Thanks to uncreative sitcoms and stand-up comedians, jokes about in-laws have been a staple of comedy for ages. They are hilarious everywhere except, apparently, Italy.

No, Italy will not be tolerating anyone badmouthing in-laws any longer, as evidenced by a recent court decision to fine a man for insulting his mother-in-law. The man, in the midst of a fight with his wife, went straight to the Holy Grail of mother-in-law insults by calling her both a "b*tch" and a "wh*re."

Despite the fact that the mother-in-law in question wasn't even present, the man now has to pay a fine to his wife, as the court felt that her husband "indirectly damaged her dignity."

The amount of damages awarded was not disclosed, but it undoubtedly means that in the future, Italians who get involved in battles of words are either going to have to be careful of what they say or preface all insults with things like "I don't personally believe this but I've heard that ... "

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