ABSTRACT
In terms of negative reputation and stereotyping, the mother-in-law could probably give the wicked stepmother of fairytale fame a run for her money (see Chapter 10, this volume). The dark side of in-law relationships is readily apparent in popular culture, from films such as Monster-in-Law to websites featuring in-law horror stories. The topic of relating with in-laws has been the focus of countless artifacts of popular culture, and the majority of the allusions have been negative. Beginning with movies, the pessimistic references to in-laws span culture and time: Monster-in-Law (2005 American movie), My Mother-in-Law is an Atomic Bomb (1952 Egyptian movie), Haunted by His Mother-in-Law (1913 British movie), Tormented by His Mother-in-Law (1908 French movie), The Impossible Son-in-Law (1959 Chinese movie), A Remedy for Mothers-in-Law (1913 Romanian movie), and an American television series called Murder in Law (1989). One cannot help but notice that a negative tone underlies all these titles, and this negativity does not pertain only to television and movies.
