What's My Line? It ain't the "little woman" anymore.

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

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Location
The Sticks, Northeast PA.
I love the ancient 1950-60 game shows on TV. On "What's My Line", a woman stumped the panel. She was an MD. On "Beat The Clock", the MC always asked 'hubby' what he did for a living, but never asked that of his wife. It was obvious that she was a "housewife". There were a lot of references about how men controlled the purse strings, or how "he wouldn't let his wife" do X,Y or Z. I was surprised at how much our attitudes about "the little woman" have changed.
 

Queen for a Day

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"The Marvelous Mrs Maisel" is back today, a perfect rebuttal to that tired old image of the sweet, docile housewife! If you get Amazon Prime, don't miss it!
 

Those were the bad 'ol days, weren't they.

I remember back in 1972, when we got our first charge card (which was a giant step in being "grownups"). It was based solely on my income because I had an excellent-paying job and my late husband who was a full-time doctoral student only had his GI Bill income. The card was issued in my husband's name. I was given an extra card with his name on it, not mine.

When we bought our first house in 1973, it was the same 'ol same 'ol. I was given a piece of paper to sign saying I didn't plan on having any more children. And I DID sign it because otherwise, we wouldn't be getting the mortgage. Nobody gave my husband a paper to sign swearing he wasn't planning on being a stay-at-home father.

Ah, well, things are better now.
 
jujube said:
Those were the bad 'ol days, weren't they.

I remember back in 1972, when we got our first charge card (which was a giant step in being "grownups"). It was based solely on my income because I had an excellent-paying job and my late husband who was a full-time doctoral student only had his GI Bill income. The card was issued in my husband's name. I was given an extra card with his name on it, not mine.

When we bought our first house in 1973, it was the same 'ol same 'ol. I was given a piece of paper to sign saying I didn't plan on having any more children. And I DID sign it because otherwise, we wouldn't be getting the mortgage. Nobody gave my husband a paper to sign swearing he wasn't planning on being a stay-at-home father.

Ah, well, things are better now.
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Grrrrrrrrr!!

 
jujube said:
Those were the bad 'ol days, weren't they.

I remember back in 1972, when we got our first charge card (which was a giant step in being "grownups"). It was based solely on my income because I had an excellent-paying job and my late husband who was a full-time doctoral student only had his GI Bill income. The card was issued in my husband's name. I was given an extra card with his name on it, not mine.

When we bought our first house in 1973, it was the same 'ol same 'ol. I was given a piece of paper to sign saying I didn't plan on having any more children. And I DID sign it because otherwise, we wouldn't be getting the mortgage. Nobody gave my husband a paper to sign swearing he wasn't planning on being a stay-at-home father.

Ah, well, things are better now.
Click to expand...

WHAT???? Unbelievable. I’ve never, ever considered myself the little women. No way! No way am I taking a backseat.
Every once in a while my husband tries using that ‘little women’ crap on me and it never goes over well as you can well imagine :what: :zombierolleye:
 
​Or simply being referred to as "the wife". The chair, the sink, the wife, the car. Nope not for me. When I was a kid and my mom would sign her name to my report cards, or other things it was as "Mrs. John Smith" (not our real name, of course) It was as if the woman gave up her identity to her husband. I can live with taking the last name, but giving up our first name too??
 
Dear jujube. YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING!!!!!! You had to promise not to have any more kids? OMG In writing!!! What genius thought this would really work? I 'm flabbergasted by the blatant sexism of the time.
I do like that the wife assumes the last name of the hubby. For me, it symbolizes the formation of a "family" and marriage. Any name change the newlyweds chose is fine with me. I like the name change custom.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
I do like that the wife assumes the last name of the hubby. For me, it symbolizes the formation of a "family" and marriage. Any name change the newlyweds chose is fine with me. I like the name change custom.
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I agree. I took my husband's last name without question. I was also remind of wives in the 60s and earlier who used their husbands FIRST name as well when signing documents. "Mrs. John Doe" rather than simply "Jane Doe". That I would never do.
Amazing how things have changes over the years.
Not exactly relevant to OP, but about at week after I got married, in 2001, I was working in a store. Had my back turned had vaguely heard a familiar voice saying "Hi, Mrs. ****" a couple of times. I did not respond, then I felt a hand on my shoulder and a "MARIE". It was my cousin, I wasn't yet used to hearing my new name used. LOL
 
If you look at gravestones here, you will see that married women are always referred to by their maiden name... eg. Jane Smith, wife of Jack Jones, although in life she would be Mrs Jane Jones.

On the other hand, I hate these ads. where everything a woman does has to be 'strong' - This shampoo makes my hair so strong.. Superwoman toothpaste makes my mouth feel so strong, my mascara makes my eyelashes look so strong..... etc
 
Capt Lightning said:
If you look at gravestones here, you will see that married women are always referred to by their maiden name... eg. Jane Smith, wife of Jack Jones, although in life she would be Mrs Jane Jones.

On the other hand, I hate these ads. where everything a woman does has to be 'strong' - This shampoo makes my hair so strong.. Superwoman toothpaste makes my mouth feel so strong, my mascara makes my eyelashes look so strong..... etc
Click to expand...

On some of the old gravestones, you'll see "Jane Jones, Relict (the old spelling of relic) of John Jones...." I don't know about anybody else here, but there's no way I want to be somebody's "relict"...… Occasionally, you'll see a large stone for the husband, with a smaller one to the side that says "Wife". Just "Wife". What does that tell you about her importance?
 
fuzzybuddy said:
I love the ancient 1950-60 game shows on TV. On "What's My Line", a woman stumped the panel. She was an MD. On "Beat The Clock", the MC always asked 'hubby' what he did for a living, but never asked that of his wife. It was obvious that she was a "housewife". There were a lot of references about how men controlled the purse strings, or how "he wouldn't let his wife" do X,Y or Z. I was surprised at how much our attitudes about "the little woman" have changed.
Click to expand...

"one down and three to go" :)
 

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