Bravo TV announced this week that they are developing a new
series with a working title of Real
Housewives of the 1960’s.
Here’s the series synopsis;
“In this imaginative
docu-series, a cast of modern women will be sent back to the 1960's to experience
the ultimate era of the American Housewife. Living in a cul-de-sac of authentic
Sixties homes, these women and their families will be transported back into a
traditional decade where men made the money, women made the home, and teenagers
actually did as they were told. In living through the ‘golden age’ of Sixties
family life, the cast will discover if more time spent together, traditional
husband and wife roles, and no digital distractions might actually improve
their chaotic lives and even fix their relationships.” source:
www.vulture.com
And the final opinion comes from writer, Taylor Ferber at
Bustle.com
“So maybe there is a message and purpose in the madness. Maybe the
housewives involved will be unable to live life with such archaic and dated
expectations and gender roles. Watching them try and get frustrated and roll their eyes at it all could
prove how far things have come, and that we're clearly not in the '60s anymore.”
The 1960’s was an era of social
upheaval, rebellion and backlash. It was the time of the Vietnam War. There
were working mothers, feminism, the arrival of the birth control pill, mini-skirts
and the androgynous modelling of Twiggy. JFK was assassinated. Martin Luther
King marched on Washington. Technological advances landed men on the Moon. The
1960’s social and political uprisings would shape history for many decades to
come.
The new Housewives reality TV
series maybe entertainment without the Wi-Fi connection. Will it tap into the
revolutionary culture of the 1960’s and give those traditional roles an
authentic shake-up? That would bring some va-va-voom to
the drama.
“…the exhibit
stresses how, throughout the centuries, women in Western culture have been
forced, even physically constricted, into molding to bodily ideals.”
Have you ever watched a period drama to see the beautiful costumes the
characters wore? Ever noticed the portrayal of lithe, or willowy and waif-like figures
of the women from centuries ago?
In December 2017, an exhibit at the Museum, Fashion Institute of
Technology in New York, showcased society's obsession with the ideal female body through
garments from the late 1700s to the present.
Women’s bodies naturally come in all shapes and sizes. Hundreds of years
past, striving for fashionable bodies and ideal silhouettes meant creating the
illusion of a small waist, hips and bust. Creating such an appearance used
torturous devices like metal busks and boning of corsets to narrow the waist.
Paddings, girdles, and caged bustles were used to accentuate the derrière or put
plainly to make big bums. Other contraptions were designed to do something with
the surplus fat and achieve the lissome figure.
The extreme hourglass figure was desired in the Victorian era.
Corsets were worn under maternity dresses.
In the early 20th Century, plus-sized clothing was called stoutwear.
Thank goodness the 1970’s came, and fashion sought to free a woman’s body
from all of the unnatural stuff. In the present day, social media is now showing
us the diversity of women’s body types and shapes across the world.
If you would like to read more about the evolution of fashion showing in
the New York exhibition, here’s two articles.
Jezebel spoke
to the exhibit’s curator, Emma McClendon, about body positivity, her aims for
the exhibition, and the history of clothing for “plus size” bodies. Read the
interview.
Six year old Tommy was worried about his
mother’s tummy growing bigger and bigger.
She laid his hand on her stomach and he
felt the kick from the baby inside.
Tommy was shocked.
He stopped talking about his new sister
or brother.
One day at school, his teacher asked him
about the little baby.
Tommy burst into tears and said, “I
think Mommy ate it.”**
Hello Friends,
Mothers are adventurous people. That’s why they were brave
enough to have us as children. We turned their life upside down and inside out (hopefully for the better).
Mothers love us when we’re babies, and also when they’re exhausted
from caring for us. Some bubs grow into brats and teenagers with attitude (oh
yes, she knows where that attitude came from).
Old mothers don’t know much compared to young adults.
Googling, Wiki, and social media sites have the low-down on everything under
the sun. I hear you, old Mums can quit being a teacher. They can put their feet
up, relax and wonder if their kids will wash the pile of dirty dishes they left on
the sink. I still have a manual dishwasher in my kitchen.
Being a mother is being a superhero to the brood. Mothers
keep caring and providing the creature comforts for their children. They give
us a safe place to express emotions and they love us—the real person who is inside
of us.
But mothers aren’t perfect. Sometimes they lose their cool
with their small or big kids.
My kids call it,
“Yelling”
when I raise my voice.
I
call it motivational speaking for the selective listener.” source: LoveThisPic.com
At my day job there’s a sign in the kitchen that reads
something like, “you didn’t bring your mother to work, so clean up your own
mess.”
**I adapted The Mommy’s Incredible
Tummy from a mother’s day joke at, www.myenglishpages.com
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
More Mother’s Day Posts
2017
To remember mothers, I have written two stories about difficult times when women were in need of charity. While to celebrate mothers, I have links to four stories about inspiring women who turned their good ideas into reality...
It’s time to think about our Mums and what they mean in our lives.
I’ve searched the internet looking for touching tributes to mothers. The sickly sweet, all-sacrificing Mum who is a fountain of ever-renewing love is not a woman I can relate to. I’ve had my bad days of being a mother...
“Motherhood is Messy, Get Dirty”-- Kristina Kuzmic, US Social Media SuperMum
Life and Motherhood is not perfect, and Kristina Kuzmic is a woman who learnt the lessons first hand. She’s another social media star whose life hit rock bottom from a divorce, depression, being homeless with two children, food stamps and poverty...
In 2017 & 2018, Hollywood gave us movies with fictional female warriors
such as Wonder Woman and Black Panther’s, Nakia—a fierce warrior, Okoye, the
General and greatest warrior of the nation, and the Dora Milaje—the all-female
army.
India has a living warrior, and her name is Meenaskshi Amma. She started martial arts training at
the age of 7. Sixty-six years later, Meenaskshi, a grandmother, still practices
the ancient tradition of Kalarippayattu.
Kalarippayattu, shortened to Kalari was popular during the medieval period. The martial art is not for any
destructive or harmful activity, but for sports and developing strength and
self-defense. Interestingly, she says, “any
injury caused through Kalari can be cured back with Kalari too.”
Meenaskshidoes performance shows of
fighting. She also teaches Kalari at her school which also includes children, and she
helps young girls to defend themselves. She is a Kalari Gurukkal, which means a
master. Sword-wielding and turning swiftly to defend herself, thegrand lady
warrior of Kalarippayattu defies age.
“I Feel Pretty” starring Amy Schumer is an
imperfect movie and has been subject to various negative commentaries. I found the movie
has some fresh and unexpected moments.
The movie is about;
In
I FEEL PRETTY a woman who struggles with feelings of deep
insecurity and low self-esteem, that hold her back everyday, wakes from a
brutal fall in an exercise class believing she is suddenly a supermodel. With
this newfound confidence she is empowered to live her life fearlessly and
flawlessly, but what will happen when she realizes her appearance never changed?
“I Feel Pretty” has gone through a laser-like
analysis online of fat-shaming and skinny-shaming, and different forms
of rage and upset.
The movie was entertainment to me. I left the
cinema pondering Amy Shumer’s portrayal of a woman who’d settled on a mediocre
life, and not what she wanted which left her feeling depressed in her basement
office. Her lack of confidence stopped her from reaching for her dreams.
After a knock on the head, her outlook on
life, work and love changed completely. Nothing was impossible when her
perception of herself changed from negative to positive. All of a sudden her dreams
were within reach, and she turned them into a reality in her everyday
life.
After another knock on the head, the self-illusions
changed back to her old negative beliefs but not wholly.
Here's the trailer...
How would the world be if women had confidence
and high self-esteem? If they didn’t think their bodies were too fat or too
skinny, but just right? Beautiful came from feeling beautiful about themselves.
“Inspired
by a hot flush and a bottle of wine, Menopause the Musical was created by Jeanie
Linders and debuted in March 2001. It’s a celebration of women who are on the
brink, or in the middle of, or have survived ‘The Change’.”
Hello Friends,
I was recently invited to a Girl’s Night Out. The phone call came
about two hours before the event started. I had to make a quick decision to go
or not.
Being the author of Hen Party, an irreverent,
contemporary romance story, how could I turn down free tickets to a real life
Girls' Night Out? I had to say yes, thank you. The story-teller inside me was
hustling me out of the house already. Yeah, no, I just wanted to
have a good time!
When I arrived at the venue with my teenager in tow, we were
given VIP passes. Huh? Really? I had a moment of brain fail before my lips
curled into a smile.
Whoopee, it was my first-time ever as a theatre VIP. I didn’t
know what to expect. The first surprise didn’t take long to arrive. There were
two topless male waiter’s with gym bodies and brawny muscles. They circulated
through the crowd carrying trays of nibbles. The guys didn’t talk much, but they
were happy to take selfies with the Instagrammers and Facebookers.
My next surprise came when I found the VIP area. There was a
big bucket of ice stocked with small bottles of champagne. I choose pink
bubbles. I turned around, and spotted a grazing table full of savoury snacks
like cheese, crackers, olives, dips, nuts etc.
Women of all ages and some brave men attended the pre-show
drinks and nibbles. After an hour, the bucket of alcohol and table of food was
empty. It was hot and stuffy in the lounge area. I lined up at the bar to buy a
bottle of water to take into the show. By this time, there were lots of happy,
chatty women around me who were waiting to buy more alcohol. Physical barriers had
dropped. We squeezed past each other in the queues, knocking hips and bosoms
and sharing brief conversations about nothing important.
A sisterhood of boozy gals had formed in the foyer
and we were ready to have a fun time in the theater. Menopause the Musical
didn’t disappoint. It was hilarious and a terrific comedy. You didn’t have to
be a vintage bird or over forty years of age old to appreciate the lively show.
My teenager laughed along with the jokes and the distinctively feminine humor
that was in the spotlight.
The bird of menopause. Bye, bye birdie. Estrogen takes flight, and naturally declines.
Menopause the Musical is an award-winning, box-breaking show.
So what is it about? A group of four women meet at a department store. They
discover they have more in common than shopping for underwear. The experience
of menopause unites them in a sisterhood.
I had no idea that singing about the symptoms of menopause
and dancing to pop songs from the 1960’s, 70’s & 80’s could be so funny and
engaging.
The four women characters (aka, the entire cast) featured in
the musical I saw were;
The Farmer’s
Wife.Hippy and doesn’t wear a bra. Close
to the earth. Her favorite pills were happy hormones.
The
Housewife. She wore
baggy trousers and a blouse. Frumpish. Her husband was waiting for ‘The Change’
to be over and for her to return to normal. Still waiting.
The TV
Soap Actress. Her
days of dramatic greatness had faded along with her looks. Younger, beautiful women were
taking her place on the telly.
The
Businesswoman. She
wore a smart suit, high heels and a designer scarf around her neck. Busy, busy
working and having meetings. She was too busy to go through menopause.
Menopause was presented as ‘The Change’ in a woman that
occurs during the middle years of her life. I remembered my mother’s reluctance
to talk about menopause and generally any ailments and conditions suffered by
female humans. ‘The Change’ was a polite and vague term used by a generation of
women—the baby boomers.
So many changes. The falling apart menopausal woman’s body.
Are there any positive changes to add to the muffin top cartoon?
However, being middle-aged doesn’t necessarily stop women
from feeling sexy. Some ladies have made peace with their bodies and enjoy
orgasms. Not all women have the
stereotypical menopause experience, and not to argue the point, because this
show is a laugh-a-thon.
Hot flashes, loss of bladder control and desperately seeking the toilet were the stars of this stage. How many different ways can you cross
your legs, hold it in, and still hobble to the rest room?
"I made it!" the actress exclaimed on each occasion, until she didn't.
The brain collapse, was one of the song and dance numbers
that I won’t forget, for now. The collapse happens when a sudden dazed state takes
you over. You can’t remember what you were thinking about. You can’t think
straight or you completely lose the train of your thoughts. Is the brain
collapse a menopause exclusive state of mind? Next time I stop speaking
mid-sentence, and leave the listener hanging, I’ll going searching for the rest
of the words in the vault of butterflies.
A Tina Turner impersonation was a favorite performance with
my hometown crowd. The actress wore a grey-haired shaggy wig, tight black
leather pants and high, high heels. The wig had its own life force and Tina personality as she danced to the music. We sang along with her. “What’s love
got to do with it?” There was a lot of love for the four fabulous entertainers.
Thanks to this musical, Menopause is no longer ‘The Silent Passage’.
Women are singing and dancing about it in a touring show.
There’s a wonderful life waiting after ‘The Change’.
Everyone
has a story to tell, but will they ever write the book?
When are
you too old to recite your tale?
Never!
Hello Friends,
This week I’m posting about the mature, ripe and
ready writer.
Author and physician executive, Julie Rosenberg had
a full-time career in Corporate America when she had an idea for a book. At
over 50 years of age, she started her writing career from scratch.
She
wrote her book, “Beyond the Mat”, based on her experience as a yoga
practitioner and instructor. She didn’t believe she could have written her book
earlier in her life.
She says, anyone who keeps learning stays young.
“So
keep learning. Take a risk. Try something new. Believe in yourself. Think
positively. Think about what all the wisdom of your years makes you uniquely
positioned to write about.”
The romance genre certainly has a few mature-aged
authors. Some readers are also searching for stories featuring mature heroines. Two
Australians romance authors have previously shared their thoughts on my blog
about older heroines, and they become popular posts. If you missed the posts or would like to catch them again, here they are...
Older
Romance Heroines with Justine Lewis
Older romance heroines…
“Are they too old or too serious to be shagged senseless by a debaucherous Duke or a sexy billionaire or a ruggedly ripped farmer?” Woah, the hot questions need answers...
“After nourishment,
shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.” —Philip Pullman,
Goodreads
“There’s always
room for a story that can transport people to another place.” —J.K. Rowling
Goodreads
Hello Friends,
Tell me a story.
We know that fictional stories are entertainment
that we watch in movies and read in books. They play on our emotions in good
and inspiring ways. In contrast, violent, disrespectful stories are doorways to
the dark side of the human psyche.
Stories have the power to affect us. They mirror
and explore the human experience. People have a natural curiosity to seek out
stories.
So what about stories of the land? Our cultural
stories? Over thousands of years, the earth-lore of western societies has lost
its power and impact. Dr Sharon Blackie In her article, Re-learning the Stories of the Earth , writes;
“We’re
sanitized them and made them more acceptable for the linear, dualistic,
patriarchal Western philosophy that straitjackets our lives.”
Indigenous peoples such as Native Americans and
Australian Aboriginals still have cultural stories of the land. Their
connection to earth, creation, ancestors, and all of the kingdoms are important
and vital threads of their societies.
Each of us has a life story. We’ve gathered perceptions
from our journey. Stored away our version of reality. There are places on the
earth where we’ve felt a close connection to nature. As we walked along our
living path, we’ve collected special memories.
It’s most likely that we’ve had encounters with
nonhumans such as trees, animals, pets, angels, spirits, aliens…who left an
impressions on us, or maybe even changed our lives.
With the new energy of consciousness that’s
lifting higher on earth, the stories of the ancient ones are returning, and we
can also remember our personal stories and how they affected our lives.
Our sacredness.
Our connection to each other and to everything,
including the nonhumans.
The earth is our enchanted place full of wonder.
We are blessed and held in love.
It’s time to act as loving guardians of our home
on Gaia and keep the candle burning in the darkness.
If you would like to see some more pictures of
beautiful nature, I have a Google plus site called Ashlyn Brady (Sacred Earth) for
the love of Gaia
You're welcome to drop by or friend me. You can find the G+ site here Sacred Earth
