Recognising a pattern

Can't say I have witnessed anything like this amongst my friends but bullying can go on in any partnership regardless of age.
My DH certainly would not behave like this its disrespectful regardless of gender.

You live in a very different world from me! I'm 70 and might have noticed this behaviour in my parents' generation but never in my own.

Oops I added but don't know where it went - the woman is the seasoned martyr so the poor husband is constantly made to feel guilty.

I will say that I quite often in supermarkets see what I call 'the dutiful husband' trailing behind a woman of a certain age who is clearly in charge e.g. more than once I've heard the poor man in question being loudly told off "You don't need that!" And the offending item removed from the trolley and returned to the shelf.

So I would say that sort of behaviour comes in the person not whether they're male or female.

As Oreo says none of the women that I know would put up with that.

People control others in so many ways... I've now been reminded of a friend with a meek and mild husband who is a seasoned martyr!

No, can’t say I have noticed this, but all the women that I know wouldn’t allow anything like that to happen.
Probably the older men have always been like that but becoming more noticeable in retirement?