When you’re a kid you think that moms can do anything. We sometimes think they’re super heroes, or perfect. Got a boo boo? Mom can fix that! As you get older you start to realize Mom’s super powers aren’t always the greatest, like how she can spot that new piercing from across the house despite her eyesight deteriorating or hear you whispering secrets behind closed doors even when her ears aren’t what they used to be.
Still as we grow and get that teen angst out of our systems we find the place in our hearts where moms will always be. Even though she’s made new art forms out of nagging and she won’t hesitate to guilt when the time’s right, she’s the first person we think of when something goes horribly wrong and the one person you can always count on to be overwhelmingly happy for you when it all goes just right.
It can sometimes take a few signs before we see how much our moms have done for us, which is why we’d like to take a moment and thank some of the most horrific or unimaginable fictional moms on television for their unmotherly and sometimes even hateful antics that make our moms look like the angels they claim to be.
Nancy Botwin – played by Mary-Louise Parker
There’s something almost admirable in all her dirty dealings when this suburban house mom first starts out on Showtime’s hit series Weeds. Yes she’s taken to illegally selling marijuana, a small enough offense to get sucked into the shows drama and comedy. Especially since she does it out of caring for her sons and her supposed inability to provide for her family in any other way. While this premise may be bad enough for some to discount her as a bad mother, it’s nothing compared to what comes in the later seasons. As she gets more entrenched in the world of selling drugs her mothering skills quickly evaporate. From having to get her youngest child out of jail to trading Silas for more weed, her mothering made us darned grateful for the moms we have.
Jane Forrest – played by Ellen Barkin
While a little bit of guilt and judgement come along with the title of Mother, Jane Forrest takes those descriptors to terrifying heights. Though technically Goldie’s grandmother, she’s every bit the overbearing mother we don’t want. Of course her history of a cheating and secretly gay husband give us a little sympathy when it comes to her serious level of offensiveness, but most of the time it’s almost unbearable. Whether she’s outbitching some gays, making racially insensitive comments, or just completely butting into Goldie’s life and questioning her decisions it makes our own Mother’s and Grandmothers’ behavior seemed toned down.
Cersei Lannister – played by Lena Headey
If you’re not already on the phone trying to give your mother a call to thank her for being the lovely woman she is and for not being totally overbearing and/or a drug dealer, then we’re hoping this will do the trick. While not the easiest thing to address, the number one factor that puts Cersei at the top of bad mothering is that her children’s father is also their uncle. Of course you can argue the times, the fact that incest was common among royals, and her attempts to find power as a woman in a male dominated culture. But no, just no. Beyond that, we see her attempts to use Joffrey as a tool in her slowly hatching and half-arsed plan to gain more power. Instead of putting her on top, her bad mothering has encouraged him to become a horrendous beast that everyone in and out of Westeros would love to slap and once his toosh touches the Iron Thrones he feels righteous in turning his beastliness towards her. She does end up paying for her poor parenting, but she can only blame herself.
These mothers, while most likely damaging their offspring beyond repair, have helped us all in realizing that even with quirks and complications, we’ve each got a mother who’s done a pretty fine job.
Show your mother how appreciative you are with some of these gifts. Part of being a mom is having to think of others first all the time. Give your mom permission to think of only herself for a day with these gifts to spoil.
NCIS Bert the Farting Hippo Slippers – Slippers are relaxing on their own, but add in the silly element of Bert the Farting Hippo from NCIS and she can’t help but relax. ($29.97 on ShopTheShows.com)
Dance Moms Candle - Speaking of bad moms, get the Dance Moms Candle and show her she’s the best for not pushing you too hard. The soft lavender scent helps her relax so she doesn’t push herself too hard, either. ($19.95)
New Girl Jess’s Eiffel Tower Pajamas - It’s easy to feel young and quirky in these pajamas worn by the New Girl’s Jess. The super cozy PJs encourage the sweetest dreams of Paris with their Eiffel Tower print. ($139.95)
The Big Bang Theory Singing Soft Kitty Plush Stuffed Animal - Of course mom bought you the stuffed animals when you were young, but there’s nothing like cuddling with a Soft Kitty Plush to make her feel relaxed and young again. ($24.97)
Game of Thones Medium Tree of Life Leather Lock Journal - There’s no better gift for the woman who gave you life than this Tree of Life Journal. The detailed leather journal is the perfect and secure place for her to jot down her thoughts after a particularly stressful day. ($58.95)
What else makes you want to show your mom how much you appreciate her?
