Mothers & More Announces Results of Moms Media Reality Check

Glamour, Brain,Child and Nissan praised; Rugrats, Fit Pregnancy criticized

Elmhurst, IL – Mothers & More is announcing the results of its “Moms Media Reality Check” – a collective media watch by members and the public to identify examples of the “Seven Deadly Stereotypes” of mothers in the media. Participants were asked to vote on the top three most powerful illustrations of promoting stereotypes about mothers in the media, as well as the three most powerful illustrations in the media that debunk these stereotypes. The poll was held as part of the organization’s Mother’s Day Campaign entitled, Mothers – The Real Story.

“There is a chasm between most media portrayals of mothers and the reality. These stereotypes are all around us and over time we internalize them,” says Kristin Maschka, President of Mothers & More. “As mothers, we end up comparing ourselves to an impossible standard and so does everyone else. It's time to call attention to the fiction of these stereotypes and encourage mothers to tell our real stories.”

The top three vote getters in the Promoting Stereotypes category are:

1. “Rugrats”–the popular Nickelodeon children’s cartoon highlights several mothers exhibiting extreme examples of mother stereotypes including Career Crazed Mom, 24/7 Bliss Mom and Glam Mom.
2. “Day care and ’Make Believe Moms’”–a January 22, 2004 column in the Bucks County, Pennsylvania Courier Times written by J.D. Mullane sang the praises of the Martyr Mom and went the extra mile, inventing a whole new stereotype, the “Make-Believe Mom” – a hybrid of the Bon Bon Eating Mom and Career Crazed Mom.
3. Fit Pregnancy magazine–a publication that manages to simultaneously push the Glam Mom, 24/7 Bliss Mom, Supermom and Career Crazed Mom through its pages full of advice and advertisements, explaining how to do it all, be it all, love it all and have a fabulous pregnancy.

The top three vote getters in the Busting Stereotypes category are:

1. “Having a Baby and a Life: How Will You Do It?”–an article in the March, 2004 issue of Glamour Magazine written by Marjorie Ingall challenged the 24/7 Bliss Mom, Supermom and Bon Bon Eating Mom stereotypes by honestly looking at the realities of motherhood and the ambivalent feelings mothers have toward those realities.
2. Brain,Child magazine–a quarterly publication “spotlighting the voices that are the truest – not experts, but women who are or have been there...” and bringing a “down–to–earth perspective to traditional and not-so-traditional parenting subjects.”
3. Nissan Quest minivan TV commercial–an ad that busts the Martyr Mom stereotype by featuring mothers who are pursuing their own interests, beyond chauffeuring their kids to soccer practice and ballet lessons.

Mothers & More is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of mothers through support, education and advocacy. With over 180 chapters and 7000 members across the nation, the organization addresses mothers’ needs as individuals and members of society, and promotes the value of all the work mothers do. The Mother’s Day Campaign goals are to encourage mothers to talk with each other about their real life experiences as mothers and to spotlight the ways in which the media shapes images of mothers that do not match their experiences. Mothers & More is holding events across the country to further these goals. For more information on the 2004 Mother’s Day Campaign, definitions of the Seven Deadly Stereotypes of mothers, and more details about the winners of the Moms Media Reality Check, visit www.mothersandmore.org