Sexuality and Gender Roles
As I began the assigned reading this week, the first movie that came to my mind regarding sexuality and gender roles was “Mr. MOM”. This comedy-drama from the early 1980’s, depicted a young male auto executive and his stay at home wife. When hard times hit and he loses his job, she returns to the work force as a high-powered executive in an ad agency, and he stays at home with the 3 young children (Loring et al., 1983). The role reversal was difficult for both of them. They had been raised that the male should be the main financial supporter. He started out thinking that being a housewife will be easy but soon finds it to be more difficult than the business world. She on the other hand has feelings of guilt because now she is not there for her family for the everyday experiences. By the end of the movie they come to a healthy compromise were they are both involved in working and caring for the home. I can relate to this movie in that I and my husband were both raised with stay at home mothers and working fathers. That was the gender roles we were taught, females stayed at home looking pretty and frail, taking care of the homestead and males strong and masculine were the hunter, gatherers that worked outside the home to support it financially. Then came the 60’s - 70’s and the feminist movement, these decades saw the radical changes of the movement of American women. The female joined the workforce by the masses, but remained the primary caretaker of the home ("Feminism," 1993-2013). As her role expanded she began to wear many different hats though out her day. I was one of these females, juggling work, school, husband, house and kids. There was a forgotten entity of self. Till one day in the 1990’s, I stood up and demanded a sharing of responsibilities and a microwave oven. In doing this, I changed the way my children viewed the different gender roles. Both of my kids are married now and the responsibilities of the home and children are somewhat equal but I still see the female as the ultimate home maker taking charge. Today, I still juggle work, school, grandkids, husband, and home responsibilities but with less resentment and a lot more confidence. There is a lot more sharing of roles between my husband of 35yrs and myself.
Sexuality has become more of the norm these days, with films like the Oscar nominated movie “The Birdcage”. This gay comedy addressed the real life embracement of a man and