Watching It's a Wonderful Life last night reminded me of my childhood obsession with Donna Reed. I watched a lot of Nick at Night back in my earlier days, preferring The Donna Reed Show, I Love Lucy, My Three Sons, and the Dick Van Dyke Show over the typical kid themed entertainment of the times. Oh they were the best!!Someone asked once what I wanted to be when I grew up once and I quickly answered, in all honesty, "Donna Reed." I wonder if that desire, albeit utterly unattainable, has ever gone away. It seems silly for a modern girl to idealize such an old fashioned, mom-in-the-kitchen role, doesn't it? But last night as I drooled over her frosty glow and perfectly flirty persona in It's a Wonderful Life... not to mention her characters boldness, quiet strength, loyalty, caring, creativity (the cute DIY honeymoon anyone!!) and extreme patience with her seemingly cuckoo hubby George Bailey... I began to remember why I wanted to be her in the first place.
When I was a single digit, I loved her perfectly puffed skirts, high heels, frilly aprons, the plates full of cookies and that she was funny. The fact that she was a total babe didn't hurt of course!
Nowadays, I still love those things! Ain't she beautiful??
I feel I could write a whole dissertation on: fifties era female stereotypes, how after all this hard work other women have done to free me from it, I still want to be one and how that might be messed up, but might also be great...but I won't. Not tonight. It's Christmas and I want to enjoy the presents.
3 comments:
awww, you don't need to stress about it! in my humble opinion, the whole point of all that struggling was so now we can dress up and knit and bake if we WANT to, but we don't HAVE to. it's our choice ;n)
I love the moment in that movie when she's up on the ladder wallpapering and the narrator vo's something about how she had a million more kids "and still found time to run the USO!" Bless her heart. Run the USO... I can barely run the dishwasher.
We miss you soooo much!
- Laura (& Ken & Eleanor & Clarissa)
Donna Reed is really a great actress. Specially in Donna Reed TV Show. The quintessential housewife and perfect mother, Donna Reed (as Donna Stone) could do it all. She is really cute & gorgeous.
So enjoy her great TV Show from here...
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