In lieu of Mother’s Day, Time Magazine has a feature on people’s favorite pop culture moms. Props to mentioning the ladies from The Joy Luck Club — both book and movie are a long-time guilty pleasure — and Dumbo’s mommy, whose cuddling scene makes me cry a little every time I watch it.
Except for the constant moving — and the promiscuity thing, I hasten to add — I fear my parental skills most resemble Mrs. Flax from Mermaids. Or maybe I just want to flatter myself by making Cher comparisons.
Which pop culture mom reminds you of your own? Yourself?
Definitely Diane Keaton in Baby Boom reminds me of my mom. Not because she was that comically unable to care for a baby, but because she very much struggled with the tension between being a stay at home mom, which she was until we were in middle school/high school, and having a serious suit career, which she began once we were older as a CPA. Physically, my mom very much reminds me of Diane Keaton, and there is a certain reservation in how she carries herself that is very evocative of my mom for me.
As for me, for YEARS I really identified with Brett Butler in her TV show Grace Under Fire. In its first seasons it really spoke to me about the difficulties of single motherhood without making the mother–who couldn’t do it all and never did it in traditional fashion–seem like a total asshole. She was very human, and very tough, and very loving, but also struggling.
I think that TIME missed by not mentioning Cher’s motherhood role in Mermaids, though, because nowadays (with the exception of the failed relationship thing) I really identify with Cher in that one. It’s the wacky factor, I think.
So, I guess we’ll have to divide Cher up between us.
I must say, I have the greatest mom in the world who is never wrong. :)
I guess maybe the character Jill Taylor from tv’s Home Improvement reminds me of her. My mom just raised boys, went back to school for a time, is a strong woman who stood up to her husband (my dad was less funny than Tim Allen but made about as many mistakes.)
She is just teh awesome. :)
I think you should really channel Mrs. Flax by getting the bouffant hairdo and only making finger foods for dinner.
I was probably more like Mrs. Doubtfire, in trying to do the right thing for my kids by messing up instead. Somehow they turned out to be wonderful mothers themselves and very accomplished women. Go figure. I kind of look like her(him), too.