A video of a man caught pretending to do housework while watching a sports match instead has gone viral on TikTok, where it received 91,900 likes at the time of writing.
The clip, shared by TikTok user heiscole, was overlaid with a message that said: "My husband said he was upstairs fixing the leaking sink...2 hours later, this is what he was doing."
The video showed a man sitting on a tiled floor, tapping the hammer next to him a few times with one hand, while watching a sports game on a tablet screen. After taking a sip from a can, he was seen using a drill tool in the air while continuing to watch the game.
In an October 2020 survey of adults who are married or living with their partner conducted by the Pew Research Center, 55 percent of men were reported to be very satisfied with the way household chores are divided between them and their spouse or partner, compared with just 38 percent of women who felt the same.
The results of the American Family Survey of 3,000 adults, released in September 2020 by the Deseret News and Brigham Young University's Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy, found that on average, men believe they and their wives do a 50-50 share of the housework.
The wives, however, said that while men are helping out more than before, they believe the housework is closer to a 65-35 divide, with women doing the large share.
@heiscole She never expected it😂😂😂😂 #fyp #tiktok #foryoupage #trending #foryou #viral
♬ son original - moya_vibes
A Gallup poll of married or partnered hetereosexual couples in the U.S., which was published in January 2020, found that although women make up nearly half of the U.S. workforce, they still take on the larger share of household responsibilities.
More than half (58 percent) were reported to do the laundry, clean the house (51 percent) and prepare meals (51 percent).
Just under three-quarters (69 percent) of men were reported to take the lead in keeping the car in good condition, while 59 percent were reported to do yard work.
The Gallup poll also found that perceptions about who does what house chores varied sharply between men and women.
For eight out of 12 tasks (caring for children, cleaning the house, preparing meals, washing dishes, grocery shopping, paying bills, planning family activities and making decisions about savings or investments), men and women were found to each be more likely to say that they personally do an equal or larger share of the work than their partner.
The latest viral video amused users on TikTok, including some who were sympathetic towards the husband.
In a comment that got 935 likes, user Arizen16 said: "If your husband has to do this to get some peace of mind, that should show you that something is really wrong in that relationship."
Karel_ said: "that man is a straight up genius," while Danny Thanos said: "only guys will understand this man [crying laughing emojis]."
WILL_ORIS said: "The man is working really hard [crying laughing emojis]," while darling davinchi [red heart emoji] said [crying laughing emojis] he played you so good [crying laughing emojis]."
Joshua Ho: "I mean he is [working]. He's testing out his equipment while watching something on the iPad. Just hasn't finished fixing the sink yet. Right? [crying laughing emoji]."
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment. The latest video has not been independently verified.
If you have a similar marriage or relationship dilemma, let us know via life@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured on Newsweek.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in travel and health.
Soo ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
