I've been so tempted to try Easy on...

Today I have been mostly ... cleaning. Woo-hoo!! Yes, I know how to LIVE, don't I? As my hubbie is once again at work I have taken it upon myself to do the usual weekend scrub-down (or should that be scrub-up?) of our abode. Fortunately this only takes a couple of hours as we live in a relatively small flat. God knows what it would be like if we lived in a five bedroomed house. Not very likely actually, as neither of us ever wants children but living in a larger sized abode would of course entail more housework. Of Gustavo and I, he's definitely the more motivated one when it comes to cleaning and I am somewhat lazy by comparison. However there is no way I would put myself in the same league as some of those unfortunate people on "How Clean Is Your House" who are taken to task by the frighteningly efficient Kim and Aggie for their horrendously filthy homes. I DO have standards. But I'm not as obsessive as a Stepford wife ... Now there's an expression you might have heard of...

Virtually every time I pick up the kitchen cleaning spray, or when I'm going about some little domestic task, I can't help thinking of the Stepford Wives. The term comes from the best-selling novel of the same name, by American author Ira Levin, subsequently made into a movie in 1975 and one of my all-time favourite films (I won't mention the 2004 remake, although entertaining enough, it takes a lot of liberties with the story and is something of a travesty). It tells the story of Joanna Eberhart, a photographer, who moves with her lawyer husband Walter (!) and their two kids from noisy New York City to the quiet, seemingly idyllic rural town of Stepford. However it doesn't take long for Joanna to notice that most of the wives in the community are behaving rather strangely. These women are obsessively devoted to their husbands and have perfect, beautiful faces and bodies (not to mention ample-sized cleavage). All they want to do is cook and clean and look sexy, having no ambitions beyond the domestic sphere. Meanwhile all the husbands in the community belong to an organisation called "The Men's Association", which meets in an secluded, old house (ooooo!!) and what goes on there remains a mystery. Fortunately Joanna befriends the rebellious, tomboyish Bobbie, another recent arrival in Stepford, who is refreshingly different from all of the other drone-like women. Together, the duo start to investigate the reasons behind the conformist behaviour of the Stepford wives...

Although now rather dated in style, I love this film. It's actually a pretty cutting indictment of men's attitudes toward women and how they perceive them i.e. only wanting a wife who will cook, clean and sh&g when necessary. By today's standards, it could easily be argued that these ideas are outmoded and most men wouldn't hold such a narrow view of women. Yet the film's impact comes from its portrayal of what might happen if men's fantasies really were allowed to get out of control.

Although we're meant to pity their behaviour, the Stepford wives themselves are hilarious in the way they're presented. As this is a 1970s movie, all of the women wear long, flowered dresses and floppy hats, however they are undeniably Barbie-like and plastic in appearance. The wives' dialogue is even funnier and exemplifies their pre-occupations: "I've been so tempted to try Easy on"..."You need a fresh cup of coffee!" ... "I really shouldn't say it, but I just love my brownies"... "I'll just die if I don't get that recipe". Tres camp. Even funnier is a scene when Bobbie and Joanna overhear one of the wives having sex with her husband: "Oh Ted...you're the king...you're the MASTER!" Undercutting all of this ridiculousness is a growing tension, as Joanna and Bobbie realise that new women arriving in the community seem to "change" after a period of a few months, losing their individuality and becoming domestic drones like the rest, and there's a horrible feeling that the duo might be next for the chop...

Anyway I'm rattled on for far too long again and as it's Saturday night I am going out... so I will bid you adieu. If you want to know more about "The Stepford Wives", I've submitted a review of the DVD on Amazon.co.uk that's worth checking out (he said modestly).

Have a good one and don't spend all weekend cleaning.