Post by The Mad Plumber on Jun 3, 2011 23:08:15 GMT -5
I was cutting some lawns and I got thinking back to this thread I wrote inquiring about notable TV dads. I suppose at some point I had to bring up TV moms. The problem, though, was that I had a hard time coming up with a list. As Joel and the bots pointed out, giving birth to adorable tots was essentially signing your own death warrant. I guess Hollywood hates moms. As it is, I have a hard time determining what would be the values that make a great TV mom.
Edith Bunker
I'm really tempted to lambaste Edith for her cartoon-level naivety. Gloria really has it rough: she's got a father that sees everything through red-tinted glasses and a mother whose hamster has fallen off its wheel.
Vivian Banks
I find myself really reluctant to admit that she seems to have more positive qualities of a TV mom. She seems to be able to juggle the demands of a wealthy socialite and an authoritative disciplinarian. Of course, I'm talking about when she was played Janet Hubert. When she was replaced by Daphne Reid, though, she just seemed to blend into the background.
Peggy Bundy
Peggy could easily rank as one of the worst television moms, but I think that's deliberate. Peggy demonstrated negligence, lethargy, poor economy, and nymphomania. These traits increased to satirical levels as the show progressed, making Peggy a caricature of herself.
Jill Taylor
Part of my reluctance to do a TV moms thread was because I might find I have a "sexist" view of TV mom properties. I hope my criticism of Jill Taylor isn't out of sexism. From what I remember from the show, there was a point that Jill Taylor wanted to shirk being at home in favor of a high-demand job that would make her feel important. When my mom worked, she didn't work because she wanted to but because she had to. You ask her if she liked being hassled at restaurants or being hit on by piggish men. With Tim doing a cable show and Jill buzzing around like a hummingbird, who was supposed to keep Randy and Brad from beating up Mark? Wilson!?
Roseanne Connor
Roseanne was long addressing the issue that Jill Taylor didn't seem to get. Why did Roseanne work? Because she had to. Roseanne dealt with as best she could the turmoil of being a white trash mother to three children in an economically-depressed suburb.
Edith Bunker
I'm really tempted to lambaste Edith for her cartoon-level naivety. Gloria really has it rough: she's got a father that sees everything through red-tinted glasses and a mother whose hamster has fallen off its wheel.
Vivian Banks
I find myself really reluctant to admit that she seems to have more positive qualities of a TV mom. She seems to be able to juggle the demands of a wealthy socialite and an authoritative disciplinarian. Of course, I'm talking about when she was played Janet Hubert. When she was replaced by Daphne Reid, though, she just seemed to blend into the background.
Peggy Bundy
Peggy could easily rank as one of the worst television moms, but I think that's deliberate. Peggy demonstrated negligence, lethargy, poor economy, and nymphomania. These traits increased to satirical levels as the show progressed, making Peggy a caricature of herself.
Jill Taylor
Part of my reluctance to do a TV moms thread was because I might find I have a "sexist" view of TV mom properties. I hope my criticism of Jill Taylor isn't out of sexism. From what I remember from the show, there was a point that Jill Taylor wanted to shirk being at home in favor of a high-demand job that would make her feel important. When my mom worked, she didn't work because she wanted to but because she had to. You ask her if she liked being hassled at restaurants or being hit on by piggish men. With Tim doing a cable show and Jill buzzing around like a hummingbird, who was supposed to keep Randy and Brad from beating up Mark? Wilson!?
Roseanne Connor
Roseanne was long addressing the issue that Jill Taylor didn't seem to get. Why did Roseanne work? Because she had to. Roseanne dealt with as best she could the turmoil of being a white trash mother to three children in an economically-depressed suburb.