TV's Best '80s Moms!

Totally Awesome Working Sitcom Moms From The 1980s!

My mom is awesome. Back in the '70 and '80s most of my classmates had stay-at-home moms. They attended class trips, daytime performances of our class plays and rescued their kids whenever they left their homework or lunches at home. Oh how I wished I could be Kathy S. as her mom raced into school carrying every kid's dream lunch of a McDonald's Happy Meal while I suffered through my PBJ.

Seriously though, I love my mom. I envy her for balancing a career, a house, two children and various pets. As an adult, I view working moms as Super Moms. Heck, as an adult, I see that just being a mom in general forces a woman to develop these super human powers. Remember, my blog is a retro blog and this post is from my perspective as a kid. Today, I myself am just a measly freelance writer working from home without any children of my own. In other words, please do NOT think this is a dig at stay-at-home moms.

As for my own Super Mom, I've already told you about her here, here, here and here. This Mother's Day, I've decided to profile a handful of my favorite television moms -- you know, moms from old '80s TV shows I thought were super cool. Moms I would have hired to take over for my mom if she suddenly decided to quit on us.

Family Ties - Elyse Keaton 

Meredith Baxter or Meredith Baxter-Birney was one of my favorite moms. This former hippie turned self-employed architect, treated each kid with love, respect and understanding. Aside from her one-week gambling addiction, she was nearly the perfect on-screen mom. I won't lie, I was slightly surprised when actress Meredith Baxter revealed to the world that she is in fact a lesbian. I admire her courage and think she's even cooler now for coming out!

Growing Pains - Maggie Seaver

As an insane Kirk Cameron fan back in the days, I realized I've blogged about this show way too many, many, many times. So much so, that Kirk Cameron is an actual keyword used in my SEO for this retro blog. Pathetic, right? Anyway, Maggie Seaver was the coolest. She's the sitcom mom I most related to. Why? As you may or may not know, like me, the Seavers lived on Long Island. This was a huge thing to me. It was rare for one of my fave shows to take place on my very own stomping grounds. Aside from that, Maggie was a journalist -- this was my dream job as a kid, heck, still is even though I had my own fifteen minutes of fame here and there as a kid reporter for Long Island Newsday and as teen magazine associate editor.

Kate & Allie - Kate McArdle and Allie Lowell 

As a kid, Kate (Susan Saint James) and Allie (Jane Curtin) impressed me big time! I can't put my finger on it, but this show remains one of my all-time fave '80s sitcoms. No, it's not the obvious Ally-name thing, but perhaps the fact that back in those days, I seriously didn't know many single moms. I was fascinated by what I considered two strong women making it on their own and the blending of two families under one roof. Other than the Brady Bunch, you didn't really see that back then. Remember this was before Suzanne Somers' show, Step By Step! Kate & Allie had an awesome brownstone apartment in Greenwich Village (Yey, New York!) and their three kids were New York area child stars in real life. Yup, Ari Meyers, Fred Kohler (he even went to school with NYC friends of mine!) and Annie Broadway star Allison Smith were all east coast kids like me.

Facts of Life's - Edna Garrett

Although Edna (Charlotte Rae) wasn't the traditional biological sitcom mom, she was still an amazing mother figure to all of her Eastland girls. On the rare occasion we were treated to an episode featuring Blair, Jo, Natalie or Tootie's real moms, we most likely found them annoying or judgmental. Edna always offered advice and unconditional love and helped solve problems probably better than most mothers. It's easier to take on that role when the child isn't biologically your own, right? Edna went on to open the famous Edna's Edibles and the girls were able to work for her and continue their mother-daughter roles as they grew into adulthood. 

Roseanne - Roseanne Conner 

I've blogged about Roseanne in the past and loved many things about the way this particular mom ran her household. Roseanne Conner worked low-paying jobs, dealt with jerky bosses and truly represented an entire class of moms we rarely got a glimpse of back in the late 1980s. She wasn't glamorous, she was real. Not to mention, she was chubby like me, and that's something you rarely see with TV moms. They're always these perfect Hollywood thirty-or-forty-somethings. Roseanne was honest, blunt and verbally kicked her kids' asses when they messed up. This late '80s, early '90s mom was a true breath of fresh air and a sign of the times compared to the early 1980s.

How about you? Any sitcom moms you liked best back in the day or today as a mom yourself relate to?

Mara Hobel in Mommie Dearest | 1981's Scariest Film

1981 was the year of many horror movies. American Werewolf in London, Friday the 13th Part 2, Halloween 2 and more. One horror movie, however, as a little girl one movie really freaked me out that year. Obviously,  Mommie Dearest wasn't meant to be an actual horror movie, but at nine, it was one freakin' scary-ass movie!



Based upon the biographical book written by legendary actress Joan Crawford's adopted daughter, Christina, Mommie Dearest portrays Joan as a raging alcoholic, abusive monster. She straps her adopted son Christopher to the bed every night so he can't escape, makes Christina scrub the floors at 3AM and beats her senselessly with wire hangers because $300 dresses do NOT belong on wire hangers from the dry cleaners.

Mara Hobel as the baby-faced Christina Crawford

Back then, I was captivated by little Christina (actress Mara Hobel) who appeared to be about my age. I feared for her. I cried for her. I wanted to reach into the film, grab her hand and run away with her. I wanted to take her up the safe haven of my bedroom and let her play with my Smurfs and Strawberry Shortcake dolls. I'd bring her a Whatchamacallit candy bar, some Trident, a bologna sandwich and a Hi-C juice box. I'd make it better.

As an adult, I've heard conflicting stories of the Mommie Dearest tales. Some say Christina greatly exaggerated and that Joan was a kind, caring woman who would do anything for her adopted children. We'll never know the truth. However, the movie images still haunt me and remind me of how afraid I was watching a little girl my age getting beaten up.

Where's Mara Hobel Today?
For you 80s trivia fans - Mara Hobel went on to play Charlotte Tilden, an awkward and naive girl on Roseanne.  Researching for this blog post, I learned that, like me, Mara Hobel has gained quite a bit of weight since 1981. She starred as Cynthia, a sassy New York City BBW, in the gay romantic comedy, Broadway Damage. As a chubster, I wanted to high-five her for still doin' her acting thing and I love this line: "Yeah, Dad, I lost a ton of weight, I look like f**cking Kate Moss!" I can't wait to rent the indie film from Netflix. How the heck did this little gem escape my keen indie-movie eye?

The Good Girl

YESTERDAY'S PROM POST, INSPIRED ME TO RE-POST THIS ENTRY FROM SEPTEMBER 29, 2009 

Unfortunately, I don't have a steady full-time job right now. This means, I've been staying up super late watching reruns on TV. My  newest obsession is watching Roseanne on TV Land from like 12-2:30AM while my husband sleeps.

Ironically the ad running on the TV Land website says, "Survive the Recession with Roseanne" almost as if they know all of us depressed, unemployed folk are sleepless and watching the show for a few laughs and inspiration. If Roseanne and Dan can afford a mortgage and three kids, there has to be hope, right? Honestly though, I truly want to know how Al and Peg Bundy did it on a shoe salesman's salary. Seriously. I doubt I'd even eke out groceries and gas if I had Al's job!

Last night's episode revolved around Dan and Roseanne leaving Becky home alone all day to visit Roseanne's mom in that town that is a long drive from their home in Landford. Becky's alone with her BFF and instead of working on their "Women in the '90s" project, they decide to hit the Conner's liquor cabinet hardcore. Becky mixes up Hurricanes in large tumblers consisting of about 5% root beer and 95% alcohol. The girls get totally sh*tfaced and Becky busts out Roseanne's Moody Blues albums.

I'm sure you've done this at one time or another, well minus the Moody Blues albums. Why haven't I? I can't tell you one time, other than sneaking a few sips of beer at Jeannie's Sweet Sixteen party, that I've ever gotten wasted before going off to college. It hit me while watching Roseanne and Dan scold Becky. Am I really the only person (other than seriously religious kids) that didn't indulge in boozing with friends until about age 18.

The other night's episode focused on Darlene smoking cigs. They go through the whole parental confrontation and I think to myself, why didn't I smoke cigarettes in high school? Everyone else was doing it. I remember thinking the smokers in school were so "tuff" ... They usually wore leather jackets paired with stretch pants and fringe boots. I made sure to steer clear of them. I just find it so difficult to relate to these rebellious kids.

I must have been some weird late bloomer. I mean, who waits until college to pick up smoking?! I bet most kids quit by that time. I remember in 11th grade, spying a pack of Marlboro reds in an open drawer in my brother's room and being shocked. Here was my very own little brother smoking when he was only in seventh grade! Meanwhile, when I was his age, I was busy with my writing assignments for Kidsday/Newsday and working on my Monkees zine.

Was I a nerd? I'm guessing I was. I mean I was really into making out with my high school boyfriend at the time so that has to count for something, no? I'm dying for some street cred here. I hate to think that I missed out on this wild phase that others experienced. I was raised on all of these awesome '80s high school movies where kids who oddly looked much older than me, were smoking "doobies" and passing out drunk. I honestly never thought that was real life.

My rebellion consisted of buzzing part of my head and wearing weird clothes, but unlike Darlene and Becky, my folks never had to punish me or sit me down warning me of the harm in drinking or smoking. Man, I feel like I missed out.