Hello. You did not say what text this question refers to, which makes it impossible to answer. However I can help you by showing the concept of anecdote and the possible reasons why it is used.
The anecdote is a short narrative that has a playful and amusing character and its main objective is to provoke comic relief in a narrative, or to satirize a situation and show concepts in a fun way.
Probably in the text to which the question refers, the anecdote serves to convey a comic relief in the text, in addition to showing a criticism, in a light and fun way to the complaining behavior of the husband.
The benefits are that you get to collaborate and get to know people better. The disadvantages are that you guys have to work in unison , and sometimes you don’t agree with your peers.
