The Good Wife Premieres This September on CBS

By Cece Redmond

After writing “She Hauled-Off and Slapped Him,” it is interesting that CBS will premiere a new television series called The Good Wife. In the first episode the wife, played by Emmy Award winner Julianna Margulies, suffers through the embarrassment and public humiliation of her political husband cheating on her and going to jail for political corruption.

Alicia Florrick, (Julianna Marglies) is forced to face the fact that she has to make a new life. Her new life also includes the necessity of providing for her two adolescent children. The choice she makes is another sting to her self-esteem.

Florrick, decides to fall back on her education and former life as a practicing attorney. She gets accepted as a junior associate in a large law firm that a former classmate helped her get. She finds herself fighting fresh 20 something hungry junior law associates for the one and only full-time position with the firm. It has been 13 years since she was in a courtroom, and she has to find the courage and strength to face her doubts and the doubts of her co-workers.

The series is timely and shows the challenges the women married to politicians may face. There is one scene shown in the preview that really struck me as a reason to write this review. In one scene her husband Peter (Chris Noth) asks, “Are you okay.” She does haul-off and slaps him.

You can get a sneak peek of the upcoming series at http://www.cbs.com/primetime/the_good_wife/. Watch the episode and listen to the actors talk about the series.

Politician’s Wife Hauls Off And Hits The Guy

by Cece Redmond

Scandal hit the news about South Carolina, Governor Mark Sanford’s, extramarital activities in Argentina. His affair shook a state, rocked a political party, and destroyed a family. Personal emails between Sanford and his lover have been read as news coverage and the news media continues to dig for more illicit details.

Jenny Sanford the governor’s wife and mother of four fairly young children didn’t haul off and slap the guy, but perhaps she should have. She stood strong against the tide of news people. She walked down her drive-way made a statement and shut the door. She has allowed the governor to fend for himself.  This is ground breaking territory for a politician's wife.

Hillary Clinton, Elizabeth Edwards and Jackie Kennedy stood by their men in forgiveness. Through the years wives stood by their men when they went outside of the marriage and had an affair. These women were beside the man during press conferences when they proclaimed innocence, how sorry they were, or never said a word.

It would be such a statement if the wife of a politician slapped the man across the face during his press announcement of an illicit affair. The world has changed from the days when Jackie Kennedy stood by her husband. During that era it seemed natural and a part of the job for The President to have extramarital affairs. Bill Clinton would have been fired from his job if he had worked for someone other than the government.

Remember the movie “He’s Just Not That Into You,” and how the movie started with a little boy shoving a girl and calling her names. The premise of the movie showed how women grow up to believe that when a boy treats us mean it is a sign of how much they like us.

Is standing by a man that broke his promises, destroyed a family and rocked the political world what women should do? Haven’t women made enough progress that we can come out and say to the world that we deserve to be treated with respect and dignity no matter how old we are, or who we are married to?

Jenny Stanford, has done well in her handling the situation. She told him, before he left on his South American adventure, that he had a choice and a path to save their marriage and family. He made his choice, and now she has shown the world that she will not play the game by the old rules.

The way women should be treated and what treatment women should expect starts in the playgrounds with mothers. Not just mothers of little girls but mothers of boys, they should teach them new rules of engagement for playing the game of love and marriage.

Tell the truth about when a male person hits you, shoves you, calls you names or betrays your trust. It does not mean he likes you. Truth is, it means he is a person with serious personal issues, and he needs professional help.

Jenny Sanford did not slap the jerk during a press conference, but she has held onto her dignity and slammed the media door shut. She has refused to stand by her man, and she made a stand for strong women to follow.

Leave your comments: Is it stronger to leave or stand by the cheater?