ALICE KRAMDEN – THE
FIRST TV FEMINIST
by Debi Brim
Elizabeth Cady
Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Gloria Steinem are famous and well-known names
in the suffrage and women’s movements. I
offer one more that should be on the list: Alice Kramden, the first true
feminist.
Alice Kramden is the
fictional character who played opposite of Jackie Gleason’s character, Ralph
Kramden, in the 1950s sitcom “The Honeymooners”. In an era when television women were docile
housewives, looking to their husbands for advice and problem solving, Alice was
an exception to the stereotype.
In a “Father Knows
Best” episode (“The Mink Coat”), Jim lines the family up on the couch
(including his wife) to lecture them on household expenses. In this typical 1950s sitcom, the male head
of household is controlling the budget, the money, and lecturing the family on
their overspending.
Compare this to “The
Honeymooners” episode “Funny Money.” Ralph has to ask Alice for money because he is
short “a couple of bucks” for his lodge membership dues. With hands on her hips, Alice replies, “I’m
not giving you a dime, Ralph.” She
reminds him that lodge dues are supposed to come out of his allowance. Ralph stomps his foot and “demands” the
money. Alice still refuses. Alice not only controls the budget and the
checkbook, she has the nerve to stand up to her husband and tell him “no”.
See this clip: The scene starts at marker 6:30 through 7:55.
In another
Honeymooners episode (“Brother Ralph”), Ralph is laid-off from the bus company.
Alice decides she will get a job. Ralph
protests, “While you are my wife, you will never work!” Alice’s reply is “I’m
getting a job no matter what you say!” With her face inches from her husband’s
she closes the argument with “I’m getting a job and you’re doing the
housework!” She gets a job in an office
and Ralph is the house-husband for a few weeks.
Who is this woman? She controls the money and the budget. The
husband is forced to ask her for money because he already spent all of his
“allowance”. A 1950s man put on a
budget? I never saw June Cleaver
reminding Ward that he was only allowed so much money a month! Alice stands nose to nose with the man of
the house, defying his “rules.” To top
it off, this woman also has her husband do the housework, something that is
strictly a woman’s job.
She was a woman who
bucked the stereotypical system. She
made decisions, handled the money, got a job, and had an equal (sometimes more
than an equal) say in what went on in her home.
Had Alice been in
charge of NASA, we probably would have gone “to the moon, Alice!” sooner than
we actually did.
© D. Brim / Dec 2011
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