......Politics

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0412/75069_Page3.html

I HATE politics, but this is a current issue that I felt I had to address. So here we go. 

As far as a woman's "role" is depicted in society, we have come full circle. From the 1950's dependent house wife, to the independent, hard working, business women with giant shoulder pads that assert her dominance in the 1980's, to the sexually free, hard working, 'no man needing' women of today. The women who chooses who she wants to be, whether that be a stay at home mom or scholarly business women. 

At least that's how my introduction to this post would go, and the summary of a women's role would be, if the world were black and white. Since it's not, I wanted bring light to a real issue being discussed in recent news, about an unexpected debate that unfolded on television Wednesday.  

As the article above summarizes, republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, commented that when it comes to the issues of women and their economic issues he looks to his wife for guidance. In retort, democratic strategist Hilary Rosen responded, that Anne Romney had "never worked a day in her life". So how is it that she could comment on women's economical issues of today? 

This has become a big debate; especially since the Republican party have had so many debates about issues concerning women. From abortion laws, health care, and re-examining what is defined as rape.  What has been coined as the "war on women". 

Everyone is up in arms, particularly the Republican Party, over Rosen's comment. Commenting that she is undermining the plight of the stay at home mom, however I have to say that I whole heartily agree with her. Anne Romney responded via Twitter, making it a point to mention that being a stay at home mom was her choice, and it was hard raising five boys. Continuing that her husband always said that her job was more important than his, because she was raising their family. 

I could imagine, that being a stay at home mother of five boys, while battling breast cancer, as Anne Romney states, would be hard. Now imagine being a working single mom, with two jobs, and three children at home. Keep imagining that on top of not knowing whether the government was going to discontinuing or cut back on your welfare check this week. 

THIS is an issue that most women of today face. THIS is the issue at hand. Not whether or not it's hard to be a stay at home mom. Because everyone knows that that is a challenge in and of its self, but the issue is the fact that women today don't have the CHOICE to be a stay at home mother. This is the issue that most women in today's economy face, not having a choice. 

I completely agree with Hilary Rosen, and I don't think her comment was misplaced at all. I do find it ironic however that two educated women of today are arguing over the plight of women in today's society as house wives vs. working women on national television, when this shouldn't even be an issue. With all the archetypes of women represented in the media, Rosen and Romney, apparently being from different ends of the same spectrum (educated women). They should stop arguing over which is harder, and leave personal issues out of economical issues.   

Will the REAL house wives please stand up.

     

                                                                       

  

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/television/how-television-portrays-the-wife/article2397542/page2/

So, if self proclaimed feminist have a problem with a powerful women choosing to stay home while her husband works, like Samantha from Bewitched, I wonder how they'd feel about what we have come to know as the modern day, Housewives... or shall I say divorced wives, of Orange County, New Jersey, and the rest of the Wives series currently flooding the airwaves on various networks. 

A majority of these women, if they are not being taken care of by their husbands, are divorced and living off the settlement money and the money they earn from the very series that deems them a 'real wife'. I remember in 2004 when housewives were desperate, and then when they were spouses in the army. Both shows were fictional and portrayed two different demographics of women. I found these intriguing enough, but then someone got the bright idea that the real scandal of the "modern" housewife needed to be portrayed. 

I use modern in quotations because although set in the present day, these women portray nothing of the life of any housewives I know. The above article notes that the life style these women lead, going on shopping sprees and expensive trips, glamorizes the life of a today's housewife. Instead of taking care of the kids, cooking and cleaning, they're going to day spa's, tipping the nanny, and giving their kid a pat on the head, if their kids are even seen that week. Which, in a lot of these shows I often forget that they even have children at all. 

With the fictional housewives came a lot of drama, fighting, betrayal, and secrets, with the Real housewives we experience the exact same thing. Is this the reality of women with far too much money and time? It's ironic that we fought so hard to get away from the stereotype that was placed upon us by society and the media, just for the same stereotype to be placed back on us in the new millennium, but this time adorned with diamonds and accessorized with black cards. It says we don't have to be intelligent, just beautiful enough to catch a man and have him take care of us. (Sounds familiar right?) 

The article does however highlight one woman that makes that truly demonstrates the glamour of a house wife- Beyonce. Leading the pack of the 'Independent Women' movement in the early 2000's, she is now all about love, and being a wife. However, all the glamour that surrounds her life did not come with the union of her and of her billionaire husband, but from her own success. I have to admit that I do get my share of wives drama in every so often, my poison being Basketball Wives, but I wonder if television is ever going to accurately depict what it's like being a wife in 2012, in the real world. How about some 'Real House Wives of Dekalb County'? Or maybe 'Real House Wives of Compton', Kansas! I think it'd make for an interesting show, and I’m sure they keep it real. What House Wives would you want to see? 

A Bewitching Presence and Anti-feminism?

.http://womenshistory.about.com/od/feminismandpopculture/a/Feminism-Bewitched-Sitcoms.htm

So for my first real post I thought I'd take it back old school (old school in my case at least). I know in my last post I was harping on how great and empowering the leading ladies were in some of my favorite shows, but one of my all time favorite characters would have to have been Endora, Samantha's mother, in the 1960s comedy Bewitched.

I mentioned in my last post how although Samantha choice to be a house wife, she still held the appeal of the show. Which to me, spells the makings of a women in charge, and secure with who she is, however the views on Samantha's character were not the same across the board.

As stated in the above article, "The Feminism of Bewitched" many feminist felt that the concept of a 'blonde perky house wife' was outdated. Though they knew it was about a women more powerful than her husband, and the bigger theme was a fantasy of a man and a women coming together to have a family despite their differences, they still found it the dynamics of the show and Samanatha's, played by Elizabeth Montgomery, role insulting.

I wonder if the feminist preferred Endora's character as well?
She was rude
Overbearing
and against inter-realm marriage

I'm not positive if 'inter-realm' marriage is the correct term, especially since I think I made it up. But would an advocate for hate and disunity be more fitting, as long as she was a powerful women, who wasn't held back by a man?

I'm not positive if that was the way to go either, but I loved Samantha's character, but loved Endora's character for an entirely different reason. For her style. Her Cruella Di Villesque charm was enchanting to me. Despite her general bitter tone there's no way I could hate someone with such style, and evil pizzaz.

Surprising to me Agnes Moorhead found this show to be far fetched, and didn't consider the character of Endora to be her best of work, even in spite of several Emmy nominations. She insisted that she appear in less episodes in her contract, in order to work on multiple other projects at the same time. She also was keen to the radio, and was the first women to co-host the academy awards. GO ENDORA