2004 Mother’s Day Campaign: Mothers - The Real Story

The theme of the 2004 Mother’s Day Campaign was "Mothers - The Real Story." Stereotypes of motherhood and the reality we experience do not match. We wanted mothers to talk honestly to each other about both the ups and downs of motherhood. We wanted mothers to be more aware of the role the media plays in promulgating these stereotypes and in contributing to idealized versions of motherhood that are impossible to achieve. The goals of the campaign were to:

encourage mothers to talk with each other about their real life experience as mothers, and
spotlight the ways in which the media shapes stereotypes about mothers that do not match our experiences and creates an idealized version of motherhood that none of us can hope to reach.

Media Reality Check

The media - newspapers, magazines, TV, advertising - play an important role in how we perceive our role as mothers in our everyday lives. If the media misrepresents or pigeonholes mothers’ lives and challenges, our real lives, needs and issues will remain largely "invisible" - to ourselves, one another and to society in general.

By applying a Media Reality Check exercise to what we saw, heard and read, we aimed to spotlight the ways in which the media shaped images of mothers that did not match our experiences.

Mothers & More challenged mothers to filter the messages and images of mothers they encountered in the media through our Moms Media Reality Check Guide which provided a set of questions and list of Seven Deadly Stereotypes of mothers in the media: Bon Bon Eating Mom, Career Crazed Mom, Supermom, 24/7 Bliss Mom, Martyr Mom, Glam Mom, and Domestic Goddess Mom.

We invited mothers to submit the examples they found of media instances that either reinforced or blew away one or more of our Seven Deadly Stereotypes. Finalists were chosen, and Mothers & More members voted on the top 3 most powerful illustrations.

POWER Loop

Three guests visited the POWER Loop, an online member forum for discussing issues that affect mothers, to discuss how mothers are portrayed in the media and how that affects mothers’ realities:

Susan Douglas, co-author of The Mommy Myth. The Idealization of Motherhood and How it Has Undermined Women. (2004)
Faulkner Fox, author of Dispatches From a Not So Perfect Life (2004)
Andi Buchanan, author of Mother Shock (2003)

Individual Activities

Mothers & More provided individuals opportunities to help spotlight the ways in which the media shapes stereotypes about mothers that do not match our experiences and creates an idealized version of motherhood that none of us can hope to reach through:

E-mail template to send to family and friends,
Letter-to-the-editor template to send to local newspapers all over the country, and
Mother’s Day cards that were fun, humorous and brought home the point! Look left to see what they were like!

Campaign Events

There were 36 events in 12 states to help further the campaign.

Arizona

Ahwatukee/East Valley, AZ
Chapter #110

Tuesday, May 3, 7:00 p.m.

Chapter Meeting

Pop Culture Moms

California

Conejo Valley, CA Chapter #252	Thursday, May 13, 7:30 p.m.	Chapter Meeting	Pop Culture Moms
Pasadena, CA Chapter #252	Saturday, May 1, 8:30-12:30 P.M.	Farmers Market Booth	Booth at Farmer's Market, passing out campaign cards and chapter information to women and balloons and face painting for children.
Pasadena, CA Chapter #252	May 6, 7:00 P.M.	Chapter Meeting	"Motherhood Stereotypes"

Georgia

East Cobb Chapter #270	Monday, April 26 7PM	Chapter Meeting	A panel of working mothers and stay at home mothers discuss the differences and similarities of their experiences and how that compares to the media’s portrayal of mothers.
Atlanta, GA Chapter #74	Monday, May 3rd 7PM	Chapter Meeting	Members discuss their real life experiences as mothers and to spotlight the ways in which the media shapes images of mothers that do not match those experiences.
West Cobb Chapter #202	Thursday, May 6 7:30PM	Movie Night	Members celebrate Mothers Day with a viewing of the movie Parenthood for some relaxation and laughs.
DeKalb Decatur, GA Chapter #255	Tuesday, May 11 7PM	Chapter Meeting	Members discuss the "real story" behind motherhood and the media stereotypes that contradict their experience.

Illinois

Near West Suburbs (Chicago) Chapter #215	Tuesday, April 6 at 7:00 p.m.	Movie Night	Meeting - "Movie Night" The chapter will view "Parenthood".
Near West Suburbs (Chicago) Chapter #215	Thursday, April 29, 7:00 p.m.	Book Discussion	"Mother Shock: Loving Every (Other) Minute of It" by Andrea Buchanan.

Indiana

Michiana Chapter #181	Monday, May 10 6:45 p.m.	Chapter Meeting	Pop Culture Moms
Michiana Chapter #181		Library Displays	Libraries that will carry book displays: Mishawaka Public Library Main Branch St. Joseph County Public Library River Park Branch St. Joseph County Public Library Main Branch

Massachusetts

Framingham, MA Chapter #95	Monday, May 10 at 7:00 P.M.	Book Discussion	Book Discussion with the author! Meredith Michaels, co-author of The Mommy Myth: The Idealization of Motherhood and How it Has Undermined Women.
Framingham, MA Chapter #95	Month of May	Library Displays	Library displays at two local libraries, Barnes and Noble and Borders.
Pioneer Valley, MA Chapter #280	Monday May 17, 7 to 9 pm	Chapter Meeting
Pioneer Valley, MA Chapter #280	Saturday May 8, 8:30 am to noon	Farmers Market Booth	Farmer's Market information table and book display
Pioneer Valley, MA Chapter #280	exact dates to be determined	Library Displays	Agawam Public Library, Agawam, MA; Forbes Library, Northampton, MA; Lilly Library, Florence, MA

New Jersey

Maplewood/South Orange, NJ Chapter #128	Wednesday, May 12 at 8:00 P.M.	Book Discussion	Book Discussion with Meredith Michaels, co-author of The Mommy Myth: The Idealization of Motherhood and How it Has Undermined Women.
Maplewood/South Orange, NJ Chapter #128	May 19, 8:00 P.M.	Open House
Greater Wayne Area, NJ Chapter #233	Tuesday, May 4	Chapter Meeting	Pop Culture Moms
Greater Wayne Area, NJ Chapter #233	Tuesday, May 18	Chapter Meeting	Making Mothers Count

North Carolina

Southern Wake Chapter	March 4th	Chapter Meeting	Moms in the Media - "You've Come a Long Way Baby?" Moms in the media (TV shows old and new & how they portray Moms)
Southern Wake Chapter	March 18th	Book Discussion	"An Evening With Author Faulkner Fox" - (Dispatches From A Not So Perfect Life).
Southern Wake Chapter	Saturday, May 1	Mothers Luncheon

Pennsylvania

Chester County/Main Line, Chapter #156 Berwyn, PA	Wednesday March 3, 7:30 PM	Book Discussion	Book Discussion with the author! Meeting guest: Andi Buchanan, author of Mother Shock
Chester County/Main Line, Chapter #156 Berwyn, PA	Thursday, April 15th, 7:30 p.m.	Movie Night	Baby Boom
Chester County/Main Line, Chapter #156 Berwyn, PA	Wednesday, May 5th, 7:30 p.m.	Chapter Meeting and Open House	Pop Culture Moms
Montgomery County Chapter #232	May	Library Displays	Library displays during the month of May plus membership information at three different libraries at: Indian Valley Public Library, Telford, PA Lansdale Public Library, Lansdale, PA Lower Providence Public Library, Lower Providence, PA

Texas

Austin, TX Chapter #113	Thursday, May 6 7:00 p.m.	Chapter Meeting	Seven Deadly Stereotypes
Hurst-Euless-Bedford Area, TX Chapter #59	Saturday, May 22, 2004 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m	Mall Event	Talk with other mothers regarding stereotypes in the media.
Hurst-Euless-Bedford Area, TX Chapter #59	May	Library Displays	Displays, posters and other printed material at Grapevine, Hurst, Euless, Bedford, North Richland Hills, Watauga and Summerglen libraries and North Richland Hills Recreation Center.

Washington

Eastside (Greater Seattle Area)
Chapter #127

Thursday May 13th 7-9pm