Housewife of the Year documentary?

[LateQuartet]

Did anyone else watch this? I know it had a limited cinema release a while back, but I only caught it on the RTE player last night, and even then, I couldn't finish it, it made me too sad and angry, and reminded me viscerally quite how awful it was to be a child and young woman in Ireland in the 1970s and 80s.

Those women in their sashes, being patronised by Uncle Gaybo during the 'personality interviews' after their cooking had been judged, and jolly banter about the number of children they had (there was a 31 year old with ten children), without anyone, including the women, appearing to be cognisant of the fact that this was not a choice.

That sounds really interesting (and infuriating, but I think it's important to remember these sort of aspects of the past) but I can't find it on RTE player.

https://www.rte.ie/player/movie/housewife-of-the-year-s1-e1/672171048345

Oh stop. It’s RTE’s spin that the Irish were all miserable until recently. I grew up in the era and I don’t think women and children were miserable, quite the opposite. Women could choose to stay at home or work, one salary could support a household. No phones, playing on the road, bliss.

Thanks OP, will take a look!

I watched it, my MIL won a regional final and then appeared with Gaybo for the final back in the early 70's. I don't know how she was allowed enter because she was a primary school teacher so worked outside the home.

What an odd response. It's not an RTE programme. They just showed it. It was made by an independent film maker, premiered in Copenhagen and won a few international prizes, and had a cinema release. And I wouldn't describe a TV network that makes Reeling In the Years as in any way devoted to a 'miserabilist' take on the Irish past.

And I also grew up in the era. I'm one of a large family who existed purely because of lack of contraception, and which my parents could not afford financially or emotionally. I was stickering toilet doors with abortion information into my student days in the 90s. I was sitting next to friends bleeding onto a towel on the ferry back from a termination. Let's not forget.

I remember we used to watch it in the early 80s and my parents taking the piss out of it. My mother always thought it was for posh women or those married to well off farmers. She was so envious of some of their lifestyles as she worked fulltime and would only loved to have had a nice fancy house and the ability to have been a sahm. So basically it never reflected the world I lived in or grew up in.

This. I don't remember many people taking it seriously at all most mocked it or took it as very tongue in cheek. I am sure if it ran today there would be women interested in getting judged in that way because they are proud of how they keep a home, cook etc. My mum worked part-time and was a great cook and great mum but that was absolutely not what defined her and never did she let it. Different strokes for different folks. There were huge issues with a woman's role in society back in the 70s and 80s but this competition was not that important at the time I think the film makers are making it appear more popular than it was. I did love the Dublin woman that became a sort of activist for women's rights, more of her please. The majority of women featured were still proud of their achievement so it was obviously still very important to them which shouldn't be taken from them just because society has moved on.

Just finished watching it. Really mixed feelings on it. And so sad for the one who was adopted and found her mother only for her mother's other children to go treating her like that.

Have you seen the Curry's ad on TV where a harassed housewife falls madly in love with and is swept off her feet by... a fridge!

Tongue-in-cheek or plus ça change or both?

I haven't seen all the documentary yet, just some but I remember my sister and I laughing at it as teens. I can't see how its worse than Love Island or any modern day TV show, its considerably better than Naked Attraction. I've no doubt in 30 years we'll all pretend to be shocked and horrified how life in the 2020s was when women were sexualised and its was ok for everyone to wave their genitals on screen.

While I agree its patronising, and somewhat farcical, at least these women were acknowledged for being good home makers. Its bloody hard work to raise a family and run a household and these women were particularly good at it. These days its not acknowledged at all, or often sneered at. All i ever seem to hear from working parents is how miserable and exhausted they are, I'm not sure really how far we have come or what we have supposedly achieved by being compelled to work FT. Can you imagine being allowed leave your job a couple of weeks before you got married and spending your days just chilling out for a year or two until babies arrive. Is it really that awful? That said, I agree it was very wrong women didn't get a choice, and I'm glad that changed but I do think its worth questioning the narrative these days that we have it so much easier.

I'm with @ComeAsYouAreAsAFriend and @Nousernamesleftatall , I think its just a different era and not necessarily negative. I get a bit tired that everything Irish is awful, there were many different experiences. I grew up in a good environment, full of optimism and was never made feel inferior because i was a woman, my Gran was an entrepreneur in the 1950s, my Mum had her own business once the youngest started school. i appreciate this wasn't usual for the time. My grandparents and all my aunts and uncles lived nearby and everyone had 2, 3 or 4 children. They were collectively very critical of people who had more than 5, they used to say they were like animals and should know better. My Gran used to say there are always ways and means of controlling your own life. I don't know (and don't want to know!) specifically what she meant re sex but her point was that there were natural methods that could be used and in the absence of that, just say no. I understand married women didn't have the right to say no legally, but its unfair to assume every man was prepared to be a rapist. Women were submissive and programmed to be so, but there was also a place in society for strong women who pushed the boundaries a bit and took control of their lives, if they had chosen good men to support them.

I appreciate your view @LateQuartet on the contraception / abortion thing but there are two sides to it. You say 'lets not forget' but everyone conveniently forgets about the many many children who were successfully adopted and benefitted from the system. Couples who had fertility issues could adopt, unwanted babies were given to good homes. I'm not talking about the horrors of taking wanted babies away, that's another thing entirely, nor am I talking about abuses within the mother and baby homes. But there is a group of people who benefitted from the system that would not exist if the Catholic values weren't there. I am from such system and I agree its almost impossible to reconcile sometimes as I don't agree with so many Catholic things, but the truth is I am very grateful that I was conceived in a year where my birth mother was able to seek refuge in a home, delivery me safely and give me to a good family who adored me. I know many people who agree with this view, there are 1000s of adopted adults living in Ireland. We are always dismissed and forgotten about but we do exist and I for one am not ashamed of this.

But people who want to deliver the baby and then give then up for adoption can still do that today, they just have the choice whether to deliver or not.

they just have the choice whether to deliver or not.

What do you mean??

Every woman carrying a baby to term has to deliver.

Sorry, I should have phrased better. I mean that women now have the choice whether to carry to term and give up the baby for adoption.