Throwback Thursday-3 Men and a Baby (1987)

Being single and childless is easy. Outside of your professional responsibilities, you do whatever you like with whomever you like, no questions asked.

But when you have a child, everything changes.

In the 80’s classic, 3 Men and a Baby (1987), Peter (Tom Selleck), Michael (Steve Guttenberg) & Jack (Ted Danson) are living the single life. Nothing impedes their bachelor lifestyle, that is until Jack’s ex drops the child he did not know existed into their laps.

Can these grown men, for whom parenting is the last thing they expected to do, take care of this child?

This plot line was a trend in the 80’s. Whether it was Full House, Who’s The Boss or this film, men stepping into the traditional female role of childcare was often played for laughs. But it also represented the fact that the gender lines and responsibilities were beginning to blur.

Do I recommend it? Yes.

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Throwback Thursday-Who’s The Boss?- (1984-1992)

In the 1980’s, the world was changing. Women were entering the workforce and men were taking over the domestic roles that traditionally had been assigned to women.

Who’s The Boss? (1984-1992) reflected this change in the world.

Tony Micelli (Tony Danza) is a single father whose previous professional title was that of a baseball player. Needing an income and home for his daughter Samantha (Alyssa Milano), Tony moves from Brooklyn to the suburbs of Connecticut, accepting the position of housekeeper/nanny for business executive Angela Bower (Judith Light). Angela is also a single parent to her son Jonathan (Danny Pintauro). Frequently dropping by is Angela’s feisty, smart mouthed and redheaded mother, Mona (Katherine Helmond) and the audience sees the changing world reflected on their television screen.

In terms of the writing and the era that the show aired, Who’s The Boss was the perfect combination of a traditional sitcom meeting what was then the modern era. Tony and Angela’s switches roles reflected not only the 1980’s, but the changing landscape of America.

I recommend it.