I’d keep Barbara Eden even if she could give me no spells at all…provided she always wore that “Arabian” dress.
It occurred to me after posting the OP that under the conditions I set, it’s possible to de facto free the genie without doing so de jure. First, just to be safe, command that it never harm you or any other human being, or by inaction allow you or any other human come to harm. Second, wish for a safe that only you can open. Third, place the bottle in the safe and lock it. Lastly, tell the genie to go out and enjoy itself so long as it honors the first command.
I’m strongly reminded of the Astro City comic where it turns out the the Superman-analog Samaritan essentially has no life of his own, because his conscience compels him to save people every waking moment. Everything he does it timed to the second to help the maximum number of people.
That’s what a command like “by inaction allow you or any other human come to harm” inevitably leads to - assuming that the genie doesn’t just break down due to being unable to fulfill such a broad command. I’m also reminded of a short story where an AI programmed with Asimov’s Three Laws went catatonic every time it was turned on because “Harm no human, or allow one to by harmed by your inaction” is impossible to fulfill; every action harms someone, and every inaction as well.
If she can’t be wished free, I don’t much see the point of abandoning her. Who’s to say the next guy to find the bottle isn’t a much bigger bastard than me? And I don’t really see a problem with asking for wishes if the genie doesn’t mind granting them. I would try to follow the wisdom of Spider-man and exercise my new found power responsibly, for the good of the world.
I wouldn’t want to be called “master”, though. (Maybe that makes for a good kinky role play, but when the person actually has no choice but to do what you tell them? Not cool.) Why not just have her call me Tim?
Does the genie look like Barbara Eden or does it look more like Robin Williams?
Answered in the OP. The genie has no inherent gender; it appears a form sexually attractive to its current master. If you’re a straight dude, it may well look like 60s Eden, unless you don’t like blondes. If you’re Mindy McConnell, it’ll probably look like Mork.
I think first of all, I’d wish the genie to look like an ugly, short man. That way, neither myself nor my wife would be tempted by it. I can’t imagine that having a genie around that’s pretty much read my mind and appearing in the form that I find most sexually attractive would be a good thing at all, especially if it has to do my bidding.
Beyond that, I’d try to determine whether it was evil, good or sort of instinctual- like an elemental of some sort. If it’s good, and there’s no advantage to it for serving someone, then I’d set it free. If it was evil, I’d bottle the damn thing up, cast the bottle in a big cube of concrete, and stick that sucker in a safe deposit box in a safe bank somewhere. Or better yet, find a way to go dump it out in the deepest part of the Gulf of Mexico (could probably afford that)
If it was some sort of creature that benefits somehow (or avoids injury) by serving someone, then I’d have it serve me, but I’d discuss with it (as much as I could) what kinds of service would be fulfilling.
If it was somehow instinctual and not really fully sentient, then I’d probably just make it clean my house and mow my yard, and do the generally annoying stuff that I don’t like doing, like painting the exterior of the house, caulking, etc…
What becomes of the safe, bottle, and genie when the owner dies?