My aged mom watches a lot of shitty tv.

[Kaleva]

6. it's evolving

Comedy based on the wife beating her husband has been around for a long time. One used to see that even in comic strips such as "Blondie" and "Snuffy Smith". It was funny because it wasn't threatening to those in position of power. It's slapstick.

I'd have to do some serious digging but I do recall an article where Jackie Gleason discussed how the character Ralph was able to get away with his threats to send his wife Alice to the moon. Alice was portrayed as a strong woman who could more then hold her ground and who dismissed the threats as idle ones. It wouldn't have worked, I believe Jackie Gleason said, if Alice cried.

Attitudes are changing and one can watch "Family Guy" to see that. Peter and Lois sometimes beat the shit out of each other and even in one scene where Peter tells Chris he is now the man of the house, the first thing Chris does is fart in Meg's face and then knocks out Lois with one punch.

Such as thing wouldn't have been tolerated years ago, comedy wise. What's funny about a man hitting a member of the "weaker sex"? It was funny for the "weak" woman to rule over her bumbling idiot of a husband and occasionally bash him in the head with a frying pan.