Mothers in television – then and now (Women Girls and the Media Post 1)

http://tvline.com/2013/07/30/eileen-brennan-dead-dies-80-will-and-grace-private-benjamin/

So I was looking through the article archives, and found this one from the end of July. Now, I didn’t recognize her at first, but I finally realized it was Mrs. Bink from 7th Heaven. I personally loved 7th Heaven as a kid, and so I found myself digging out the DVD set and watching a bunch of episodes. As I made my way through the series, I realized that Annie Camden was the stereotypical female role model: stay-at-home mom, raising 5 (later 7) kids, cooking and cleaning and doing the laundry, and being supportive of her husband, with little or no recognition.

Which made me think: Has that changed at all over the past few years after 7thHeaven ended? Have the role of mothers on television series evolved?
The short answer? Yes. Things definitely have changed. A prime example of this: Jennifer Jareau from the show Criminal Minds. She is a mother who works full-time (and often overtime) traveling across the country to catch serial killers. Her husband, Will, also works full-time (although his hours are more regular) and they have a nanny to provide childcare for their son.

It kind of makes you think about how mothers will be portrayed in the future…….