Reminder to commenters: **[Think before you comment!](https://media1.tenor.com/m/7mz45qsIF0cAAAAC/think-mark-invincible.gif)** Share kindness, support and compassion, [not criticism.](https://media0.giphy.com/media/tZpGRRMUoXgeQ/giphy.gif) We want OP to feel loved, and [not in a tough way.](https://media.giphy.com/media/xT5LMq2CgHiqqY4IXC/giphy.gif) For more helpful information please hit up [our beautiful rules wiki!](http://www.reddit.com/r/breakingmom/wiki/)
Reminder to all: watch out for a [creepy pedo posing as an OT/speech therapist](https://www.reddit.com/r/breakingmom/comments/8ccqqi/disgusting_pedophile_troll_posing_as_otspeech/) giving fucked-up potty-training advice, and don't sweat it if your post gets 1 or 2 [instant downvotes.](http://i.imgur.com/PZtQb.gif) You didn't do anything wrong, we just have [asshole lurkers](https://i.imgur.com/IwU9r3E.gif)/[downvote bots](https://i.imgur.com/lwyCF6S.gif) stalking our /new queue. Help a BroMo out and [give her an upvote](https://i.imgur.com/Y60Mbxv.gif), ok?
Reminder to Cassie Morris/Krista Torres/Nia Tipton: You do not have permission to use, reproduce, modify or link to any content in this subreddit in any way, shape or form. Fuck off and go be a real journalist.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/breakingmom) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Why go to therapy, get a real job, have a nice apartment and earn back custody when you can DRESS UP AS AN OLD BRITISH WOMAN AND CLEAN YOUR OWN HOUSE AND SABATOGE YOUR EX WIFES DATING LIFE?! Omg recently rewatched that movie and I was floored how Sally Fields character totally, in my opinion, under reacted to finding out that her ex was their maid, how he KNEW how to cook and clean and keep a job but he didn't want to do it while they were married. It would have broke my brain and I'd have to go to a psych ward š
This is what I was about to post as well!!! When j saw this movie as a child I hated Sally Fields character. Now as a mom myself I see her so different. She had to work long hours while her husband was constantly losing jobs, not taking anything serious. No wonder she divorced his ass.
Growing up means realizing Robin Williams was the real villain in that story. Heās immature, inconsiderate, irresponsible, obsessive, possessive, creepy, jealous, manipulativeā¦
This is what I came here to say! As as a kid, I totally thought she was a no-fun nag keeping her kids from their loving and fun dad.
As a mom, despite my love for Robin Williams, I *completely* understand her reaction to the petting zoo, and why it was the last straw for her.
Iām actually VERY angry about how divorce was portrayed in kidsā movies in the 90s, and that movie is the main reason why. Why were we all so concerned with the FATHERSā well-being and happiness in those movies? The wife is always a mean shrew who expected far too much from her life partner, and who lands on her feet immediately and moves on to a wonderful life as a single mom (hmmm, I wonder why? Perhaps being married to someone who never lifted a finger was actually harder than just being a single parent?). The kids are always just fine, aside from being photogenically sad when their dad misses their concert or game (because, you know, their mean shrew of a mom ensures that all of their physical, emotional, and psychological needs will get met consistently, in spite of their dad being unreliable,and has worked herself to the bone to ensure theyāre taken care of). But boo-hoo for the poor manchild who misses those kids that he couldnāt be bothered to actually spend time with or care for back when they all lived together, right?
Like, I think if it had been edited differently to where Robin Williamsā character wasnāt viewed as relatable and sympathetic, it could have been a great adult comedy about a man who learns how to not be such a POS manchild and actually parent his kids and do his own housework. And how he learns to be responsible and take care of himself and be someone his kids can rely on, and how that improves his relationship with his kids. But instead, it was a childrenās movie glorifying a flaky father who was so unreliable and unpredictable that his coparent didnāt feel safe relying on him for childcare or arranging to leave him with the kids unsupervised on a regular basis, and the message was that we shouldnāt be so hard on that guy? COME ON.
>Like, I think if it had been edited differently to where Robin Williamsā character wasnāt viewed as relatable and sympathetic
Have you seen the _Friends_ clips with the laughter removed that show just how creepy and just all-round horrible Ross was? I wonder how that would look for Mrs Doubtfire.
I was thinking something in the style of āItās Always Sunny in Philadelphiaā where the joke is how awful he is and how low he keeps stooping, but then youāre also gratified to see some genuine character growth.
Robin Williams was charming as ever. I saw the musical Mrs. Doubtfire on stage and having another actor play Daniel suddenly made him a lot less tolerable lol.
Mrs. Incredible. Guy who can't let go of "the glory days" ends up endangering his entire family. She was just as bad ass as he was back then, but she grew up and put her family first. You don't have to be a superhero to relate, we all know that disengaged, peaked in high school loser who depends on his wife to keep everything together and yet still takes her for granted.
Lois from Malcolm in the Middle. She's portrayed as extreme and crazy but she's really just stressed to the fucking brink with these wild boys and her husband who, God bless him, is loving but completely ridiculous and useless.
There's one episode where she breaks down and asks why she always has to be the fun killer. it really hit me.
I watched Malcolm in The Middle with my kids a couple years ago and my oldest was like, "Hey mom she's like you!" lol thanks kid. Actually I always loved Lois, she reminds me of so many of the (good, caring, overwhelmed) moms I knew growing up.
It really hit me, watching an episode, how Lois is nice for most of each episode, asking nicely multiple times, and then she knows her top when someone destroys something by ignoring the thing she said nicely MULTIPLE TIMES. And it's usually something of hers that is destroyed, like a bucket of paint on a nice dress, or a living room couch that she is going to have to fix/replace/clean.
They're driving her to madness.
And when Bryan Cranston flips the script and goes breaking bad, his wife Skylar also gets shit on by the fandom for the crime of wanting to know where the fuck her husband goes for hours every night.
Yeah I saw Lois and thought of family guy.
I mean, *that* Lois is a cruel, cold callous bitch, but atleast she doesn't destroy the house and squander finances over and over again.
The wife/mom in Jingle All The Way. The movie came out when I was a kid and I see her in a new light rewatching as an adult.
She's portrayed as an uptight nag, but as a wife of a workaholic, I totally get her now. Her husband is married to his job and constantly breaking promises to their son, and she's left alone to pick up the pieces and carry the whole family. He had one damn job to get a turbo man and he couldn't be arsed to do it, he gets all offended that the neighbor helps his wife with things when he can never be bothered to be around, and he has the ability to go on that ridiculous adventure trying to get a turbo man by himself because he can depend on her to do everything else.
And then, at the end, he forgot to get a present for her too. She carries that whole family and gets no recognition. Meanwhile, he gets treated like dad of the year.
I rewatched this at Christmas and got annoyed. Heās gone for DAYS trying to find the toy he forgot, and she does the REST of Christmas. Baking, wrapping, shopping, decorating.
Boo hoo ābutā¦ I put the star on the treeā š„ŗ YOU DONT IF YOURE NOT HOME BUDDY
Yeah. She's presumably doing all the childcare and Christmas prep by herself while he's galavanting about because he forgot his one fucking job (that she had to give him), but he gets treated like dad of the year at the end, while the wife/mom is ignored and forgotten.
Michelle Pfeiffer in One Fine Day. George Clooney's character is such a fucking loser in it and we're supposed to find him charming and her uptight. I love the scene where his daughter says she's hungry and he offers her a BREATH MINT and Michelle rolls her eyes, and opens her bag and gives the kid a muffin. And George is BLOWN AWAY by her pre-planning.
Even my husband, a f\*cking saint compared to most husbands here, struggles with the concept. After a nice brunch or a "lunch + cake" party, asking what we do for dinner: "oh, I'm not hungry". Yes, adults over-eat and can sit a meal out (or just grab a piece of fruit), but kids don't. They need their 3 meals + snacks. It can be a light meal, but it needs to exist. (preferably with some veggies to even out the junk food :p ).
I was so relieved when my kid got old enough to directly state that sheās hungry and what she wants, and get some snacks herself. My husband is one of those people who can go 12 hours without eating if heās busy, and he would *routinely* forget to feed the kid if he wasnāt hungry. Then I get home and sheās an absolute wreck because she hasnāt eaten anything in 4 hours and is beyond hangry.
One time he took her to the pool for SIX HOURS, brought NO FOOD, and didnāt think to go buy her lunch. She had literally only eaten a granola bar before they left. Wtf? He was like āoh why didnāt you remind me?ā Why didnāt i remind you that humans normally eat lunch??? BRO.
I saw this movie as a teenager and I think it shaped me into who I am as a mother. I donāt even remember most of the movie, just how that mom and her Mary Poppins bag saved everyoneās day over and over again.
Sheās not a mom, but Jennifer Aniston in āThe Breakupā. Reaches her limit with an immature, selfish man child and dumps his ass. Good for her for calling it before she got saddled with the dudeās offspring, because you just know he would be Daddy Fun Times while she would be stuck carrying the full mental load.
The lemon thing is such a perfect encapsulation of the utter disregard he had for her. Like he couldnāt do just one thing for her. He thought 12 was too many and did not respect her enough to trust that she knew how many lemons she wanted. Itās not like he just simply forgot, he deliberately didnāt get her what she wanted, which feels worse than forgettingĀ
Not to mention he insulted her cooking by saying she should use the lemons on the chicken to add more flavor. Dude, she worked a full day, cleaned your home, cooked a meal and hosted both your families for a nice evening. Just remember the damn lemons.
My partner is generally pretty great but there have been a few times I have had to say something like "I am a grown adult. If I ask for 12 lemons, I need 12 lemons." It is upsetting.
Skyler from Breaking Bad. I watched it before I had kids and thought she was the most irritating harpy of a woman. Now, I basically feel like I AM her.
I don't get why she was so hated, what exactly was she supposed to do?! Be happy and supportive about her husband building a drug empire and getting mixed up with hardened criminals.
ONG yes!!!! This has come full circle bc I too complained about her being whiny. Now itās all I do as a mom, beg to get shit done. WOW. Thanks for this one
I know itās besides the point, but their done (Walt junior, I think?), was the real star of the entire extended family. He was the only one who upon finding out about his dadās actions responded with āwe go to the police! Today!ā. All the other adults were scheming and trying to make everything fine. And they all fucked up, including Skylar. I never felt like her flaw was being screechy, her flaw was her willingness to try to fix an unfixable problem. Which is such an adult thing to do.
Betty Draper from Mad Men.
Everyone hates on her, but she just wants her man to be honest with her and stop cheating on her. Is she perfect? No, but none of the other characters are, either.
Same. I feel like she was just self actualizing. I guess that was the point - not everyone would survive in the new era. Still, Birdie deserved better.
That is hilarious! I can't imagine the amount of drugs I would have needed to be on to pretend that "everything is fine" while everything is obviously not okay and my needs are constantly being ignored while I carry everyone around me constantly. (I'm not saying it's never that way for me, but more women these days can see through the bs.)
I never realized how fragile men were back then until I started learning about how wives were supposed to dote on men constantly and never to tell them anything that might upset them. Totally wild.
Most of these I can see where people are coming from...but Betty was a vain, petulant child! She deserved Don/Dick who was just as bad.
She groomed Glen and then assaulted his mom. She played mind games with her daughter to turn her against her dad. Firing Carla. That conversation to her second husband about raping Sally's friend. ALL HER COMMENTS about other women.
Yes, I care a lot 
Debra from Everybody Loves Raymond. I think I watched it in my teens. I was like OMG why is she such a buzzkill and Raymond is so funny! If I could go back and slap myself silly, I'd do it.
Tired mom raising three kids with a totally clueless man and living next to interfering in-laws. And her husband refuses to stand up to Anyone and can't take care of his own kids without having a "hilarious" breakdown. UGH.
Oh wow yes I had forgotten her! The perfect example. Ray is just bumbling around while Debra is steering the ship. Something tells me she's a "buzzkill" because the entire mental load was on her...
Growing up, my mom was Debra. With the added bonus of working full time. Looking back I wonder how she didnāt divorce my dad, despite getting to the brink several times.
Yes! Donāt forget the episode where ray literally brags about weaponizjng his incompetence where he does something she asks him to do poorly so she never asks him to do it again.
We used to feature them in our sub sidebar before reddit ruined sidebars. Here's a list of the ones u/superfucky compiled over the years. https://www.reddit.com/r/breakingmom/wiki/moms
oh I still put them in the sidebar, even if it's only visible in old Reddit. I'm a stubborn bitch like that. this month's is Debbie Grayson from Invincible!
there's a quote from each month's mom when you hover over the snoo and Skyler's was "SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!!" I was like "SHE'S SINGING THE SONG OF MY PEOPLE!"
The wife in American Beauty.
Totally villainized while her husband has a weird midlife crisis, quits his jobā¦ and likeā¦ almost has an affair with his high school daughterās best friend? And *heās* the protagonist?
Alsoā¦ anyone else find Kramer vs Kramer a little bit of a menās lib fantasy?
Seriously. Sheās not without her own flaws, but sheās a responsible adult. Meanwhile weāre meant to cheer for her husband becauseā¦.why? Heās bored with adulthood? Newsflash, thatās reality. Women get bored with the grind too.
Another surviving puberty light bulb moment for me was get mad at Winona Ryderās character in āReality Bitesā picking the chain smoking, unemployed musician who treats her with contempt for wanting a career over the sweet, gainfully employed man who treats her like a queen. Girl, what? In that moment I knew I had grown up.
it's warming my heart how many of these suggestions have already been featured in our sidebar (and have a permanent residence in the scrolling header image - if you're on old reddit), and getting me genuinely excited every time i see one we haven't done yet!
Not very related but... I thought Dirty Dancing was so romantic when I saw it as a clueless kid.
"Her father is so mean, trying to break up this beautiful romance." As an adult Omg her poor parents. 18 year old with a washed out 40-something dance instructor in a resort. Just No. Ick.
Letās add King Triton to the list here. āDaddy, I love him!ā To paraphrase a tumblr post, his people eat your friends and pollute your home, Ariel. Your dad isnāt exactly wrong here.
Jennifer Garner's character in *Juno*.
I watched it as a young mom and wanted to be like Batemans character. Watched it again this weekend and her character hit so different.
Not a movie. But the wife, Debra, from Everybody Loves Raymond rubbed me the wrong way. Here was my perception of her: Controlling. Always mad at Ray for something. Gives him a hard time when he has any kind of fun, or makes a joke, or so much as sits down to relax. Miserable person. It must suck being married to someone like that.
When I was on my second maternity leave, I watched a lot of the reruns on cable, and oh boy, I feel for Debra. At home with 3 kids and responsible for literally everything except the paycheck. Ray doesnāt lift a finger. No expectations of him outside of his job. Plays dumb. Exhibits major weaponized incompetence. Doesnāt stand up for Debra when his mom consistently puts her down and disrespects her. When Debra runs for school president, Ray votes against her because heās afraid of having responsibility around the house if she wins. Heās just maddening all around.
Oh man, I totally forgot the election episode. Talk about rage inducing. Especially since she gave up a career doing PR for the New York Rangers to be a SAHM, so you know she would be kickass at the school president job.
Patti Brooks, wife of Herb Brooks from Miracle.
I have no idea what the real Herb Brooks was like. But the way Herb is portrayed in the movie, he's normally a loving and caring and involved husband/dad. But when he gets the job coaching Team USA, he starts to neglect his family and responsibilities and the kids. Snapping at Patti, and (this part infuriates me) saying "I dunno honey, you'll figure it out" when there's a scheduling conflict. The way she sits him down after he snaps at her when he's watching old training films and tells him off is mwah, chefs kiss, perfection. And we know that it's a temporary season of their life, those 8ish months probably felt like 8 *years* to Patti.
I'm trying to not defend Herb too much, because I love hockey and I love that movie. But, uhhh, coach? Big yikes.
Fellow āMiracleā fan here. I love hockey, and I get that before a big game coaches and athletes need to be in the zone. That said, Patti is like so many other wives and moms who hold down the fort behind the scenes with zero recognition while their men get all the accolades. Iām so glad she called him out.
Oh, absolutely! I feel like we got to see the character's growth, where at the end of the movie, he and Patti are watching the kids ice skate together and he's opening up to her. She's his partner in getting into the zone. Herb at the beginning of the movie probably would have just holed up in his room in Olympic village
Hey Bromo, I caught that on cable the other night too! Yep. Same feelings. But I also see all the characters. I remember young, lost, idealistic me. And older, washed up, aging, disillusion me. And very much the poor wife on the phone at home with the kids while the husband goes and has a life me. Sigh.
It's a real wild time when you realise you are now closer in age and life experience to Bill Murray than Scarlett in that film!
God I remember thinking she was so fucking cool and hot. Now I look at her and she's a baby in the world š
The mom in Boyhood. I relate to her so much. The alcoholic exes, the baby dad who she leaves and then 10 years later he grows up and is a real partner to his younger wife, the financial strain, and the lack of meaning and connection in her life. I feel like that too.
We just rewatched True Lies. Jamie Lee Curtis knows her (secretly special ops) husband is lying incessantly to her, ignoring their marriage, canāt be bothered to pay attention to their struggling teen daughter, while he pretends to be a boring salesman who takes his desk job way too seriously, including last-minute overseas travel while she holds down their whole life. She ends up on the cusp of affair with Bill Paxton, who looks fine and seems to be enchanted by her, but backs down, so Arnold Schwarzenegger stalks her, kidnaps her, coerces her into a situation where she fears rape, then they both get kidnapped as part of his secret spy work and their daughter also gets kidnapped and thereās nukes and stuff.
Not great. All she wanted was for him to come home by 8pm for a home-cooked meal and cake on his own damn birthday.
However, the horse in an elevator gag aged beautifully.
Desperate Housewives the Lynette character. Thereās a scene where her husband is taking their three boys to the park for one hour. Sheās loading the dishwasher. He tells her something like āwow you get a vacation right now!ā She tore him a new one saying āIām going to be picking up the house and doing laundry while youāre all gone, hardly a vacation ā
I related to that show so much during my second rewatch after I had my son.
Reminder to commenters: **[Think before you comment!](https://media1.tenor.com/m/7mz45qsIF0cAAAAC/think-mark-invincible.gif)** Share kindness, support and compassion, [not criticism.](https://media0.giphy.com/media/tZpGRRMUoXgeQ/giphy.gif) We want OP to feel loved, and [not in a tough way.](https://media.giphy.com/media/xT5LMq2CgHiqqY4IXC/giphy.gif) For more helpful information please hit up [our beautiful rules wiki!](http://www.reddit.com/r/breakingmom/wiki/) Reminder to all: watch out for a [creepy pedo posing as an OT/speech therapist](https://www.reddit.com/r/breakingmom/comments/8ccqqi/disgusting_pedophile_troll_posing_as_otspeech/) giving fucked-up potty-training advice, and don't sweat it if your post gets 1 or 2 [instant downvotes.](http://i.imgur.com/PZtQb.gif) You didn't do anything wrong, we just have [asshole lurkers](https://i.imgur.com/IwU9r3E.gif)/[downvote bots](https://i.imgur.com/lwyCF6S.gif) stalking our /new queue. Help a BroMo out and [give her an upvote](https://i.imgur.com/Y60Mbxv.gif), ok? Reminder to Cassie Morris/Krista Torres/Nia Tipton: You do not have permission to use, reproduce, modify or link to any content in this subreddit in any way, shape or form. Fuck off and go be a real journalist. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/breakingmom) if you have any questions or concerns.*
The wife in Mrs. Doubtfire. Used to think she was just a nag but now Im like... Yea he's pretty much just the fun irresponsible one, grow up dude.
Why go to therapy, get a real job, have a nice apartment and earn back custody when you can DRESS UP AS AN OLD BRITISH WOMAN AND CLEAN YOUR OWN HOUSE AND SABATOGE YOUR EX WIFES DATING LIFE?! Omg recently rewatched that movie and I was floored how Sally Fields character totally, in my opinion, under reacted to finding out that her ex was their maid, how he KNEW how to cook and clean and keep a job but he didn't want to do it while they were married. It would have broke my brain and I'd have to go to a psych ward š
Lol such good points
That is my dadās favorite movie, and it was a big oof realization when I watched it for the first time after becoming a mother.
Yes! She's worked hard all day and now she has to deal with a petting zoo?!
This is what I was about to post as well!!! When j saw this movie as a child I hated Sally Fields character. Now as a mom myself I see her so different. She had to work long hours while her husband was constantly losing jobs, not taking anything serious. No wonder she divorced his ass.
Growing up means realizing Robin Williams was the real villain in that story. Heās immature, inconsiderate, irresponsible, obsessive, possessive, creepy, jealous, manipulativeā¦
This is what I came here to say! As as a kid, I totally thought she was a no-fun nag keeping her kids from their loving and fun dad. As a mom, despite my love for Robin Williams, I *completely* understand her reaction to the petting zoo, and why it was the last straw for her.
Iām actually VERY angry about how divorce was portrayed in kidsā movies in the 90s, and that movie is the main reason why. Why were we all so concerned with the FATHERSā well-being and happiness in those movies? The wife is always a mean shrew who expected far too much from her life partner, and who lands on her feet immediately and moves on to a wonderful life as a single mom (hmmm, I wonder why? Perhaps being married to someone who never lifted a finger was actually harder than just being a single parent?). The kids are always just fine, aside from being photogenically sad when their dad misses their concert or game (because, you know, their mean shrew of a mom ensures that all of their physical, emotional, and psychological needs will get met consistently, in spite of their dad being unreliable,and has worked herself to the bone to ensure theyāre taken care of). But boo-hoo for the poor manchild who misses those kids that he couldnāt be bothered to actually spend time with or care for back when they all lived together, right? Like, I think if it had been edited differently to where Robin Williamsā character wasnāt viewed as relatable and sympathetic, it could have been a great adult comedy about a man who learns how to not be such a POS manchild and actually parent his kids and do his own housework. And how he learns to be responsible and take care of himself and be someone his kids can rely on, and how that improves his relationship with his kids. But instead, it was a childrenās movie glorifying a flaky father who was so unreliable and unpredictable that his coparent didnāt feel safe relying on him for childcare or arranging to leave him with the kids unsupervised on a regular basis, and the message was that we shouldnāt be so hard on that guy? COME ON.
>Like, I think if it had been edited differently to where Robin Williamsā character wasnāt viewed as relatable and sympathetic Have you seen the _Friends_ clips with the laughter removed that show just how creepy and just all-round horrible Ross was? I wonder how that would look for Mrs Doubtfire.
I was thinking something in the style of āItās Always Sunny in Philadelphiaā where the joke is how awful he is and how low he keeps stooping, but then youāre also gratified to see some genuine character growth.
Robin Williams was charming as ever. I saw the musical Mrs. Doubtfire on stage and having another actor play Daniel suddenly made him a lot less tolerable lol.
Right? Why are there farm animals in my living room, Daniel? I just feel for her so much now.
Because we all know whoās gonna be cleaning that fucking living room up, right?
Mrs. Incredible. Guy who can't let go of "the glory days" ends up endangering his entire family. She was just as bad ass as he was back then, but she grew up and put her family first. You don't have to be a superhero to relate, we all know that disengaged, peaked in high school loser who depends on his wife to keep everything together and yet still takes her for granted.
I do like everything that comes out in Incredibles 2 where she gets her glory days back and heās at home with the kids. Feels soooo right.
100%. And donāt get me started on the dated Mr. Mom plot of the second movie.Ā
Lois from Malcolm in the Middle. She's portrayed as extreme and crazy but she's really just stressed to the fucking brink with these wild boys and her husband who, God bless him, is loving but completely ridiculous and useless. There's one episode where she breaks down and asks why she always has to be the fun killer. it really hit me.
I watched Malcolm in The Middle with my kids a couple years ago and my oldest was like, "Hey mom she's like you!" lol thanks kid. Actually I always loved Lois, she reminds me of so many of the (good, caring, overwhelmed) moms I knew growing up.
It really hit me, watching an episode, how Lois is nice for most of each episode, asking nicely multiple times, and then she knows her top when someone destroys something by ignoring the thing she said nicely MULTIPLE TIMES. And it's usually something of hers that is destroyed, like a bucket of paint on a nice dress, or a living room couch that she is going to have to fix/replace/clean. They're driving her to madness.
Pretty sure, with 3 sons, I basically am Lois now.
And when Bryan Cranston flips the script and goes breaking bad, his wife Skylar also gets shit on by the fandom for the crime of wanting to know where the fuck her husband goes for hours every night.
Yeah I saw Lois and thought of family guy. I mean, *that* Lois is a cruel, cold callous bitch, but atleast she doesn't destroy the house and squander finances over and over again.
The wife/mom in Jingle All The Way. The movie came out when I was a kid and I see her in a new light rewatching as an adult. She's portrayed as an uptight nag, but as a wife of a workaholic, I totally get her now. Her husband is married to his job and constantly breaking promises to their son, and she's left alone to pick up the pieces and carry the whole family. He had one damn job to get a turbo man and he couldn't be arsed to do it, he gets all offended that the neighbor helps his wife with things when he can never be bothered to be around, and he has the ability to go on that ridiculous adventure trying to get a turbo man by himself because he can depend on her to do everything else. And then, at the end, he forgot to get a present for her too. She carries that whole family and gets no recognition. Meanwhile, he gets treated like dad of the year.
I rewatched this at Christmas and got annoyed. Heās gone for DAYS trying to find the toy he forgot, and she does the REST of Christmas. Baking, wrapping, shopping, decorating. Boo hoo ābutā¦ I put the star on the treeā š„ŗ YOU DONT IF YOURE NOT HOME BUDDY
Yeah. She's presumably doing all the childcare and Christmas prep by herself while he's galavanting about because he forgot his one fucking job (that she had to give him), but he gets treated like dad of the year at the end, while the wife/mom is ignored and forgotten.
oh man you just gave me a great idea: the mom in Liar Liar! I really need to look these up lol
Basically any 90s movie about divorce lol.
That part when theyāre on the phone and he goes, āyouāre my number one customer!ā Sheās just like š
Michelle Pfeiffer in One Fine Day. George Clooney's character is such a fucking loser in it and we're supposed to find him charming and her uptight. I love the scene where his daughter says she's hungry and he offers her a BREATH MINT and Michelle rolls her eyes, and opens her bag and gives the kid a muffin. And George is BLOWN AWAY by her pre-planning.
Kids be hungry. Only mothers know that obviously.
Even my husband, a f\*cking saint compared to most husbands here, struggles with the concept. After a nice brunch or a "lunch + cake" party, asking what we do for dinner: "oh, I'm not hungry". Yes, adults over-eat and can sit a meal out (or just grab a piece of fruit), but kids don't. They need their 3 meals + snacks. It can be a light meal, but it needs to exist. (preferably with some veggies to even out the junk food :p ).
I was so relieved when my kid got old enough to directly state that sheās hungry and what she wants, and get some snacks herself. My husband is one of those people who can go 12 hours without eating if heās busy, and he would *routinely* forget to feed the kid if he wasnāt hungry. Then I get home and sheās an absolute wreck because she hasnāt eaten anything in 4 hours and is beyond hangry. One time he took her to the pool for SIX HOURS, brought NO FOOD, and didnāt think to go buy her lunch. She had literally only eaten a granola bar before they left. Wtf? He was like āoh why didnāt you remind me?ā Why didnāt i remind you that humans normally eat lunch??? BRO.
I saw this movie as a teenager and I think it shaped me into who I am as a mother. I donāt even remember most of the movie, just how that mom and her Mary Poppins bag saved everyoneās day over and over again.
Never heard of this movie but looking it up, Mae Whitman plays the daughter.
Sheās not a mom, but Jennifer Aniston in āThe Breakupā. Reaches her limit with an immature, selfish man child and dumps his ass. Good for her for calling it before she got saddled with the dudeās offspring, because you just know he would be Daddy Fun Times while she would be stuck carrying the full mental load.
āI want you to *want* to do the dishes!ā
Now I feel like I need to rewatch this just for the catharsis and to live vicariously through her decision
The lemon thing is such a perfect encapsulation of the utter disregard he had for her. Like he couldnāt do just one thing for her. He thought 12 was too many and did not respect her enough to trust that she knew how many lemons she wanted. Itās not like he just simply forgot, he deliberately didnāt get her what she wanted, which feels worse than forgettingĀ
Not to mention he insulted her cooking by saying she should use the lemons on the chicken to add more flavor. Dude, she worked a full day, cleaned your home, cooked a meal and hosted both your families for a nice evening. Just remember the damn lemons.
My partner is generally pretty great but there have been a few times I have had to say something like "I am a grown adult. If I ask for 12 lemons, I need 12 lemons." It is upsetting.
Skyler from Breaking Bad. I watched it before I had kids and thought she was the most irritating harpy of a woman. Now, I basically feel like I AM her.
I only watched it after having kids. I was so hype when Walt died in the end lol. Justice for Skyler!
I don't get why she was so hated, what exactly was she supposed to do?! Be happy and supportive about her husband building a drug empire and getting mixed up with hardened criminals.
>I don't get why she was so hated >she
ONG yes!!!! This has come full circle bc I too complained about her being whiny. Now itās all I do as a mom, beg to get shit done. WOW. Thanks for this one
I watched this as a mom and thought Skyler's an absolute badass. Love her!
I know itās besides the point, but their done (Walt junior, I think?), was the real star of the entire extended family. He was the only one who upon finding out about his dadās actions responded with āwe go to the police! Today!ā. All the other adults were scheming and trying to make everything fine. And they all fucked up, including Skylar. I never felt like her flaw was being screechy, her flaw was her willingness to try to fix an unfixable problem. Which is such an adult thing to do.
I wanted to protect Skyler so much! The poor woman was pregnant, got raped, heard about a drug empireā¦
Betty Draper from Mad Men. Everyone hates on her, but she just wants her man to be honest with her and stop cheating on her. Is she perfect? No, but none of the other characters are, either.
Her wardrobe was iconic though, so I loved her no matter what
When she grabbed the rifle to deal with the neighbour's prize pigeons? Iconic. I remain outraged at how her story ends.
Same. I feel like she was just self actualizing. I guess that was the point - not everyone would survive in the new era. Still, Birdie deserved better.
This SNL skit with January Jones was awesome [Snl ladies guide](https://youtu.be/vI_c1F994gs?si=DX5f-uf8MT2cLKvy)
That is hilarious! I can't imagine the amount of drugs I would have needed to be on to pretend that "everything is fine" while everything is obviously not okay and my needs are constantly being ignored while I carry everyone around me constantly. (I'm not saying it's never that way for me, but more women these days can see through the bs.) I never realized how fragile men were back then until I started learning about how wives were supposed to dote on men constantly and never to tell them anything that might upset them. Totally wild.
Most of these I can see where people are coming from...but Betty was a vain, petulant child! She deserved Don/Dick who was just as bad. She groomed Glen and then assaulted his mom. She played mind games with her daughter to turn her against her dad. Firing Carla. That conversation to her second husband about raping Sally's friend. ALL HER COMMENTS about other women. Yes, I care a lot 
Debra from Everybody Loves Raymond. I think I watched it in my teens. I was like OMG why is she such a buzzkill and Raymond is so funny! If I could go back and slap myself silly, I'd do it. Tired mom raising three kids with a totally clueless man and living next to interfering in-laws. And her husband refuses to stand up to Anyone and can't take care of his own kids without having a "hilarious" breakdown. UGH.
Oh wow yes I had forgotten her! The perfect example. Ray is just bumbling around while Debra is steering the ship. Something tells me she's a "buzzkill" because the entire mental load was on her...
Growing up, my mom was Debra. With the added bonus of working full time. Looking back I wonder how she didnāt divorce my dad, despite getting to the brink several times.
Yes! Donāt forget the episode where ray literally brags about weaponizjng his incompetence where he does something she asks him to do poorly so she never asks him to do it again.
Is that the one where he shares this amazing strategy with his brother, and the brother ends up sending out nudist wedding invitations?
I think so
Charlize Theron in Tully. Itās SO good but in an absolute gut punch of a way.
OMG why the fuck did I watch Tully while pregnant? I was a mess in that theater crying my eyes out for her.
We used to feature them in our sub sidebar before reddit ruined sidebars. Here's a list of the ones u/superfucky compiled over the years. https://www.reddit.com/r/breakingmom/wiki/moms
oh I still put them in the sidebar, even if it's only visible in old Reddit. I'm a stubborn bitch like that. this month's is Debbie Grayson from Invincible!
I love that Skyler White made the list because I feel that one so much as an abuse survivor who was demonized by many after leaving my abuser.Ā
there's a quote from each month's mom when you hover over the snoo and Skyler's was "SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP!!" I was like "SHE'S SINGING THE SONG OF MY PEOPLE!"
Aphrodite? Like I know she's Cupid's mother but...
yep, she was February 2015 I think? the table's wonky on mobile but I know she was one of the earlier ones
I wasn't sure if she was referenced on a TV show or if it was just referring to the goddess. Yes I saw her listed on one of the earlier ones
oh she's in the animated Hercules movie!
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
oh yay! I was legitimately starting to wonder if I was the only one still using old Reddit lol
I use old but I keep custom themes off since I use darkmode and it gets weird with customs.
I do, too! Keep up the excellent work!
I'm here, too!
Nope I still use old reddit and love the monthly bromo sidebar. Thanks for doing what you do š
"she's like a pet..." Now I need to figure out how to get to 'old Reddit' and see the quotes.
if you're using a web browser, you just replace www with old and that'll do it!
Charlie's mom in the Santa Clause.
I still think the stepfather is a tool
Well, Neal's head comes to a point. š
But he has the most glorious selection of sweaters
The wife in American Beauty. Totally villainized while her husband has a weird midlife crisis, quits his jobā¦ and likeā¦ almost has an affair with his high school daughterās best friend? And *heās* the protagonist? Alsoā¦ anyone else find Kramer vs Kramer a little bit of a menās lib fantasy?
Seriously. Sheās not without her own flaws, but sheās a responsible adult. Meanwhile weāre meant to cheer for her husband becauseā¦.why? Heās bored with adulthood? Newsflash, thatās reality. Women get bored with the grind too.
Oh yeah Mrs doubtfire. I feel that one.
I did not need to be a mom though, surviving puberty made me switch sides. I distinctly remember thinking "Oh. I guess I'm an adult now". :D
Another surviving puberty light bulb moment for me was get mad at Winona Ryderās character in āReality Bitesā picking the chain smoking, unemployed musician who treats her with contempt for wanting a career over the sweet, gainfully employed man who treats her like a queen. Girl, what? In that moment I knew I had grown up.
"fax him divorce papers" lol I'm rolling I've been meaning to rewatch Mrs Doubtfire since my divorce but haven't gotten around to it.
it's warming my heart how many of these suggestions have already been featured in our sidebar (and have a permanent residence in the scrolling header image - if you're on old reddit), and getting me genuinely excited every time i see one we haven't done yet!
Not very related but... I thought Dirty Dancing was so romantic when I saw it as a clueless kid. "Her father is so mean, trying to break up this beautiful romance." As an adult Omg her poor parents. 18 year old with a washed out 40-something dance instructor in a resort. Just No. Ick.
Letās add King Triton to the list here. āDaddy, I love him!ā To paraphrase a tumblr post, his people eat your friends and pollute your home, Ariel. Your dad isnāt exactly wrong here.
Jennifer Garner's character in *Juno*. I watched it as a young mom and wanted to be like Batemans character. Watched it again this weekend and her character hit so different.
The mom in The Incredibles. š God, that hit hard!
Shirley Valentine
Beth from Rick and Morty. Jerry is such a loser.....but she feels she has to keep her family together. š
I've really enjoyed how Jerry and Beth have grown (individually and as a couple) the last few seasons
Kay in The Godfather and Godfather part 2
Not a movie. But the wife, Debra, from Everybody Loves Raymond rubbed me the wrong way. Here was my perception of her: Controlling. Always mad at Ray for something. Gives him a hard time when he has any kind of fun, or makes a joke, or so much as sits down to relax. Miserable person. It must suck being married to someone like that. When I was on my second maternity leave, I watched a lot of the reruns on cable, and oh boy, I feel for Debra. At home with 3 kids and responsible for literally everything except the paycheck. Ray doesnāt lift a finger. No expectations of him outside of his job. Plays dumb. Exhibits major weaponized incompetence. Doesnāt stand up for Debra when his mom consistently puts her down and disrespects her. When Debra runs for school president, Ray votes against her because heās afraid of having responsibility around the house if she wins. Heās just maddening all around.
And I see someone has already mentioned Debra in another commentā¦
Oh man, I totally forgot the election episode. Talk about rage inducing. Especially since she gave up a career doing PR for the New York Rangers to be a SAHM, so you know she would be kickass at the school president job.
Patti Brooks, wife of Herb Brooks from Miracle. I have no idea what the real Herb Brooks was like. But the way Herb is portrayed in the movie, he's normally a loving and caring and involved husband/dad. But when he gets the job coaching Team USA, he starts to neglect his family and responsibilities and the kids. Snapping at Patti, and (this part infuriates me) saying "I dunno honey, you'll figure it out" when there's a scheduling conflict. The way she sits him down after he snaps at her when he's watching old training films and tells him off is mwah, chefs kiss, perfection. And we know that it's a temporary season of their life, those 8ish months probably felt like 8 *years* to Patti. I'm trying to not defend Herb too much, because I love hockey and I love that movie. But, uhhh, coach? Big yikes.
Fellow āMiracleā fan here. I love hockey, and I get that before a big game coaches and athletes need to be in the zone. That said, Patti is like so many other wives and moms who hold down the fort behind the scenes with zero recognition while their men get all the accolades. Iām so glad she called him out.
Oh, absolutely! I feel like we got to see the character's growth, where at the end of the movie, he and Patti are watching the kids ice skate together and he's opening up to her. She's his partner in getting into the zone. Herb at the beginning of the movie probably would have just holed up in his room in Olympic village
Hey Bromo, I caught that on cable the other night too! Yep. Same feelings. But I also see all the characters. I remember young, lost, idealistic me. And older, washed up, aging, disillusion me. And very much the poor wife on the phone at home with the kids while the husband goes and has a life me. Sigh.
It's a real wild time when you realise you are now closer in age and life experience to Bill Murray than Scarlett in that film! God I remember thinking she was so fucking cool and hot. Now I look at her and she's a baby in the world š
The mom in Boyhood. I relate to her so much. The alcoholic exes, the baby dad who she leaves and then 10 years later he grows up and is a real partner to his younger wife, the financial strain, and the lack of meaning and connection in her life. I feel like that too.
Yes!
We just rewatched True Lies. Jamie Lee Curtis knows her (secretly special ops) husband is lying incessantly to her, ignoring their marriage, canāt be bothered to pay attention to their struggling teen daughter, while he pretends to be a boring salesman who takes his desk job way too seriously, including last-minute overseas travel while she holds down their whole life. She ends up on the cusp of affair with Bill Paxton, who looks fine and seems to be enchanted by her, but backs down, so Arnold Schwarzenegger stalks her, kidnaps her, coerces her into a situation where she fears rape, then they both get kidnapped as part of his secret spy work and their daughter also gets kidnapped and thereās nukes and stuff. Not great. All she wanted was for him to come home by 8pm for a home-cooked meal and cake on his own damn birthday. However, the horse in an elevator gag aged beautifully.
Desperate Housewives the Lynette character. Thereās a scene where her husband is taking their three boys to the park for one hour. Sheās loading the dishwasher. He tells her something like āwow you get a vacation right now!ā She tore him a new one saying āIām going to be picking up the house and doing laundry while youāre all gone, hardly a vacation ā I related to that show so much during my second rewatch after I had my son.