Make me a sandwich

Stating the obvious here: for a long time (most of history), women were expected to be homemakers and care for the children. It was also believed women were less intellectual than men...maybe they couldn't park the chariot straight, or kept cutting off other horses and buggies. Either way, the ideal housewife phenomenon is pretty old, and the media reflects the continued image of the perfect nuclear family image.

I'm choosing to look at the Jetson's as an example of housewife expectations. The Jetsons aired when there was a higher percentage of women in the home instead of the workplace. What is interesting to me, is that the show is set in the future, yet instead of Jane having her own career or identity or pants, she has godgets and a robot to help maximize her housewife potential. This is not to say every woman should have a career and not a robot, just that every woman isn't expected to be in the kitchen anymore.

Jane doesn't have an identity of her own, shes defined by her role as the housewife and mother. She is expected to solve George's problems and tend to her children. To the shows credit, George isn't abusive or tyrannical, he fits the media stereotype of the blue collar worker unable to get ahead in life, and whose wife is the voice of reason. However, this specific portrayal of their relationship suggests that they were middle class, and when the show was written the writers assumed women would still be perfecting their craft as sandwich artists (not at Subway).

While Jane had domestic help, she still couldn't relax with her iPad and Netflix, because she was constantly busy with household upkeep. It was predicted that women were going to become more productive housekeepers, instead of more productive equal members of society.

 

 Jetsons intro: Proof Jane has no life

Dreaming of a world outside of the kitchen

The book discusses the comparison between Desperate Housewives of today, versus the housewife image of the 50s and 60s. Women are more sexual and scandalous in shows today, yet are still expected to fulfill the duties of Jane Jetson and June Cleaver. Media portaryals rarely show women as a CEO, boss or leader of any kind especially during the writing of these shows. The ones that are successful, usually receive male help at some point. Lois Griffin said in an episode of Family Guy "I believe feminism is about choice, I choose to be a housewife and mother." There was a point not too long ago, when women didn't have that choice. We haven't even had the right to vote for 100 years yet...just sayin'