Hallmark Channel Christmas Shows

[Archivist]

I have been enjoying the Christmas shows on the Hallmark channel. However I have noticed that the premises of many of them, probably the majority of them, is something along these lines: a woman has successful career, she decides that she would rather be a wife and mother, she gives up her career and moves to small town to get married, stay at home and raise children.

Why is it almost never the man in these shows who gives up his career to stay home and raise children so his wife can enjoy her career? Why doesn't anyone ever seem to decide that having a career and choosing to not have children isn't necessarily a bad thing? Excuse me but isn't this the 21st century?

Thoughts?

 

[~Anastasia~]

They are looking for what "feels good" to appeal to their target audience, I would suppose.

Which is in itself an interesting thought.

 

[SolomonVII]

The target audience is women and their fantasies.
A man unemployed and staying at home while the women is out in the work force desperately trying to make ends meet does not define the fantasy life of what women aspire to, but the reality of where they are at right now.

 

[Archivist]

The target audience is women and their fantasies.
A man unemployed and staying at home while the women is out in the work force desperately trying to make ends meet does not define the fantasy life of what women aspire to, but the reality of where they are at right now.

To be clear, I'm not talking about an unemployed man staying home while his wife is desperately trying to make ends meet in the work force. A woman who chooses to stay home to raise children isn't employed, but she usually isn't considered to be unemployed. She is a homemaker. And in these shows the person working isn't usually "desperately trying to make ends meet". I'm sure you are correct, however, in saying that the shows are designed for a certain female target audience.

 

[Guess Who?]

We rid ourselves of the pagan practice of Christmas 7 years ago.

Liberating.

 

[Archivist]

We rid ourselves of the pagan practice of Christmas 7 years ago.

Liberating.

If that works for you that's fine. I wouldn't want to go without Christmas.

I guess you haven't been watching the Hallmark specials I referenced.

 

[Guess Who?]

If that works for you that's fine. I wouldn't want to go without Christmas.

I guess you haven't been watching the Hallmark specials I referenced.

Gave up on TV two years ago.

Got the garbage out of my house.

 

[Archivist]

Gave up on TV two years ago.

Got the garbage out of my house.

Good for you if that makes you happy. Now can we get back on topic?

 

[Guess Who?]

Good for you if that makes you happy. Now can we get back on topic?

I am on topic.

You are complaining about the breakdown of society, that which is viewed on the boobtube.

Yet, it is you, the audience, whom is contributor to it.

Swim in the muck and get dirty.

 

[Archivist]

I am on topic.

You are complaining about the breakdown of society, that which is viewed on the boobtube.

Yet, it is you, the audience, whom is contributor to it.

Swim in the muck and get dirty.

No I am not complaining about the breakdown of society. The thread is about the depiction of women on the Hallmark network Christmas specials. Stay on topic or I will ask the mods to close this thread.

 

[Galatea]

Because, as much as feminists might like to say most women dream about a successful career, it is not the fact. Most women dream of being married and being able to stay home with the children (at least most of the women who watch Hallmark movies). If the idea of getting a successful career was the dream, the movies would be about that. I can't tell you how many women I know who say they wish they could stay at home.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Actually, I think some of the movies have something to do with a woman's career. It's just that the option of a high-powered career living alone in the big city takes a back seat to a less glamorous career with a husband living in a small town - choose two or three of the above and you have a plot.

But I'm pretty sure they are not all idealizing stay-at-home, necessarily.

 

[Archivist]

Actually, I think some of the movies have something to do with a woman's career. It's just that the option of a high-powered career living alone in the big city takes a back seat to a less glamorous career with a husband living in a small town - choose two or three of the above and you have a plot.

But I'm pretty sure they are not all idealizing stay-at-home, necessarily.

And actually the show this evening differed from the other shows that I've seen--millionaire fell in live with a woman from a small town, but he was also from a small town so he wasn't giving anything up.

 

[Archivist]

Because, as much as feminists might like to say most women dream about a successful career, it is not the fact. Most women dream of being married and being able to stay home with the children (at least most of the women who watch Hallmark movies). If the idea of getting a successful career was the dream, the movies would be about that. I can't tell you how many women I know who say they wish they could stay at home.

Doesn't describe my girlfriend. No kids, married only briefly, successful career. Yes I also know women who would love to stay home with their kids but at least for me they aren't in the majority.

 

[rockytopva]

The Hallmark channel has a series called "The Good Witch" Maybe that will warm your heart a little!

 

[Mountainmike]

I have been enjoying the Christmas shows on the Hallmark channel. However I have noticed that the premises of many of them, probably the majority of them, is something along these lines: a woman has successful career, she decides that she would rather be a wife and mother, she gives up her career and moves to small town to get married, stay at home and raise children.

Why is it almost never the man in these shows who gives up his career to stay home and raise children so his wife can enjoy her career? Why doesn't anyone ever seem to decide that having a career and choosing to not have children isn't necessarily a bad thing? Excuse me but isn't this the 21st century?

Thoughts?

And in this 21st century, many Western European countries and such as Japan have a demographic timembomb, because of choice.

The birth rate is less than 2 per couple, indeed in some countries closer to 1.

So inevitably a decreasing working population will be required to feed an ever growing elderly population, costing ever more because of the medicinal treatment used to keep them alive.

And the sums no longer add up.
Society has to face this.


The still developing countries have population increase, but it is not true in many so called rich countries.

 

[Archivist]

And in this 21st century, many Western European countries and such as Japan have a demographic timembomb, because of choice.

The birth rate is less than 2 per couple, indeed in some countries closer to 1.

So inevitably a decreasing working population will be required to feed an ever growing elderly population, costing ever more because of the medicinal treatment used to keep them alive.

And the sums no longer add up.
Society has to face this.


The still developing countries have population increase, but it is not true in many so called rich countries.

So do we force people who have no desire to have children to start reproducing?

 

[Archivist]

The Hallmark channel has a series called "The Good Witch" Maybe that will warm your heart a little!

That is apparently one of Hallmark's regular shows but it isn't being broadcast during the Christmas season.

 

[Mountainmike]

So do we force people who have no desire to have children to start reproducing?

You cannot force anyone to do anything. But you can present alternatives in better or worse light.

In our society the replacement of real marriage with a "contract of convenience", broken on a whim, so the erosion of the traditional family unit, the treatment of kids as a liability that get in the way of "freedom" or career, and not a blessing. The ease of abortion treating life as expendable. The relentless advertising of hedonistic pursuits. None of this is good for society. In france it is now unlawful to even speak negatively on abortion.

I can only note the similarities between our society and Roman civilization before it ultimately collapsed, birth rates, abortions, ease of divorce all very similar trajectories. It had got to the point in Rome where a husband only had to say "go home" three times, and that was enough to terminate marriage. Pretty much as we are today.

 

[Archivist]

You cannot force anyone to do anything. But you can present alternatives in better or worse light.

And these shows seem to be presenting alternatives to women getting married, giving up their careers and having children in a worse light.

In our society the replacement of real marriage with a "contract of convenience", broken on a whim, so the erosion of the traditional family unit, the treatment of kids as a liability that get in the way of "freedom" or career, and not a blessing. The ease of abortion treating life as expendable. The relentless advertising of hedonistic pursuits. None of this is good for society. In france it is now unlawful to even speak negatively on abortion.

An in the US the divorce rate has dropped 25% since 1980. The abortion rate is down 7% since 2000. Yes, the birth rate is down but the Census Bureau is still predicting that the US population will go from 319 million in 2014 to reach 400 million by 2051.

I can only note the similarities between our society and Roman civilization before it ultimately collapsed, birth rates, abortions, ease of divorce all very similar trajectories. It had got to the point in Rome where a husband only had to say "go home" three times, and that was enough to terminate marriage. Pretty much as we are today.

Actually divorce was relatively easy for men to get throughout Roman history. In the later years on the Empire it did become much easier for women to obtain a divorce.