Mother's Day is usually depicted with flowers and puppies (see above), but there is another side to this holiday. As much beauty and love a Hallmark mother may share with their children, some, as we know share oh so much more... In thinking of some of the worst mothers on television and in the movies there were some obvious choices. Joan Crawford in Mommie Dearest and Mary Jones in Precious are certainly hall of fame contenders...but here are a few of my favorite mothers from hell!
Margaret White:
Margaret White lacked many of the basic skills required for good mothering. Margaret did not spend her days baking oatmeal cookies and mending her daughter Carrie''s socks. Margaret spent her days thinking of ways to torment and kill her daughter. Her mental illness, coupled with her fanatical religious beliefs, led Margaret to believe her daughter was evil, the devil. Margaret should have spent a little more time honing her baking skills as the kitchen utensils eventually turn on her ultimately impaling the wackjob.
Claire Huxtable:
Claire Huxtable had many great qualities and many see her as a perfect tv role model. She was strong, sensible and a good wife. There was something though... something I cannot exactly put my finger on, that left me cold on her mothering skils. It was not just that she was tough, tough is ok. In some ways Claire was forced to play the heavy given how her husband parented. I always got the feeling though Claire never really liked her children. This was especially evident with her one son. She often looked down on them, judging, and squashing any bits of creativity. Claire's typical response to anything her children did was to scowl and roll her eyes. It is no wonder Denise never returns home!
Marie Barone:
They say you can never have too much love but in the case of Marie Barone you most certainly can. Marie's love for her boys, especially Raymond, bordered on obsession. Marie looked to Ray for the emotional fulfillment she was not getting from her husband. The last episode of Everybody Loves Raymond included a scene with Marie crawling over Debra to get to Ray in bed. Said it all!
Sue Ellen Ewing:
I am not sure Sue Ellen Ewing really could love anyone, especially her son. She lusted for sure, her affairs, most notably Cliff, Dusty and Nicolas Pierce spanned almost 13 years. All of this did not add to a sense of stability for her young son. The topper of course was her year long romp with the speedo wearing Peter Richards, half her age and her son's counsellor from camp. Add to this all the vodka she consumed during her pregnancy and John Ross' chances of a healthy adulthood are pretty darned slim.
& last but not least, Beth Jarrett:
The worst part of Beth Jarrett's mothering was not anything she actually did but more what she didn't. Beth was unable to show a second of warmth towards her son and boy did he need it. She put on the 'mother of the year' face when with friends and when in public but behind closed doors it was all ice.
