Mommy Dearest: Mothers, Motherhood & Maternal Portrayal in Horror | Minisode w/ Maegan

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In this minisode of Clever Ghouls, Maegan is joined by one of her best friends, college roommate, and all around favorite humans, Sarah Billings, as they talk about mothers,  motherhood, and their portrayal in some our of favorite spooky films.

Since Benjamin Spock’s book The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care was published in 1946, thousands of other parenting books have been written explaining everything from basic care of babies to how to be your child’s friend. And these books are frequently marketed to overtired, frazzled mothers desperately searching for answers because they are terrified of being a bad mom. Motherhood itself is scary on its own, but add in the elements of horror...and a new kind of terror occurs. 

Mothers have always played a big role in horror stories. But starting with the 1970s, they really started portraying moms in a massively strident way when writers and directors decided that mothers and motherhood could be the epitome of horrific.

We cover topics like the dysfunctional mother, the persevering and suffering mother; and talk about some of our favorite moms in horror from movies like Coraline, Rosemary's Baby, Quiet Place, and more!

The Clever Ghouls podcast, hosted by Maegan and Blair, is a show dedicated to watching, analyzing, and discussing the movies that make us think about them long after we’ve left the theater or turned off the TV. We bring quick wit and unique perspectives from backgrounds like art history, cinematography, psychology, analysis, public education, mysticism, mythos, and more to create a curated, inclusive conversation around the spooky movies we love. Tune in on your favorite podcast hosting platform to listen along, join the conversation, and chime in with your own observations!

Our intro and outro music was created for us by Josh Marshall. For more episodes and other spooky content, find us on your favorite social media platform through our handle: @CleverGhouls. Don’t forget to subscribe and share, and if you really like our content, please leave us a review. Or we’ll haunt you forever. Thanks for listening!