WST 3015- Perez
Blog Assignment-Vixen in the Kitchen, Angel in the Attic (T.V. show blog)
3/17/10
Go Stewie, Go
We see Louis as a mother figure, who if you are an avid Family Guy watcher like myself, we know as a women who embraces her femininity as well as her sexuality. I this particular episode Louis's focus become the attention of Meg's new boyfriend. This attention is so important because of comments about Luis aging that are made by Peter, which left her feeling unattractive and needy for attention. In Seely's Fight Like A Girl, on page 103, she discusses how women are often shown in a limited light, often obsessing about "trivial issues" such as their apperance. This episodes shows how as women we would go to extremes to feel beautiful. Luis was not able to have a feeling of self beauty on her own and required the acknowledgement of a male to feel complete. As a women who knows what makes me feel good, I would like to see the media show a women who is confident in her own unique style, and that embraces aging without making a wrinkle or a grey hair change their outlook on their lives and on themselves.
Family Guy often depicts Louis as the care giver and the stay at home mom. She is the brain of the family but often takes the back seat so that Peter can play the role of "man of the house". She is a mother and a wife, but often we see glimpses of life dreams she wants to fulfill. In ever instance where Louis goes on to follow a dream she ends up returning to the at home wife and mother life style. Yes, I realize that "women's labor, both paid and unpaid, must be recognized and respected" (p. 99), but this doesn't mean that a women can't do both. Louis always decides to leave her dreams after achieving a little bit of the goal, so that she can return to her rule as an at home mother and wife. I think that women need to know that you can still be that good mother, and dream wife without sitting at home waiting on everyone all day and maintaining the house as your profession. For some this may be the dream life but is it the dream because we have made it a normal dream that women should aspirer to in society's eyes?
Seely, Megan. Fight Like a Girl: How to be a Fearless Feminist. New York and London: New York University Press, 2007.
Hey Alexandria,
ReplyDeleteI am also an avid Family Guy viewer and was excited to see this episode on the list, since I literally watched it the night before. I did my analysis on this episode too but after reading yours, I see where you are coming from. Lois does seem to step back a lot throughout the series to let Peter use his brain and come off as the "man of the house". She seems to sacrifice a lot of things in her life for the love of her children and husband. Great job with this. I am curious to read the other interpretations of this episode.
- Seabury
I dont watch Family Guy, but after reading this do you think that the perpetuation of stereotypes in this cartoon is satire?
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ReplyDeleteI also watch Family Guy and decided to write my blog about this episode as well. Something I didn't touch upon that you did, was how Lois acts throughout the series. Like other sitcoms, the mother/wife figure in Family Guy is a stay at home mom, who gives up her dreams in order to take care of her family. I agree with your thoughts completely that women can be good mothers and wives without the need to stay at home and serve everyone
ReplyDeleteI would like to expand on Adam's questions, I feel like the entire program of Family Guy serves to mock and satirize the ridiculous in our society including gender roles and what it means to be a father and a mother. In this episode I think they were showing the that Lois had two sides but ended up choosing what she cared about most.
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