Well, when you analyze these TV moms, especially cartoon ones, you realize they're far from ideal or realistic.
After all, the joke is the king. They make any character do anything, as long as it's funny, regardless if it fits some 'ideal' the character is supposed to have.
They try to have this fema-fascist, unrealistic 'women can do no wrong' and 'all women are perfect angels' and 'to be mother is to be saint'-dogma and narrative, but it's then sacrificed for humor, because otherwise, the show would feel very dry.
Just look at the most ideal mother on TV; Marge Simpson.
She's uptight, passive-aggressive gambling addict and alcoholic, that can't think of anything to do if she doesn't do some repetitive house chores, except to drink wine.
She acts horribly when drunk (just as homer does), as seen in some episodes.
Why can't she be happy that the chores are done, and focus on something creative and interesting? Can't she explore the world? Can't she philosophize, write down her thoughts, create cartoons or pixel art? Can't she compose music or create sound effects for the programs she can do once she learns the basics of coding in basic (the easiest language)?
Can't she become interested in old synthesizers and the sounds you can make with them?
Couldn't she.. well, I think you get the point. There's so much to do and explore in the world, from Radio-Controlled airplanes, drones, helicopters, etc. (the "3D tricks" done on R/C helicopters are pretty amazing and VERY hard to learn how to do), HAM-radio hobby, all kinds if things you can do with internet, videomaking, etc.
There are so many ways of creating worlds, with 3D rendering (Lightwave, 3D Studio, etc. etc.) to lores 2D pixel art, to drawing cartoons or comics or just creative writing.. there are so many ways you can research interesting topics, from all kinds of conspiracies to how governments and 'Legal system' works, you can never run out of topics to research, because there are so many.
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[deleted]
6 years ago
But no, all Marge can think of is 'house chores', and if there aren't any, she can just drink wine, and that's about it.
Oh, she'll buy a dress to impress superficial friends by superficial, fake glamour, or try to gamble her stress and anxiety away.
Sure, the rest of the family is horrible, it's probably hard to keep up and keep things clean and make the meals and all that stuff - but it's really her own fault for never calling a family meeting to discuss a responsible way to share the house chores between each member, AND thus offering the family a channel to help the whole and become a tighter family unit (watch some of the old british Supernanny TV show and you get what I mean - the families are so happy after they have proper structure and everyone is allowed to help and assigned certain chores).
She never addresses this, she never talks about it, she doesn't WANT to release her chore load, she wants to feel important, so she builds this false image of 'perfect mom' on the basis of false values (passive-aggressive manipulation, nagging, never being honest, never addressing issues, but hiding them instead, etc.), so she has power to guilt the family and make herself a victim.
She uses the chores to keep her position as the boss of the family, and as a psychological-emotional crutch without wich, she would lose her mind or become an alcoholic.
Why does she have the need to have such a tall hair? To feel taller than everyone else?
Why would she choose an abusive, aggressive apelike alcoholic as a husband and father of her kids? So she can feel better about HERself and to become a martyr of sorts.
Why doesn't she discipline her kids or spend time with them or research child psychology or watch Supernanny and implement what is being taught? It would rob her of victim status and she couldn't have the power to guilt others anymore.
Lois might be even worse than Marge, but my point is, a cartoon TV show can't keep a 'virtuous character' virtuous for long.
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[deleted]
6 years ago
The men are always shown as bumbling fools, evil or stupid. Or horny idiots with no scruples.
Real men are not like that, but that's what you get with these comedy shows - they can't show realistic things for long, because it wouldn't be funny, so they exaggerate everyone and thus even the -gasp- MOTHERS are shown as horrible people - it's just funnier that way.
Please get me right, I fully admit that mothers are horrible people in real life, but the reason for Lois being a horrible entity, is because basically -everyone- has to be, for it to be funny.
Lisa is the only Simpsons character that's always shown as 'virtuous' or whatnot, but even she is neurotic and self-centered brat that tries to be 'cool' by denying what she really is, and lectures people a lot.
People feel sorry for Meg, but it's one of the rare female characters, that are treated as man. If you want true equality, look at Meg. This kind of treatment of women doesn't happen anywhere, so it's refreshing to see ONE place, where it does. And yet, people are shocked by it.. figures.
Don't say you want equality, if you don't REALLY want equality. Most of the workplace deaths are men, most men die earlier than women, most of the homeless are men, most of the hard work in the world is done by men, etc. But you don't see anyone crying about this inequality the same way females cry about 'glass ceiling'. What about glass floor? Even crickets stay away from THAT inequality topic.
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