Soccer Mom

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The term Soccer Mom ([ sɒkə mɒm ], [ sɑkɚ mɑm ]) describes little or no working middle-class American women who live in the suburbs and spend a considerable amount of their time with their children in the social, cultural and political discourse in North America to recreational activities such as football ( . Amerik English : soccer ) or music lessons to drive. The term soccer mom gained during the US presidential campaign in 1996 widespread popularity as a keyword for a population group of potential swing voters , which was then seen as a likely choice critical target group and to which it therefore had to advertise special.

Mothers of small and school-age children are far more often fully employed in the USA than in German-speaking countries; As a result, many fathers there accompany their children to extracurricular lessons or sports training. The male equivalent of the Soccer Mom - the Soccer Dad - plays only a minor role in the social discourse of the United States.

Uses and history

The term "soccer mom" usually refers to a white, married, well-educated middle-class woman who lives in the suburbs with school-age children. She is sometimes portrayed in the media as busy and driving a minivan . She is also portrayed as someone who puts the family's interests, especially those of her children, above her own.

The name “Soccer Mom” comes from the job description of a mother who drives her children to soccer and then watches them play soccer. The term was also used in the names of organizations run by mothers who raised money to support their children's football teams. The first mention of the term "Soccer Mom" ​​in the US media goes back to 1982. This year, Joseph Decosta, the husband stole the treasurer of the soccer moms booster club from Ludlow in Massachusetts , 3,150 US dollars, which had been collected for a local soccer league.

Status of the term in political discourse

The designation got its demographic meaning in 1995 during an election to the Denver City Council, when Susan B. Casey applied with the slogan "A Soccer Mom for City Council". Casey, who has a PhD and has run presidential campaigns, used the slogan to reassure voters that she “was one of them” and that they could trust her. The name was aimed at the concern and the stereotype that smart and capable women cannot have careers and lovingly care for their families at the same time. Casey won the election with 51 percent of the vote.

The designation was increasingly used in 1996 at the Republican National Convention . The term was first used in a newspaper article about the election that appeared in the Washington Post on July 21, 1996 . EJ Dionne, the author of the article, quoted Alex Castellanos (a public relations advisor to Bob Dole at the time ) who claimed that Bill Clinton was targeting a demographic that Castellanos called "Soccer Mom". The “Soccer Mom” was described in the article as “the overburdened middle income working mother who ferries her kids from soccer practice to scouts to school”. The article claimed that the term “soccer mom” was an invention of political advisors. Castellanos was later quoted in the Wall Street Journal as saying: "She's the key swing consumer in the marketplace, and the key swing voter who will decide the election." The media interest in "Soccer Moms" increased the closer the election came . The number of articles about soccer moms in newspapers increased from 12 in August and September to 198 in October and November. To a large extent, the media interest stemmed from the belief of the media that “Soccer Moms” constituted the most important group of alternate voters to be addressed in 1996. In the end, these women favored Bill Clinton 53% versus 39%, while the suburban men voted for Dole.

The term was so widely used in the election campaign and by commentators that the American Dialect Society chose "Soccer Mom" ​​as the 1996 Word of the Year. Boston Globe columnist Ellen Goodman called 1996 the "Year of Soccer Mom". An Associated Press article named Soccer Moms (along with Macarena , Bob Dole , and Rules Girls ) one of the central phenomena of 1996.

In the 2004 election campaign the stereotype of the soccer mom was replaced by the stereotype of the security mom , a woman whose concern is allegedly primarily issues such as the Iraq war and terrorism in their own country and the safety of their children. This usage immediately found many critics who doubted that such a type of woman even existed in the USA. The security mom stereotype never achieved the prominence that the soccer mom stereotype had eight years earlier.

Hockey mom

Hockey mom is a term mostly used in Canada, where mothers (and fathers) often take their children to hockey rinks.

Sarah Palin , former Alaska governor and US vice-presidential candidate in 2008, described herself as a "hockey mom" in the 2006 election campaign for governor. In her speech at the 2008 Republican National Convention and in speeches thereafter, she quipped that the only difference between a hockey mom and a pit bull was lipstick. She wanted to express that hockey moms are "tough".

The first article in the New York Times to use Hockey Mom as a demographic term was a 1999 review of the Chevrolet Silverado , a pickup truck . It describes the truck as a “smooth and gutsy vehicle” and “ought to please everyone from hockey mom to cattle hauler”.

Soccer Mom in the media

Meanwhile, the image or the expression “Soccer Mom” is also seen as a contemporary phenomenon and is taken up in many different contexts.

literature

The book "Soccer Mom: A Survival Guide" by Paula Massie and Sideline Soccer was published in 1998. In May 1999 the book “Goal: Ultimate Guide for Soccer Moms and Dads” by Gloria Averbuch and Ashley M. Hammond was published. In April 2005 the book “Ninja Soccer Moms” by Jennifer Apodaca was published. In July 2006, Robyn Harding released The Secret Desires of a Soccer Mom. In June 2007, "California Demon: The Secret Life of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom" ​​was published by Julie Kenner ( ISBN 0-515-14320-0 ). In July 2007, "Demons Are Forever: Confessions of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom" ​​followed, also by Julie Kenner ( ISBN 0-425-21538-5 ). In August 2007, "Alive and Kicking: When Soccer Moms Take the Field and Change Their Lives Forever" was released by Harvey Araton and Simon & Schuster. In October 2007 the paperback "Soccer Mom Secrets" by Rachel Gunther and Judy D. Holstein ( ISBN 1-4343-0699-2 ) was published. The authors Michelle Miller and Holly Buchanan published the book "The Soccer Mom Myth: Today's Female Consumer: Who She Really Is, Why She Really Buys" ( ISBN 1-932226-56-7 ) in March 2008 . Also in 2008 was Debra U. Brown's “The Goal ...: Of a Soccer Mom”.

music

At the beginning of 2000 a band called "Cheatin Soccer Mom" ​​was founded. The rock band The Vandals released the song "Soccer mom" on their album Internet Dating Superstuds in 2002 . The rock band Everclear released the song "Volvo driving soccer mom" in 2003 on their album "Slow Motion Daydream".

Movies & TV

In 2005, the director Mark Piznarksi shot the television series Soccer Moms . Director Gregory McClatchy made the film Soccer Mom in 2008 . A reality television series was made in 2008 called The Secret Life of a Soccer Mom . In addition, the episode The Wednesday Man of the hit series Two and a Half Men deals with the existence of the Soccer Moms. In this episode, both Charlie and Alan get more or less involved with soccer moms they met through Jake's soccer game. Also an episode of Bones alludes to this topic and also in animation series like the code name: Kids next door are soccer moms represented. Other documentaries and films, such as B. Soccer Moms (2005) or The Soccer Momster (2011) appeared over time. There are also a number of short films dealing with the topic of soccer moms . The porn industry has also discovered the phenomenon and is producing corresponding films on DVD that are assigned to the MILF genre . Well-known films are for example the series "I Scored A Soccer Mom" ​​from the label Overboard (since 2007) or "Soccer Moms Revealed" from Platinum Media (18 episodes until 2010).

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Philip clinker: deflating the "security moms" angle Newsday, October, 5, 2004, p A45; Richard Morin, Dan Balz: “Security mom” bloc proves hard to find: The phenomenon may be a myth , The Washington Post, Oct. 1, 2004, p. A05
  2. ↑ M. Rodino Colocino: Was Mothering: The Fight for 'Security Moms' , Feminist Media Studies 5 (3), pp 380-385