The LOLA News from your neighborhood

Every Day is Mothers Day…
..In Black and White or Living Color…

President Woodrow Wilson designated the second Sunday in May as “Mother’s Day” back in 1914, but moms were not sitting around waiting for a holiday in their honor. There was way too much work for most moms to sit at all.
But by the 1950s there was the sitcom! Popular television segments where a slice of life was portrayed in 30 magical minutes in homes all across America. What could be a more perfect subject than mothers? TV mothers played the role of mom to millions of viewers weekly, earning laughs and winning hearts all along the way.

Mothers everywhere aspired to be just like June Cleaver (Barbara Billingsley) in the popular 50’s series Leave It To Beaver. While young “Beaver” Cleaver discovered the wonders of the world, June was there to make sure he stayed out of trouble. She had his lunch packed properly for school every day, and remained the soul of patience no matter what the Beaver managed to destroy. June definitely set the standard for being the sweetest TV mom, and she did it in pearls and high heels!

If June Cleaver was the sweetest, it is a sure bet, Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball) is probably the funniest TV mom of all time. I Love Lucy charmed audiences with her combination of ambition and luck. She managed to raise, little Ricky, while pursuing a host of interesting jobs. Stomping grapes, with friend and neighbor Ethel, packing vitamins, and selling chocolates were all hilarious when Lucy enthusiastically went to work. Ricky Senior was either mad, confused or both throughout most episodes, but Lucy never failed to entertain.

In the role that made her famous, Mary Tyler Moore stared as Rob Petrie’s wife Laura in the classic Dick Van Dyke Show. Laura was a stay at home mom to son Ritchie. Every episode focused on her role as a nervous wife, while her husband and son focused on misadventures. No matter what difficulty was in store for the Petrie family, Laura remained perfectly groomed with every hair in place.
Elyse Keaton (Meredith Baxter) of Family Ties made the role of a professional mom look easy. As the mother of Alex (a young Michael J. Fox), Mallory, and Jennifer, Elyse spent each 30 min episode trying to juggle life as an architect and a mother. She had the luxury of working from home which made her dual roles seem easier. Real working moms know better!

One of television’s classic breakthrough comedies, All in the Family showed us the darker themes in life. Edith Bunker (Jean Stapleton) is remembered as one of the sweetest, most patient mother’s in TV history. Dealing with her outspoken husband, Archie (portrayed famously by Carroll O’Connor) and controversial themes that were rarely showed on TV during the 1970s, was Edith’s claim to fame.…and who can forget that voice! The show featured the lives of the couple and their adult daughter Gloria and her husband Michael.

When it comes to TV moms, who can forget Roseanne staring Rosanne Barr? She taught a lesson every week, and never in pearls and high heels. Rosie got the job done in sneakers and a sweat shirt in a troublesome, low income household. She made the best out of every situation while raising kids Becky, Darlene, and D.J., with limited help from husband Dan (actor John Goodman). When it came to mothering on the silver screen, Rosanne put the “fun” in dysfunctional.

Debra Barone, (Patricia Heaton) proved to be the tough-as-nails wife of Ray Barone, played by comedian Ray Romano, in the comedy series, Everyone Loves Raymond. When not arguing with her husband, or arguing with Ray’s parents, Debra plays mother to the couple’s identical twins Michael and Geoffrey and daughter Ally. Debra would prove to be one of the most popular sitcom mothers.
No one taught as many mother lessons as Clair Huxtable (Phylicia Rashad) on NBC’s hit comedy The Cosby Show. Successful attorney, mother of five, and wife to Cliff (Bill Cosby) which was a full-time job in itself, she managed to bring us humor and good moral values each week. Her assertive no-nonsense nature allowed her children to grow up and even have their own spin-off television shows.

Mother’s Day officially falls on Sunday, May 13 this year. Plan to do something special for those nurturing, loving, female role models who enrich your life every day. Check the pages of The Lola for gifts and gift suggestions sure to bring a smile to the faces of all your personal leading ladies. Whether a working mom, a stay at home mom, or a working from home mom, every day is mother’s day and there is never a day off!