Mom Is Upset That Her Husband Refuses To Punish His Adult Son For Reading 18+ Comic Books
“I will not support any punishment she gives him... it’s unfair.”
Ben-bryant, Elnur / CanvaPro Experimenting with obscure cookbooks, fast walking, and blasting “Screamo” music on the way to work — we all have unique interests. These interests breathe life into us, give us a sense of identity, and fill our time in a way that provides us with joy rather than draining us of energy.
Hobbies are incredibly helpful for bolstering self-esteem, improving confidence and mental health, and giving ourselves a sense of purpose and identity. For people with the luxury of free time and occasional spending money, hobbies can be essential and integral to our lives.
So, why try to take them away or shame someone for their choices, no matter how obscure? One mother on Reddit greatly upset readers by trying to do just that — shaming her adult son for reading comic books and urging her husband, who posted on the forum, to punish him.
The mother is upset with her husband for not ‘punishing’ their 20-year-old son for reading ‘adult’ comic books in their home.
Taking to Reddit to post his story, the dad shared some background information on his family. He and his wife have three children ranging from 12 years old to 20. Their oldest son, currently at university and living out of the house, came home for Easter to celebrate with everyone.
Photo: Gizem Nur / Canva Pro
“He’s really into something called ‘BL’...he mentioned it a few times but never went into detail,” he added. “I found out a bit more when I went to visit him and we went to a manga store. I told him I would buy him one.”
“BL,” otherwise known as “Boys’ Love,” is an 18+ version of manga that encompasses many stories in adult comic books and stories. "The cashier asked for his ID… my son looked embarrassed,” the dad continued. “I didn’t really bring it up and just left it at that.”
It wasn’t a surprise that he brought some of these comic books home with him — reading them has become a regular hobby in his life. “Some were regular books, and some were in the same vein as the one I bought him.”
After coming home for the holidays, their son made sure to deter his young sister from reading his comic books — as they were intended to be ‘18+’.
While spending time with his youngest 12-year-old sister, he was sure to deter her from picking up the 18+ comic books in his room. “[She] loves to read as well, and when she saw the stack of books on his side, she went to grab one,” the dad wrote. Despite her eagerness, their son quickly stopped her and set a boundary.
“He told her that she’s too young [to read them], and that was it.”
When he wasn’t home, his 12-year-old sister sneakily read one of the adult comic books, which made their mother furious.
“Today I came home from work for lunch, only to be greeted by my wife yelling at our son,” the dad wrote. “Apparently, while he was out with some friends, his sister had gone up to his room to look for the books… my wife found her reading a section that definitely earned the book its 18+ rating.”
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While the mom was furious over the situation, the dad was confused. He felt it was not their son’s responsibility to police and watch his younger sister. He’d already told her that she was not allowed to read the comic books. He even moved the books to a more hidden location to ensure she didn’t have access to them.
“I told her that he did nothing wrong… he can own and read books like that,” he added. “This has now caused a massive argument, as she’s adamant that our son needs to be punished.”
The mom is adamant that their son is ‘to blame’ for owning the comic books, but his dad refuses to punish him — ‘I won’t support it.’
“My wife is now saying that I don’t care about our daughter and that I’m manipulating her and undermining her authority as his mother, so AITA?” the man asked.
Commenters almost unanimously agreed: The mother is completely misguided in who she’s chosen to blame. Not only is the guilt and blame she’s forcing onto her son unwarranted, but it also completely dismisses his interests and hobbies in a way that’s inevitably going to harm their relationship.
“There is no reason to punish your son for reading age-appropriate things,” one person wrote. “Your daughter specifically looked for the books after she was told she shouldn’t read them… sounds like her ‘punishment’ is less of a parenting mistake and more of a homophobic reaction.”
Many other commenters relayed a similar sentiment related to the “BL” manga’s storylines — with some arguing she’s trying to protect her daughter’s “innocence” and others suggesting she’s being homophobic. Ultimately, most blamed the mother for not disciplining her daughter and instead turning on her son.
“So, she’s trying to punish a 20-year-old for reading? This isn’t controversial; it’s just ignorant.”
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a News & Entertainment Writer at YourTango who focuses on health & wellness, social policy, and human interest stories.