Do Decorating DUH

If you give your husband Christmas lights, of course he'll do something silly with them like write "dog" with an arrow pointing to the dog. Classic husband move.

5. Husbands Confuse Wives With Cats All The Time

Ladies love flaked fish and shrimp feast.

Images: Poisonous Planet/Imgur (5)