WESTLAND, Mich. -- They make us laugh, they make us cry, they give us sound life advice; all from the comfort of our living rooms. We have our real-life moms of course, but TV moms are a whole other breed of their own, impacting not only the lives of their viewers but shaping culture and changing it for the better.
This Mother's Day, we at North Brothers Ford would like to share with you our Top 10 TV Moms.
1. CLAIR HUXTABLE
Called the "greatest TV mom of all time", Clair Huxtable made her debut in 1984 along with the rest of her television family on The Cosby Show. Co-star and creator Bill Cosby stated that he always intended Clair to reflect the ways in which the roles of women have evolved in both the home and workplace. A feminist icon, she is not only a favorite TV mom in general but also one of the first to be a working mother, expertly balancing her role as matriarch of her family and a successful career as a lawyer. Her influence on African-American women and female lawyers in television is so profound that it has been dubbed the "Clair Huxtable effect".
2. SOPHIA PETRILLO
Picture it: Miami, 1985. Sophia Petrillo won the hearts of viewers everywhere when The Golden Girls aired on NBC for the first time on September 14th. The spunky elderly mother of Dorothy Szbornak wasn't originally intended to be a part of the main cast, but when she showed up to the door shortly after her retirement home burned to the ground, she received such an overwhelmingly positive reception from viewers for her wily personality, quick wit, and biting sarcasm that she stayed on for the remainder of the series. Sophia is proof that age is just a number, maintaining a youthful sense of humor and zest for life well into her 80s. The relationship between her and Dorothy also teaches us that our mothers are more often than not our true best friends.
3. JOYCE BYERS
The central matriarchal character of the recent television phenomenon Stranger Things, Joyce Byers is the single mother of Will and Johnathan Byers. While she is not well-off financially and is sorely overworked, Joyce still manages to maintain a loving and supportive home for her two sons. When Will mysteriously disappears at the beginning of the first season, she refuses to accept the possibility that he might be dead and does everything in her power to find him, regardless of other people in the town of Hawkins thinking she's crazy or bothersome. Joyce Byers is an example of a mother going to the very edge of the fringe for her kids, as well as a much-needed representative of functional single parenthood in the media.
4. MORTICIA ADDAMS
During the 1960s, Morticia Addams broke the mold for TV moms as the mother of the creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky Addams Family alongside her husband, Gomez. While Morticia is not short on looks whatsoever, her character proved that a woman has the ability to be so much more than her beauty, frequently working on new projects and always improving her skills. Given her unorthodox appearance and her loving yet eccentric personality, she's a mom who taught us to never judge a book by its cover and to always be true to yourself.
5. JUNE CLEAVER
The pinnacle of "motherliness", June Cleaver brought all the qualities of the gentle-voiced, cake-baking, moral lesson-giving TV mom to Leave It To Beaver that kids during the years of 1957-1963 dreamed of having, and real-life moms dreamed of being. Looks always on point, June proved that moms could have style with her tasteful makeup, elegant dresses, high-heeled pumps, and signature pearl necklace. In an era where corporal punishment was still an acceptable form of discipline, June never raised a hand to either of her two sons and instead encouraged compromise and understanding.
6. CAROL BRADY
The Brady Bunch was essentially the "it" family of the 1970s, with the radiant Carol Brady at the helm alongside her husband, Mike. Carol Brady was revolutionary as her character was one of the earliest in television to bring the concept of the blended family to the mainstream, proving that family is not dependent on genetics.
7. ROSEANNE CONNER
Prior to the network debut of Roseanne in 1988, there had been shows featuring working mothers, but only as an adjunct to the father. Roseanne Conner changed that when she became the first TV mom to be the central character of a show. With her distinctive voice and attitude, she's also a departure from the genteel archetype of TV moms but instead was a fierce working-class heroine who was strong, hard-working, and not a victim of patriarchal consumerism.
8. JULIA BAKER
Before the premiere of Julia on NBC in 1968, there were television shows featuring African-Americans in the central role, but usually in a servant capacity. Julia Baker broke the mold by becoming the first African-American woman on television to not only have her own show, but also not be portrayed in a stereotypical role. Julia was also one of if not the first representation of working single mothers on television, which was quite revolutionary given the time.
9. MRS. WOLOWITZ
The mother of The Big Bang Theory's Howard Wolowitz is impressive because she's so memorable, yet we've never actually seen her. We didn't have to, as she made her presence known with her loud and obnoxious New Jersey-accented voice provided by the late Carol Ann Susi. Despite her over-protective and sometimes desperate ways, Mrs. Wolowitz was a loving motherly figure to both her son and his friends. She also proved that TV moms don't have to be seen to be memorable, as moms are inherently omnipotent beings as everyone knows.
10. FIONA GALLAGHER
While she's not a "mom" in the traditional sense, Fiona Gallagher as the oldest sibling of her large but dysfunctional family stepped up to the plate to care for her younger brothers and sister, in the wake of absent and irresponsible parents. When Shameless begins, Fiona is in her early-20s, caring for her five siblings ranging from teenagers to an infant in the poverty-stricken environment of Chicago's South Side, and dealing with the antics of their alcoholic father. While she longs for a life like most young women her age and is not perfect, she is fiercely devoted to her siblings and takes her role in stride.
Those were our picks for our top list of 10 TV moms. While we have our real-life mothers, TV moms are a whole other breed on our own. They make us laugh at how relatable they are to our own mothers, they make us cry wishing our own mothers were still here, and they open our eyes so that we may glean wisdom from their stories. From all of us here at North Brothers Ford, Happy Mothers Day!
North Brothers Ford is located at 33300 Ford Rd Westland, MI 48185 and proudly serves as one of the premier dealerships in Metro Detroit, and is committed to exceptional customer service! Stop by or give us a call at 888-806-7163, our knowledgeable and helpful sales team will be more than happy to assist you!
Visit our website: www.northbros.com
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