A video uploaded on YouTube by BBC Archive gives us a glimpse into men's contribution to housework in the early 1980s.
Videos from the past are like time capsules, revealing how life, though seemingly simpler, was often challenging—especially for women. In a fascinating BBC Archive video, we glimpse into 1980s life as the show "That's Life" interviews elderly couples about the roles husbands played in housework. Their responses show just how far we’ve come in redefining household roles.
The reporter asks the first couple about the husband’s role in chores, to which the woman replies, "He does his bits and pieces, yes." When asked about the chores he does, she lists, "Washes up, makes his bed, wipes the sink." The reporter then inquires if he is as good at the chores as she is. "Oh no, but I don't expect it; it's not in him," she responds. When the reporter asks if she thinks it's unmanly for men to do household work, the woman says no. Suddenly, the man chimes in, "But we fight the wars."
Then the reporter asks if he makes his bed, to which he replies yes. The woman adds that he only makes his bed, not hers. The next clip shows a female reporter asking a man if he does any housework. He responds, "Well, from time to time. I mean, I don't make a habit of it; I have other things to do," adding that he has a "wife to do the housework." When asked if there’s any chore he does that his wife wouldn’t, he replies, "Yes, like when the toilet gets blocked." The third couple won people’s hearts. The woman tells the reporter how her husband cleans the bathroom for her and polishes all the furniture. She adds that he also helps her clean the sink and the windows. When the reporter asks if he is really good at it, the woman says, "He is very good at it." At this point, the man jumps in and playfully says, "I am not as useless as you may think. I am more than just a pretty face." He then jokes that he only does it when she gives him a biscuit.
Another woman reveals she makes the bed herself, and when the reporter asks why her husband doesn’t do it, she laughs, "He is an old sod." The reporter then approaches a young woman and asks if there is something she simply refuses to do. "Yes, washing socks. I just couldn't do it. I mean, there's no amount of money that could convince me to do this," she says in the video.
Next, the reporter speaks to a butcher and asks him what he would do if a woman started charging him for her services. He responds, "Well, you are paying for her services, aren’t you? If you are married, you see your partner asking for money each week." He then adds that it’s completely different when a woman also works. "If she is working, then you need to divide the tasks 50-50," he says.
Many viewers chimed in to comment on the hilarious moments. "I love the sense of humor of these older people and that lady who'd had her husband for a long time talked just like Kathy Burke! Can't believe 1982 is 40 years ago!" wrote @hilaryepstein6013. Meanwhile, @JohnSmith-rw2yn commented, "The butcher had it right. If one partner didn't work and was home all day you'd expect them to do housework but if you both work it's 50-50."