Not MILFs. That's easy.
I'm talking about those wholesome sweet doe-eyed Moms who made shit. Like pies and went shopping at the store. And always was loyal to their dunder-headed husbands who had a professional job, like banker or dentist. You know...like a woman.
Donna Reed. The original. This Mom was so popular, the name of the show was "The Donna Reed Show." She was married to a pediatrician and had two kids. One son and one daughter. The daughter is actually Shelly Fabares of "Coach" fame (aw, fuck Shelly is in her 70's now). Anyway, she was an amazing mother. And she also kept herself busy with social functions and upkeep of the house. A pediatrician in those days could've afforded a maid, but Donna was up for taking care of the children. She WANTED to take care of the children. Can you imagine ANYONE'S Mom looking like this these days. Man, fuck this world.
Barbara Billingsly. I know easy grab. But she was the sweet Mom that kept The Beaver at bay. Sort of speak. She had that calm temperance, and motherly shock that comes with most mothers in this era. They try desperately to understand their son, and give them life lesson. Shit, she even put up with that little manipulative perv Eddie Haskell, allowing his adolescent smarmy jibes to wash off her back. And she did it with pearls on.
Susan Clark. Okay, maybe I had this thing for white ladies adopting brown people like me. Susan was the mother to "Webster." A tall sweet woman, who seemed to be calm under pressure. She had to be since she was a professional. There was that small time in the 1980's where working professional women were confused as to how to child rear, when they didn't have it in them. Specifically "Baby Boom." They had to have maternal instincts forced upon them. That shit is funny. "Webster" was the same. Often times Webster would just be a crazy kid, and Susan just didn't have any clue as to how to rear this child. I found that sweet. Of course, by the end of the run, she was top notch at taking care of the kid, and they all lived happily ever after.
Joanna Kerns. Does she look like she could ever have three kids, one being a teenage son? Fuck no. Joanna was one of my major crushes as a kid. She wrangled Mike Seaver with the weary eye of an exasperated mother. But gave enough stink-eyes to realize she's may be at the edge of raising a future criminal. In most episodes, her soft side shines though. Especially in earlier episodes with Ben Seaver, the youngest boy, who she constantly feels guilt over "choosing" her career as a journalist over Ben's needs. Meanwhile, she juggles this with the ups and downs of marriage and jealousy, and a more free spirited past. She feels real. Yes, at times, the series has her do some ridiculous things. Her arm waving monologues of disappointments are dated, but, shit, that's commitment.
Judith Light. The thing about Judith Light is...it was really the first time you saw a single mother. And not only single, really successful. A sharky advertising agent who tugged an Italian jock around. She was that rich East Coast educated stuck up bitch who felt everything in life is quantified by accomplishments. Great car. Beautiful house. Money, money, money. But deep down inside...she loved her family. Her own oversexed mother, her out of touch with his peer group son Jonathan. And a fairness to her ex-husband who shows up only once (in a two-parter). It's a shame they got sidetracked with her character being so strong into pratfalls in later episodes. But, as with most sitcoms, they need to change with the times.
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