It depends on the relationship. My Mormon MIL gave all of us DILs a cookbook she used that features an array of jello salads. Several of us are decidedly not LDS ourselves. It was very cute and funny.

[b]

Anonymous wrote:Funny. But no one on this board has a sense of humor so I imagine most of y'all will say mean.

You all

I think it's funny. But maybe because I know I'm not white trash?

Let it go.

And this is why it's tacky to open gifts in front of others at parties that celebrate you.

Anonymous wrote:I hate to see what she will bring to the baby shower.

Probably a paternity kit..ha

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My MIL gives us stuff like this. We don't really have a good relationship. One Christmas, she got us a ceramic bunt pan that had tire marks all over it and was stamped "Road Kill".

Haha? I've actually used it for casseroles- it makes a decent dish for that. MIL likes to shop at craft fairs, and I think she thought it was funny.

It was funny. at least you were nice to your MIL about it, not "devastated."

Of course I was nice to her. But it's just another piece of junk that I have to store now. That same Christmas, she gave us one of those little figurines made out of forks and spoons, which was holding a salt shaker and a shot glass. DH is a recovering alcoholic and I was pregnant.

Some people are clueless, some are mean, and some are trying to be funny. Being "devastated" by a cookbook as a gift is ridiculous. I doubt the OP's friend's MIL was trying to be mean.

Wow. I would ask "who does that" but apparently your MIL.

I'm dying - I'm sorry, but that's hilarious. Whatever the meaning she'll have a story to tell her friends and kids until forever - you can't make this stuff up

Kind of surprised and not by the thread. If we had a sense of the MIL we could answe, but in short, if MIL has been high-handed or condescending, then the gift was nasty as hell. It's not a private gift exchange and clearly OP's pal was hurt. To give that at a public event celebrating the imminent marriage is provocative and designed to cause a stir, and only a nasty piece of work would do that.

However, lots of people here want to pretend butter wouldn't melt in their mouths no matter what so of course OP's friend is a too-sensitive loser.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My MIL gives us stuff like this. We don't really have a good relationship. One Christmas, she got us a ceramic bunt pan that had tire marks all over it and was stamped "Road Kill".

Haha? I've actually used it for casseroles- it makes a decent dish for that. MIL likes to shop at craft fairs, and I think she thought it was funny.

It was funny. at least you were nice to your MIL about it, not "devastated."

Of course I was nice to her. But it's just another piece of junk that I have to store now. That same Christmas, she gave us one of those little figurines made out of forks and spoons, which was holding a salt shaker and a shot glass. DH is a recovering alcoholic and I was pregnant.

Some people are clueless, some are mean, and some are trying to be funny. Being "devastated" by a cookbook as a gift is ridiculous. I doubt the OP's friend's MIL was trying to be mean.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would have smiled sweetly and given it right back to her on Mother's Day.

I like your style.

OP, I think you should suggest this one to your friend too!

Was it an inside joke? Did the bride laugh? How did it play out?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It may have been a blow, but it's actually a highly-praised, very good southern cookbook--has been around since the 80s. I'd use it.

This.

It's a real cookbook that was really popular a few decades ago. It's just one of those books that has a shocking title to get the buyer's attention. It was probably never meant as an insult. It's something that MIL may very well have received when she was a newlywed and thought STB-DIL would appreciate it. Unfortunately, STB-DIL has probably never heard of the book and instantly assumed it was an insult. Crossed signals over crossed generations. They should talk to smooth things over.

It's highly rated on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/White-Trash-Cooking-Anniversary-Jargon/dp/1607741873/ref=sr_1_1

The title was not meant to offend anyone. It was a self-deprecating take on the kind of recipes the author had compiled. Comfort food and familiar dishes. Seriously, I would have loved if my MIL gave me this, it would have proved to me that she had a whacky sense of humor. I would have insisted all the ILs to sign it for me with words of wisdom about marriage! How a bride reacts to unexpected situations says a lot about her and this could have been a pivotal moment for her to make a mark on the family.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I would have smiled sweetly and given it right back to her on Mother's Day.

Oh, you are good.

YES!

Is the bride white and from a lower socioeconomic class?