Single Moms on TV

Paper Summary:

The first major argument about single moms on TV was made by then-Vice President Dan Quayle who complained in a speech about the morality of "Murphy Brown" having a baby out of wedlock and raising it without a father. This paper shows that times have definitely changed since then, with more and more single mothers being portrayed in the American media as the norm. The paper mentions celebrities such as Reba McEntire and Shar Jackson and examines the public's perception of these women.

From the Paper:

"Famous country music star, Reba McEntire, also stars in a self-titled sitcom as a single mom, divorced, raising three children, a son-in-law and a granddaughter. Obviously, with her audience appeal to a mostly conservative "country" audience, the acceptance of a single mom- even as a comedy series- takes on more meaning. Single moms, in other words, are no longer anathema, or struggling frustrated widows, sacrificing all for their families. They are real-life, next-door neighbors and are therefore accepted as "belonging" to mainstream America., Quite a change from just a generation or two ago, when the norm for a "family" was "Ozzie and Harriet and "Leave it to Beaver", or the mix-n-match family of "The Brady Bunch.""

More papers on Single Moms on TV:

• Term Paper # 102718 : "Social Policy Brief: Single Parents on Welfare"
• Descriptive Essay # 124287 : "Great Thinkers on TV"
• Essay # 10555 : "Aggression on TV"

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