The two icons of 50’s TV were Dragnet’s Joe Friday and June Cleaver,domestic goddess on “Leave it To Beaver”. He was all about the facts,while her thing was house, hearth and doting on her sons: especiallythe unfortunately nick-named youngest lad – to the eternal gratitude ofjunior high class clowns everywhere (“Gosh, Ward, you were a bit hardon the Beaver last night”). Snicker, snicker.
Joe Friday would not get that joke either. But his partner would.
Life for women has changed a lot since the 50’s but media still
show us as being impeccably dressed, wandering through a spotless house
that never needs cleaning, waiting for a husband – doesn’t
matter whose husband – to come home and brighten the day or afternoon.
The modern reality is more like Law & Order, a tedious daily routine.
But that probably wouldn’t make it in prime time: most women are too busy
working the home shift to watch it.
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