The woman of today is quite the striking contrast to the woman of yesterday. She no longer has a role defined by her gender. She can stay home with her children, run a corporate office or even just cash in on the fact that sex sells. The point is that she has a choice. A woman is no longer expected to stay home and mind the house simply because she has ovaries.
For years woman were simply seen as the maids and wet nurses to both her children and husband. She performed her wifely duties without even mussing up her perfectly coiffed hair. A woman held her position as the matriarch with barely a word of protest. They were the meatloaf makers not the bread winners.
Episodes of “Leave it to Beaver” portray June Cleaver as the perfect wife and mother of that time period. She dressed fashionably, her home was immaculate and her marriage ran like clockwork. Ward, the husband was often found in his study pulling on his pipe while reading the newspaper. June Cleaver did not work outside of the home because it was expected for her to care for the home and children. This was the overwhelming norm for the woman of the fifties. Women tended to the laundry, kids and cooking with a smile that masked their inner feelings.
“Like any good mother, June often worries about Wally and Beaver, but she never fails to greet life's daily challenges with the sweet and gentle demeanor that most of us wish our mothers had. A sensible wife, mother, and homemaker, her cookie drawer is always full, the coffee is always fresh, and she never has a hair out of place.” (TVLand.com, 2007)
The women of today bear small resemblance to the timid homemakers of yesterday. Today's woman is opinionated, demanding and in control of her own future. Gone are the days of “a woman is to be seen and not heard”. Women can now choose whether to marry, their career and even their breast size. A woman is no longer judged simply by the cleanliness of her home or the dish she takes to the potluck. She is sitting behind the corporate desk and even running for President.
Roseanne Barr, the star of the ninety's hit show “Roseanne” was an overweight, married working mother of three. She was often so tired and stressed that she was overcome with fits of screaming. Her television life mimicked real life in a way that today's families could relate to. Roseanne often held down more than one job to help make ends meet. She would then come home to the drama of children and house-hold chores. Her husband Dan also works and helps around the house only after being lovingly harassed by his wife. Roseanne is no stranger to expressing her displeasure at her kids, her job and even her husband. Her opinions were controversial, loud and often times in your face.
“Roseanne deemed herself a “domestic goddess” and dispensed mock cynical advice about child-rearing: “I figure by the time my husband comes home at night, if those kids are still alive, I've done my job.” (Museumtv.com, 2005)
Roseanne's home was not the Mecca of cleanliness that June Cleavers was. Probably because she was responsible for not only bringing home the bacon but frying it as well. Along with the change that has cut the ties that used to bind the woman to the home have come the added responsibilities of both career and domestic duties. Some women choose not to have children and just concentrate on their careers, while others bravely try to have it all.
Woman have come a long way since the days of June Cleaver. We have exited the home and entered the work force. We have shown society that we are capable of more than just cooking, cleaning and bearing children. Balancing a career and a personal life can be a struggle but most would say that it's worth it.
I personally have a hard time managing the different roles that I must take on in order for my life to run smoothly. At the end of a particularly stressful day, I sometimes think of how much easier in some ways it was to live fifty years ago. I could spend all day shopping, cleaning and cooking a gourmet meal for my loving family. I would wear cute aprons and serve everything with a warm smile. Later, my husband would give me a gentle hint of his romantic intentions by quietly pushing the beds together. As I lay my curler laden head on my pillow I could smile because my husband was happy and satisfied.
When I finally snap back into reality, I realize that I am too loud and opinionated to have lived that life. I am not afraid to say how I feel and even push the beds together myself sometimes. I probably would have been nick-named the “Whore of Babylon” by the women at the church picnic. I am glad that I am a woman of today. I have a choice and a say in how things are done and how the money is spent. After all I earn most of it anyways.
