Show 0 why we do what at we do by M K THOMSON fh D WHY THE WT MOTHER HEA IN LAW ake I 1 IS 06 POPULAR OULAR H ALL have highest respect for WB mother no one oho dares to her we stand for or it and yet we alt all laugh didugh at tho the mother inlaw in law despite the fact that she Is ia mother there must be a reason for this queer situation we respect and revere our own mothers but an 0 cea elonar jest iii at the expense of tho the mother of our wife or husband Is ii quite proper what is so funny about a mother in law or is it vie extreme seriousness of the situation that la is so humorous where there is so much smoke awoke there must be some fire the great popularity of the mo mother ther in law joke proves how unpopular the mother in law really Is we usually poke fun full at those whom we cannot reach in any other way by virtue of her ago age and position the mother in law Is a rather fled person and a joke aethel ex pen penic of dignity Is always humorous especially it if the dignity and power that thai go with it are used against us A mild mishap such as the exposure of the person of a village prig I 1 is 8 a lot funnier than if the accident occurred to some little flapper it to Is a well known fact that tile the mother in law Is in very hard to please she Is naturally prejudiced in favor of her own children and no one la in good enough for her james or jane mothers are especially partial to their sons ons this makes it hard for the daughter in law no matter what the younger woman does it Is not old fash toned enough to suit the woman of another generation A tenseness of feeling if not open conflict Is inevitable ev table the joke to Is the safest means ol of 1 satisfying the desire to get even the most harmless outlet for the pent up feelings of repartee the mother in law joke in 1 popular for the same reason thit that a joke at the expense of the teacher Is popular with school children both havea hare a dignity and authority that rankle M E by maclure mcclur lawr syndicate 0 |