June Cleaver : Femme Friend or Femme Foe

[The_Lady_Snow]

Originally Posted by Cajun_dee

When i think of the evolvement of women's roles in the home and society regarding television i not only think of June Cleaver.

Bewitched ~ Samantha was a stay at home mom. Soon as Darren walked in she fixed him a *double*. She was allowed to pop in at the office but usually just for a visit.

The Honeymooners ~ i absolutely loved this show, but poor Alice. All hell broke loose because when Ralph got laid off, she went and got a job. And as was brought up in another thread *Bang zoom*.. with a fist in her face. You never saw Alice threaten to Bang Zoom Ralphieboy.

Ozzie and Harriet ~ i only saw the reruns but Harriet Nelson was just like June Cleaver i think.

Dick Van Dyke ~ Same as above

I Love Lucy ~ Lucy of course wanted to be in the show
(Another sign of the times, Lucy was the first woman to be shown pregnant on TV, and the word pregnant was not allowed. She was shunned for years for being in a *mixed marriage*. )

There were so many more back then..

Then we progressed

The Flintsones ~ modeled after the Honeymooners, even in cartoon land the wives were opressed.

That Girl ~ Marlo Thomas as a female lead

Mary Tyler Moore ~ A woman working in an office.. i LOVED her.

and the list goes on.



My point is that unfortunately June was not an unusual character for Hollywood and as kids it's all we had.

i wonder what the kids of today will have to say in 50 years?

Claire Huxtable

Murphy Brown

Roseanne

Anne Romano

Kate & Allie

Cate Hennessey

Ellen Degeneres

Oprah Winfrey



We still do not see any of these women being upheld and used as comparisons when it comes to Femme.