The "This is Us" Moment that Made Us Swoon

This is Us - work/life balance
Were you watching "This is Us" last night? Did you see the big moment? No...not that thing at the end with the house and the...(never mind; we don't do spoilers here).

Nope...we're talking about this show stopper between Randall and his daughter.

"Daddy: how come mommy goes to work now and you stay home and are the girl?"

"It is incredibly old-fashioned and upsetting that you just said that.  It's perfectly normal for the mommy to go to work and the daddy to stay at home. Women can do anything."

Swoon. Have we mentioned we love Randall? And "This is Us"?!

Why We Noticed

Swoon notwithstanding...the fact that the exchange was a focal point of this morning's recaps (ok...a far second to "How did Jack die???") tells us a lot about how far we've come in this area...and how far we have to go. Progress is that the subject of working women is being discussed. Less so is that it's still so astonishing...and a work of fiction.

It's not the first time the subject has been mined for TV. Last year's Big Bang Theory - in which Dr. Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz  worried how her new baby announcement would affect her career - hit a little too close to our Modern Family Index. It also generated all kinds of essays about women at work. And that was a comedy!

A Long Way from June Cleaver

At least it's a long way from the old TV-show days when June Cleaver welcomed Ward home with slippers and a martini. And hey, it's great that the conversation is getting such a nod. It would be better if it weren't such a show stopper.

So thanks, Randall! As the recapper at Vulture said, "The entire conversation between Randall and his daughters as to why Beth is working and he is now at home is stellar."

We'll look forward to the day when a mom at work and/or dad at home passes without any notice at all.
Bright Horizons
About the Author
Bright Horizons
Bright Horizons
In 1986, our founders saw that child care was an enormous obstacle for working parents. On-site centers became one way we responded to help employees – and organizations -- work better. Today we offer child care, elder care, and help for education and careers -- tools used by more than 1,000 of the world’s top employers and that power many of the world's best brands
This is Us - work/life balance

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