| Do you pay attention to how the mom characters are portrayed on your favorite TV shows? Loathe the so-called "mommy wars" on which the news media love to focus? Each week, Meredith O'Brien's Working Moms in Pop Culture & Politics column provides a reality check on how TV shows, movies, and the media depict moms. A longtime journalist and mother of three, Meredith O'Brien formerly taught journalism at the University of Massachusetts, is the author of A Suburban Mom: Notes from the Asylum and writes the Picket Fence Post blog for GateHouse Media. Follow Meredith on Twitter: @MeredithOBrien |  |
Diane Keaton's Love Letter to Her Mom
Although it has details of her high profile romances with Woody Allen and Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton's memoir "Then Again" really is a love letter not to the men in her life, but to the women, in particular, her mom. more
How Well Do Kids Know Their Parents?
They see us before coffee, when we're cranky, when we're happy and sad. But aside from what they see through the daily routine, do children ever truly get to know who their parents are? more
TV Families Celebrate Thanksgiving
Think you're the only one with Thanksgiving family drama? Think again - even TV families have to deal with it. Here are some classic episodes of dysfunctional Thanksgiving celebrations. more
Once Upon a Time...
ABC's new television series puts a modern twist on classic stories, and infuses familiar fairy tales with strong female characters. more
Birth As Performance Art
A woman recently delivered a baby in front of onlookers as part of her ongoing performance art piece on raising a child. But ask any mom who's gotten a dirty look in public for a misbehaving kid - parenting is already a form of performance art! more
Kids And The News
It’s a strange time to be watching the news and having to explain it to our older children, who encounter the news whether we want them to or not. There’s an overall unsettled feeling lingering in the air. All we can do is try to make sense of the news stories we read each day and to help our kids through it too, even when those stories aren’t happy and hopeful. more
Fall TV Is All About Adoption
This fall, it seems like most of primetime has gone baby crazy. There's been a mini-boomlet in adoption storylines, including two stories involving same-sex couples. Have you been watching? more
Mom Overachievers
Motherhood isn't a competition. It may be weird, surprising, twisted and hopefully joyful journey, but certainly not a contest. Learn why mom overachievers need to knock it off! more
TV Show Parents Are Just Like Us
"Up All Night" is a fresh reboot of the old show "thirtysomething." But one thing hasn't changed: new parents are sleep-deprived and stressed. more
Are The Hunger Games The New Harry Potter?
While on the surface, it might seem like the two series' have nothing in common, The Hunger Games shares more with the Harry Potter Series then meets the eye. more
