Stage mother

In the performing arts, a "stage mother" is a term for the mother of a child actor. The mother will often drive her child to auditions, make sure he or she is on the set on time, etc. The term sometimes has a negative connotation, suggesting that the individual is prone to obnoxiously demand special treatment for her child, or suggesting that the individual has placed inappropriate pressure on her child to succeed. Some believe that a stage mom is vicariously living out her own dreams through her child.

Quite often the stage mother will also be the official manager of her child (e.g., Lindsay Lohan) — representing her child in negotiations for the professional services of her child. Said stage mothers who function as managers have often been derided as "momagers" by those in the film industry.

In certain cases where a mother and child both work in the film industry, an automatic labeling of "stage mother" can be affixed to the mother without cause. Kathie Lee Gifford has been against the concept of stage mothers and had explained that when her son Cody co-starred with her in the film Model Behavior, it had been on his own volition to try acting and not at her insistence. Ironically, Griffin plays a stage mother in that movie.

Fathers have also been known to manage their children in this way, such as Joseph Jackson (patriarch of the Jackson family), Joe Simpson (father of Jessica and Ashlee Simpson), Billy Ray Cyrus (father of Miley Cyrus), Jeff Archuleta (father of "American Idol" runner-up David Archuleta), and Kit Culkin (father of Macaulay Culkin). A historic example of such a father was the father of Mozart, who recognized his son's musical ability at an early age and made the most of it. Although fathers have been known to act like stage mothers, fathers have more often been associated with pushing their sons into a potential career in professional sports, such as implementing strength and exercise regimens at a young age and to attempt backhanded actions such as delaying enrollment in school so their sons will be bigger than their classmates. [ "Was it Guys Like These who Ruined Sportsmanship....or was it Just Us?" "Sports Illustrated" Sept. 30th, 1991 ] In rare instances another type of father is one who pushes their sons into membership in groups such as the Boy Scouts of America not due to the child's overall development, but because they feel it is a good prerequisite for military service.

The employee of a strip club that helps dancers with their makeup and outfits is also referred to as a stage mother.

tage mother in popular culture

*"Stage Mother" is the name of a 1933 film.
*"Bellissima (film)" by Luchino Visconti is about a stage mother in Cinecittà, Rome, starred by Anna Magnani
*The musical "" is about a child actress and her relationship to her stage mother.
*An episode of the television show "Kate & Allie" was titled "Stage Mother". In the episode, Allie is overly enthusiastic about Jennie getting a job to sing on cable television.
*"Bakekang", a Filipino TV series, which stars Sunshine Dizon is a story of an ugly woman who begets a very beautiful girl from a foreigner. A movie fan as she is, she compels her daughter, named Krystal, to join show business. Her daughter becomes a big star and Bakekang, a stage mother.
*"Little Britain" has a duo called Sandra and Ralph Patterson. Sandra is very desperate for her son, Ralph to get a part in acting. Whenever he fails, she treats him very badly and even beats him.

See also

*Child actor
*Svengali
*List of stage mothers