Wives in Iowa compete fiercely in 'Husband Calling' contest
Each year, women compete for the top prize at the Iowa State Fair's Husband Calling Contest.
Couples who have been married for a long time develop a special pattern of communication. Usually, it involves the wife modulating her voice whenever she scolds her husband (which is often) and the husband learning to tune his partner out over time. It's not the ideal two-way street for communication, but it works just fine for most couples.
And, if you're a wife living in Iowa and you feel you have the act of nagging your husband down to a science, you can display your vocal chops at the Iowa State Fair's annual Husband Calling Contest. Yes, wives compete to see who has the best style when summoning their long-suffering husbands.
‘Husband calling’ is a real and hilarious state fair competition pic.twitter.com/mcH2sF6gKB
— NowThis (@nowthisnews) September 6, 2018
The women take their turn at the microphone and give it their best shot, yelling the name of either an existing or an imagined husband for the judges. And how does one determine whose husband call deserves to win? One of the judges says it's all about the "first impression and the last impression" that the call of the woman leaves.
ALSO READ: Japanese woman wins big at World Air Guitar Championships
If 2017, winner Bonnie Swalwell Eilert's call is anything to go by, it also matters how realistic the scenario is. Bonnie, whose husband initially did not want her to take part in the contest, won with a phrase that could be lifted from any everyday scene between a long-term couple: "Roy! Royyy! Can you hear me? You get yourself in here right now. Come on." From the sounds of things, Roy might often be in trouble with Bonnie.
The 2018 contest was won by Rose Beauregard, who has been entering since 2003 and told local news outlets that she "just wanted to win one time”. Rose says the contest gets more difficult as she gets older because it is "harder to take that deep breath", proving that Husband Calling can be categorised as a sport in its own right.
In a time when getting someone's attention is easily done with a WhatsApp message or, better yet, by sending your children to do the calling, how do you think you would fare at a Husband - or Wife - Calling Contest?
ALSO READ: Man braves Typhoon Jebi to deliver pizza