People still make jokes about husbands being pigs in need of training, so yeah.

It's called equality.

I think it can bee seen in two ways: Either he married his wife, because she manipulated him to do so, or he married her to take advantage of her manipulative abilities (My wife is good at X. – Why did you marry her? – Because she is good at X.).

That said, I don't know about the authors intention. Yet, to me it seems more likely that it's the first option.

I am not a woman or a wife, but I kind of get this one as someone who has been manipulated into more than one engagement. It's obviously needlessly gendered but the relationship aspect of the joke is relatable. Manipulative narcissists are everywhere.

Why? Did all the bad wives suddenly die out?

Because saying "I got manipulated by a grifter" and then explaining why doesn't have the same effect. Having a spouse is relatable. Most people are invested and then it switches. That's what most comedy is.

Stand ups generally should have artistic freedom.