In 1957, Barbara Billingsley entered the homes of America on the hit television show Leave it to Beaver. As June Cleaver, she ran a typical household: baking pies, sweeping floors, folding laundry…all while in her pearls and shirtwaist dress.
“This was typical,” said Betty Townsend, who has been a stay-at-home housewife herself since the ‘50’s. “Sure, I didn’t always pack my kids their lunches while wearing heels, but June’s duties and actions – those are right on-par.”
And these female responsibilities were no joke. Housekeeping Monthly published an article in the ‘50s entitled “The Good Wife Guide,” which included 18 rules women needed to abide by in order to be, well, good wives. Having dinner ready, cleaning the house and “preparing” the children for Dad’s arrival may not seem so far-fetched, even in today’s time. “Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes” and “Remember, he is the master of the house,” though, probably would not sit quite right with women today.
For, now, women can work better jobs than men, drive better cars than them and be more successful and famous overall, and being a woman who is a housewife is no exception; in March 2006, the cable network Bravo launched The Real Housewives series, beginning with the ladies of Orange County.
“Trying to make any of the gals on this TV series follow those crazy rules from the ‘50s would be scary,” joked Rhonda Kinnibrugh, a housewife-turned teacher who has seen every episode of the Bravo series. “They are just too bold and different for that.”
Bold is definitely one word to describe acts such as flipping tables in New Jersey, swimming topless in New York and dating pimps in Atlanta, which are just a few of the dramatic incidences seen on the show. Most of the differences between June Cleaver and these celebrities, however, may be based on the time; with all the changes that have happened over the years, it may seem strange to compare such drastically different women.
“Most people look at the overdone women on these shows and, if anything, shy away from plastic surgery,” said Ilana Angel, who has a reality television blog through jewishjournal.com. “These are fantasy lives with big problems, and we watch with interest, not envy. I think it’s quite a stretch to [say a] ‘50s housewife [is like a] Bravo star. [Bravo] is not reality.”
For instance, back in the day, women were most usually found in circle skirts, with their hair styled in prim waves à la Marilyn Monroe or a voluminous bouffant. On The Real Housewives of Miami, though, Lisa Hochstein is a self-proclaimed walking billboard for her plastic surgeon husband. After getting married in 2009, Lisa let the “boob god” himself fix her up even better than she had already been fixed, meaning that she is often caught in low-cut dresses and tops to show off his work.
While speaking of love connections, it should be noted that there are some similarities in these TV stars and women from the past, similarities that are always going to be around, no matter how much time passes, and a great example of this is marriage. Alexis Bellino, of Bravo’s original OC crew, has a marriage that most coincides with that of a 1950s one. Her and her husband Jim openly share their Christian faith and happily parent three young children, while still balancing separate careers and a television show.
“It seems most of the other people featured on the Housewives’ shows all struggle with cheating and divorce,” fan Kinnibrugh said. “The Bellinos do seem to have a nice grounding and steadiness, though, which definitely reminds me of the wholesomeness of the olden days.”
The most obvious aspect to think about when comparing housewives then and now is house duties. Dr. Ros Altmann, the director-general at Saga – which provides numerous services to those over the age of 50, said improved gadgets have significantly reduced the time and effort required for housework.
“If you think back to the 1950s, most women would not even have had a washing machine,” she said.
Examine this against The Real Housewives of New York’s Sonja Morgan, who, like most of the women, has hired help. True, she is a single parent who runs two businesses, but when the show does venture into Morgan’s home, she is waking up late and having two or three young assistants greet her with breakfast and summaries of their completed work. Plus, her interns are all unpaid, which is interesting to think about since women of the past did that and so much more for no pay at all.
This leads into the topic of exercise among housewives. Altmann also notes in her work that women of the ‘50s burned significant numbers of calories each day, just by changing sheets or dusting furniture. The ladies of Bravo, however, turn gym dates into social activities, getting all dolled-up to have muscular men lead them in lifts.
“Today’s women have to set aside time in their already busy schedules for exercise,” Saga’s director-general continued. “Nowadays, you have to actually go to the gym to take exercise.”
In Altmann’s work, she surveyed 8,000 men and women on their waist sizes, calorie intake and lifestyle, then compared the results with the average statistics for adults in 1952. Results showed that back then, women led more active lives and ate smaller portions – about 1,818 calories each day – while the recommended amount today is at least 2,000.
This brings up thoughts that surely something more than a ticking clock has caused such a non-parallel between modern women and the same species 60 years ago.
Another reason is media. A simple Google search of vintage ads brings up June Cleaver look-alikes, telling the world how fun washing dishes is. Commercials now showcase twig-sized models caked in make-up and urging viewers to buy expensive products to look better.
“The show keeps going because seeing the insanity makes people feel more comfortable and safe in their own lives,” said blogger Angel. “It’s like watching a train wreck; you don’t know why you watch, but you do. You want to stop, and you can’t. Reality shows are the soap operas of this generation.”
Something else to consider is values and what is and was considered “normal.” Townsend can reflect on times of taking her children to church then having her daughter come home and help her in the kitchen, since that was expected. And while The Real Housewives can definitely display caring characteristics and beliefs, they are also definitely seen more as goddesses than average stay-at-home mothers.
In Beverly Hills, for example, former child star Kyle Richards knows how blessed her childhood was and leaves that option wide open for her own kids. And while her and her husband Mauricio love quality family time, it is obvious she also enjoys leading a public life.
The economy may have something to do with it, as at that time, a wife could not get a credit card without her husband’s co-signature, as brought up by Regina Lawrence, whose research at the University of Texas focuses on women in media.
“The trailer for The Real Housewives suggests dependency as well, but I haven’t watched the show in order to really know. They obviously live extravagantly.”
These extravagant lives are possible, due to the fact that several of the women are married to plastic surgeons, an occupation that was not really needed in the ‘50s. Even more of the famous females have alcohol lines, something that is much more popular today than then.
“People want to escape from their own lives and take comfort in watching other lives,” said Angel. “In times when people are stressed about money, love, kids and work, escaping into a world that is different from their own is fun.”
Despite new fads, evolving necessities and different goals, all these housewives, then and now, do have something in common: the need of a good time.
“I remember the joys of finally having my house-cleaning done, so I could call my friends over for a game of cards,” said Barbara Coulstan, who has housed many social events in her Texas home. “Of course, some weekends would lead to dances or dinners of mixed people, but the times that it was just women-folk…those were the best.”
And without social events, Bravo would not have seven running Housewives shows. Whether it is a fashion show in New Jersey or a photo shoot in New York, females flock together, taking any excuse to dress up and drink.
Besides playing cards, women of the ‘50s would often join in on Tupperware parties, where bowls and pans and dishes were traded and bought. Kandi Burruss wanted to start this trend back up…but with a twist.
In season four of The Real Housewives of Atlanta, wild and wacky Burruss decided to start her own line of bedroom toys, which – of course – she introduced through a crazy launch party, full of glamorous people and plenty of drinks.
“I don’t know if I agree with her choice of fun and direction, but I get it,” Kinnibrugh said of the parties. “What woman doesn’t love to have time with her girls?”
To see plenty of girl time, complete with tons of beauty, drama and excitement, turn to Bravo and be sure to check out the housewives!
Works Cited
- “Good Wife’s Guide.” Wikipedia.com. 29 Sept. 2012 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Good_Wife’s_Guide>.
- “Risque Business.” Karen Pakula. Sydney Morning Herald. 25 Sept. 2008. <http://www.lexisnexis.com.ezproxy.lib.utexas.edu/hottopics/lnacademic/?verb=sr&csi=314237&sr=HLEAD(Risque+business)%2BAND%2BDATE%2BIS%2B2008-09-25>.
- “Stereotypes.” BGSU.wiki. <http://americanmemoryofthe1950shousewif.bgsu. wikispaces.net/Stereotypes>.
- “Women put 6 inches on waists in 60 years: And the main reason? They don’t use as much elbow grease when they do housework.” Sophie Borland. Daily Mail. 24 May 2012 <http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2149356/Women-6-inches-waists-60-years-And-main-reason-They-dont-use-elbow-grease-housework.html#ixzz26JjUcUCf>.
