Years ago–okay, maybe more like decades–it was nothing out of the norm to hear a woman say she wanted to be a housewife. It was uncommon for a woman to want to do anything but stay at home, clean the house, raise the kids, cook three meals a day, and keep her husband happy. Today, if you hear someone say their aspiration is to be a housewife, your head quickly turns and you think, “Okay, this girl is seriously kidding.” But why should everyone be so surprised?
Today, some of the top rated shows are all about housewives…ah hem, Bravo TV’s The Real Housewives of insert-city-here. This Bravo TV series has taken off in multiple different cities, glamorizing the thought of being a housewife. We watch as Teresa (New Jersey) takes her children shopping four times a week, dropping thousands of dollars each time. We watch Alexis (Orange County) hire two nannies for her three children but still insist she’s a stay-at-home mom. Taylor (Beverly Hills) threw her 4-year-old daughter Kennedy a birthday party, running the tab up $25,000 and giving diamonds in the shape of Barbie as a party favor. I know diamonds are a girls best friend, but at the age of four, really? Realistically, this will not be the case for most of us. We will not be throwing our children birthday parties that can double as a wedding, buying our children designer clothing they’ll grow out of in a year, and have the luxury of having a 1:1 child adult ratio with two nannies for your three children. However, these shows have done a fantastic job in making us think that these are the things “Real Housewives” do.
Apart from the New Jersey series–and I watch all of them–I have never seen any of the “Real Housewives” cook, clean, or have serious, meaningful interactions with their children. It may be to protect their kids from the cameras and from the harsh reality television world, but a little TLC on national television never hurt anyone! The housewives of the ‘50s would be ashamed! Let’s not forget though, that while these television series have glamorized being housewives, these aren’t what real housewives do. Real housewives are better than these women who open their homes and lives up for us to watch. They interact with their children and help them succeed. They aren’t as quick to leave their children with babysitters for a girl’s day at the spa, which happens every week. They actually cook (not cater) and clean (not hire a maid).
None of you should be shocked when I say that I am officially declaring my MRS degree. Maybe one day Bravo will have a Real Housewives of Orlando series. Who knows, maybe I’ll be on it! Who knows, maybe these women will actually do things that REAL housewives do!