June Cleaver speaks “jive.”

June Cleaver died just 10 days ago. Baby Boomers in America sighed and felt the sorrow of losing a beloved icon. Who was June Cleaver? Well, she was the mom on Leave It To Beaver, the quintessential example of what was expected of middle-class suburban women in the 1950’s. In many ways she was a role model to many women during that time, who aspired to be just like her. Many of us baby boomers spent time in front of the TV set watching this series and wishing that we were like The Beaver. The series ran from 1957-1963, during which time we watched The Beaver get older.

https://transculturalexchange.org/ydoh72xpz For many Baby Boomers, Leave It To Beaver is wrapped in a nostalgic glow of remembrance and lost childhood. But, those from the post-baby boomer generation only see a series whose thrust appears to be a series that reinforced the cultural morays of that time and helped to delay the acquiring of full rights and equal pay by women. That may seem like a harsh judgment, but even through my warm nostalgic glow, I have to admit that June Cleaver did portray the expectations of the culture of that time, which were various. But, that would be typical of shows today as well. The main shows on TV have always portrayed the main cultural expectations of the time in which they were recorded. This is neither good nor bad, but is the reality of the entertainment media.

https://eloquentgushing.com/87ml8giw But Barbara Billingsley (the name of the actress who played June Cleaver) herself did not stay in that particular role in her own personal life. Baby Boomers may remember her with a warm nostalgic glow, but she, herself, went on within a slightly less than twenty years to have a part in a movie that portrayed her in a completely different, but still ladylike way. There is no husband present and no children. She is strong and quite capable of dealing with circumstances. She is no longer the 1950’s woman who depends on a man, but the post-cultural-change woman who is quite capable and an equal partner to anyone. Below is a recording of Barbara Billingsley playing that part.

https://blog.extraface.com/2024/08/07/hp30iwpn