TV Mom Madness: Who Are the Best TV Moms of All?

tv mom madness

What makes a TV mom iconic? Is it their strength of character? Their dedication to their family and/or career? What about their sound advice or fashion sense? Here are some TV moms who we think stand out.

Vintage TV Moms

Carol Brady (The Brady Bunch): Who can compare with that Carol Brady flair for fashion and wit? Originally a single mom of three girls, the blended Brady family was an icon for baby boomers and subsequent generations. Her loving spirit and sarcastic comebacks kept audiences entertained TV viewers for decades. She was the queen of groovy moms, for sure.

June Cleaver (Leave It To Beaver): Remembered as the quintessential housewife of the late ’50s and early ’60s, June was never without her trademark pearls and high heels. Yet, she somehow managed to always have an immaculate home and appearance. While she could be witty and sarcastic, she often approached parenting as a loving and compassionate authoritarian with wisdom and grace.

Clair Huxtable (The Cosby Show): A successful lawyer and full-time mom to five kids, Clair Huxtable seemed to always have control of her household. Her late-80s to early 90s style was always on point and accessorized flawlessly. Not to mention her singing, dancing, and proclivity for foreign languages. Arguably, she was the queen bee we all looked up to.

TV mom
Photo Credit: The Everett Collection

Modern TV Moms

Lorelai Gilmore (Gilmore Girls): A single mom at age 16, she raises her daughter, Rory, almost entirely herself. Not only that, but they also maintain a relationship of trust, honesty, and vulnerability throughout the series. They’re definitely a mother-daughter power force to be reckoned with. Lorelai’s strong feminist spirit definitely sets her apart. Also, her extensive knowledge of 90s music and movies gets her some bonus points.

Claire Dunphy (Modern Family): Claire has defined a generation of moms attempting to raise a family in the rapidly-changing family life of the modern era. Fortunately, she’s the glue amidst the antics of her close-knit extended family, all of whom are pretty different. Originally a stay-at-home mom, as her three kids get older, she decides to navigate life as a working mom. Claire is the perfect mix of sarcasm, wisdom, and that little bit of crazy all moms can relate to.

TV Moms We Love to Hate

Barbara Weber (The Bachelor): In the past few weeks, Barb has captured the attention of the nation. First, we all wanted to know who she begged Peter to “bring home,” and we were all shocked when it was Hannah Ann. No matter what you thought of Peter and Madison, the way she treated Madi on the final episode opened the floodgate for memes across all platforms. Surprisingly, she became the season’s villain and the boyfriend’s mom we all would fear.

Kris Jenner (Keeping Up With the Kardashians): Her claim to fame is getting famous…at whatever cost. Many say her children ultimately revel in their own success, so she must have done something right. However, we would ask that you keep the word, “exploitation” in mind as you think of how they got there.

Lucille Bluth (Arrested Development): Lucille’s kids sure make their less-than-favorable opinions of their mother known. However, at the end of the day, she has them under her thumb. She’ll often use manipulation, guilt trips, and lies to make sure she’s in control. Strangely, she even adopted a fifth child to make her youngest son jealous. Yikes.

Fashion Icons

Who could forget Peggy Bundy‘s (Married With Children) style? To be fair, she was a woman ahead of her time. Leopard print has made a comeback in a huge way. What about Morticia Addams (The Addams Family)? That girl could rock the sultry Hollywood style with sleek, black dresses, and bold makeup like no one else. Marge Simpson (The Simpsons) wore the same dress every single day, which we believe defines the word, ‘iconic.’ Rainbow Johnson (Black-ish) rocks a modern, subtly bohemian chic that plays on her new-age upbringing and modern success, and we’re totally here for it.

Who’s Your Favorite TV Mom?

According to our 2020 Mom Madness competition, Clair Huxtable defeated Lorelai Gilmore for the championship, but we all have our favorites! Who are yours? Let us know below in the comments!

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