BAD MOMS

Mother's Day Present


Mother's day is coming .  So let's trot out a movie with the NAME:  BAD MOMS

I was thinking about this after having seen the previews pumped on the Today Show, I suspect it must be a Universal Pictures production, for the Today Show shamelessly plugs all of the productions from their sister companies, selling a lot of slop in the effort.

I really should stop watching while   I wolf down my gluten free Honey Nut Cheerios. The Today Show is a load of claptrap these days. If the world was destroyed overnight I would not know it by watching the Today show.  But if a Khardasian has a hang nail they are all over it.

Bad Mom sounds like a great movie, all the raunchy jokes, the Mom's getting plastered and acting like jerks, the gutter humor..  Reminds me of all the Mom's I have made acquaintance with.  NOT !!.

I have experienced a different type of Mom.  Mine in my memory ironed white shirts late into the night as the Catholic School some of us attended demanded pressed white shirts.  She cooked and took care of  me and my 8 siblings, she served as a model for my sisters who became accomplished adults and in two instances first class Mom's of their own. She had certain expectations of what sort of men her son's should be and in large measure they met them.  Educated, bright, articulate and dedicated, decent folks all.
I think there must have been some model there, although they would probably deny it, for my mother was shy and self deprecating, who would never impose on anyone for anything. She had her faith and patriotism and I never saw her get drunk or talk trash. 

I have also seen my mother in law who was much the same, a child of the depression era who worked two jobs into her 70s and who was responsible and hard working and probably was the model for my own wife. 
Then there is my own wife, who probably is the antithesis of  the depictions of the movie. She is rigidly fair, and expects everyone to be fair with each other. No sniping or drama.
She who would arise at 4:30 AM in the old days so she could be home early from work to pick the kids up from school and take them to scouts, sports, rock climbing , piano lessons or whatever..  There was always dinner on the table, clothes were clean as were the children, the house too.  Her indefatigable approach  shamed me into doing my part, even though I had  lesser stamina.

I see some of the same characteristics in other Mothers of today.  A lot of them are central to their homes and families, truly a glue that binds.  Oh, for sure there are BAD  moms  but they are in my view the minority.

So I wonder if they, of the right motherly stuff, will let the producers know that they have produced trash , which serves only to denigrate the family and the importance of women all across the country who actually get it.  Those who make sure their children have eaten before they do. The one's who forego fancy trappings so their children can be educated.  Those adherents to the doctrine of responsible parenthood.

The movie looked like more of the same type of trash that is seen all too frequently these days, so much so that we hardly ever notice.   I noticed because it was being released so close to Mother's Day and I was thinking of my own Mother and Mother in Law as we are now in that period of time sufficiently distanced  from their deaths to really think about the influence they had on our lives.

Not too long ago, one of my brother's was telling the story of my mother saying to him to wait until everyone else at dinner had taken food  before he took anything as it might be short. 11 people to be fed and all that.  He waited and was able to get something, after which my mother took what remained.  I recollected  the same thing happening to me as did another brother, which caused me to wonder how many times did this happen.  I also recalled my wife's stories of growing up where they had to stretch in similar fashion.  They taught a discipline of not always thinking about yourself. That is a  quality that seemingly is losing favor .  A quality that I think we need to reestablish . Think just a little bit about the others in the world, just a little bit.

From where I sit, I think movies of this type are demeaning to family and I hope that some women see it that way.  It is not an attractive portrayal and it is not fun and games. It diminishes the role of the matriarch in the eyes of her children.,

But I suppose it is just more of the same cultural degradation that no one seems to rebel against, heck  no one wants to be the party pooper.