It's demographics, that's all. In most households, women make most of the buying decisions, from groceries to clothing to what cell phone to buy. That's the reality, and most men are quite happy to have them do it.
So, the advertisers go for the female market. For some reason, they seem to think that women think their husbands and boyfriends are useful idiots, so that's why the ads portray them that way.
In markets where men make most buying decisions, like cars, and especially trucks, wide-screen TVs, and other high-end merchandise, you won't find this kind of ad.
I'm waiting for the Beano ad that has hubby tooting in bed then pulling the covers over his wife's head. She laughs, and says, "That trick won't work. I put Beano in your food."
Now, the question is: Do most women think their husbands are useful idiots? If so, then the ads are right on target.
Or, it could be that many of these women feel dependant or inferior, and so they respond to ads that portray a fantasy of superiority. i.e., they like to be flattered.
The purchase is then an "expression" of their fantasised independance, or intellectial superiority, or family dominance, or whatever specific issue is implied by the nuances of the interactions portrayed in the ad.