| May 6, 2010 Happy Mother's Day! We're all familiar with those Donna Reed/June Cleaver-types who seem to exist only on television. Pearls, pressed dress, clean apron, fresh-from-the-parlor 'do. No real-life mother could measure up to the likes of Carol Brady. And who'd want to? Wouldn't it be a lot more fun to be like these moms who don't fit into any mold? -
![]() Lily from The Munsters (1964-1966): Unlike Morticia from The Addams Family, Lily (Yvonne De Carlo) didn't need servants. Lily ruled the roost at 1313 Mockingbird Lane with a mix of sweetness and steeliness. OK, so she wasn't much on housekeeping – witness all the cobwebs and dust. But she took TLC of her little Eddie (Butch Patrick) and his "ugly" cousin Marilyn (Pat Priest). She adored her Hermie (Fred Gwynne in pseudo-Frankenstein's monster makeup) and didn't put Grandpa (Al Lewis) out on to the street when his basement lab blew up (every other episode). As weird looking as the Munsters were, there was a lot of love in their eccentric household. - Lois from Malcolm in the Middle (2000-2006): Jane Kaczmarek played the harried, but tenderhearted Lois, mother of five boys in this Emmy-winning comedy. And it was probably raising those five rambunctious sons (Frankie Muniz as Malcolm, Justin Berfield as Reese, Erik Per Sullivan as Dewey, Christopher Masterson as Francis, and James/Lukas Rodriguez as little Jamie) that turned Lois into Lois. Cloris Leachman occasionally dropped in to play Ida, Lois' mother (who made Lois look like a meek little lamb).
-
![]() Clair from The Cosby Show (1984-1992): Clair Huxtable (Phylicia Rashad) was a winning combination of silly and successful, often using her skills as a lawyer to settle disputes in the Huxtable household. Who didn't cheer when Clair made partner at her law firm? - Ann Romano from One Day at a Time (1975-1984): This show was groundbreaking when it first aired because Bonnie Franklin played a recently divorced mother of two teen daughters (Mackenzie Phillips and Valerie Bertinelli). Up until One Day at a Time, divorce was rarely mentioned on television. Ms. Romano (or "Em Ess Romano" as Schneider would to say) wasn't prime time's first feminist (that would be Maude), but she was one of the first single moms on TV.
- Peggy from King of the Hill (1997-2009): As any KOTH fan knows, Peggy (voiced by Kathy Najimy) is a bit of a know-it-all and can't teach Spanish worth frijoles. But Peggy is a hands-on mom who substitute-teaches at Bobby's school and she has opened her heart and home to niece Luanne (voiced by the late Brittany Murphy).
-
![]() Marge from The Simpsons (1989-present): Little Maggie has been in diapers since this show began in 1989 and if that's not enough to crown Marge Simpson as Mother of the Year, then nothing is. Marge is kind, trusting and naive, but when her family is threatened she'll raise her (blue) hackles and turn into a defensive mama bear. Voiced by Julie Kavner, Marge has raised the perfect yin and yang with Bart and Lisa. - Lynette from Desperate Housewives (2004-present): Of all the families on Wisteria Lane, Lynette Scavo's (Felicity Huffman) has probably had it the worst - cancer, murder, midlife crisis, tornado. Throughout all the drama, Lynette holds it together and is a loyal and loving supermom to her four kids (with another one on the way.
Who are your favorite offbeat TV moms? – Francine Ruley May 6, 2010 The next DC Universe animated movie is Batman: Under the Red Hood , which is based on the graphic novel by Judd Winnick, Doug Mahnke, and Tom Nguyen. It features the voices of Bruce Greenwood (Batman), Jensen Ackles (Red Hood), Neil Patrick Harris... read more
| | | | | |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment