Desperate Housewives' Bree: Breaking Free From The Secret TradWife Misery | Explained

Summary

The video explores the character development of Bree Van de Kamp from 'Desperate Housewives,' initially portrayed as a quintessential traditional housewife. Bree's journey sees her grappling with her conservative values and the facade of perfection, leading to personal growth and a redefinition of her identity. As she navigates challenges, including family dynamics and societal expectations, Bree learns to embrace change, find her voice, and ultimately, her path to happiness and success.

Takeaways

• 👩‍🍳 Brie Vamp from 'Desperate Housewives' embodies the traditional housewife, with a focus on old-fashioned values and a conservative lifestyle.
• 👗 Her appearance and demeanor are reminiscent of classic political figures like Jacqueline Kennedy and Pat Nixon, reflecting a 'Stepford Wife' image.
• 🏡 Despite the facade of perfection, Brie's family is deeply unhappy, and her rigid beliefs hinder her personal happiness and effective parenting.
• 🚫 Brie's harsh upbringing and gendered expectations affect her relationship with her daughter, leading to a strained mother-daughter dynamic.
• 🌈 Over time, Brie learns to accept her son's homosexuality, recognizing her own strengths in him and adjusting her views to support him.
• 👭 She forms close friendships with other housewives on Wisteria Lane, despite their differing political views, highlighting the importance of enduring friendships.
• 🔓 In season 3, Brie experiences a sexual awakening, which shifts her perspective on sexuality and personal freedom.
• 🍽️ Brie's traditional role as a housewife is challenged as she finds fulfillment and success in building a business empire, similar to Martha Stewart.
• 💼 Her career shift leads to a more modern lifestyle, where she promotes traditional values through her business while not adhering to them as strictly at home.
• 🗳️ Brie's political journey involves a transformation from a traditional housewife to a state legislator, requiring her to leave her past behind for a successful political image.

Q & A

How is Bree Van de Kamp initially portrayed in 'Desperate Housewives'?

Bree Van de Kamp is initially portrayed as the perfect traditional housewife, always put together conservatively, dressed prim and straight-laced, and believing in old-fashioned values such as respect for God, the importance of family, and love of country.

What is the contrast between Bree's external image and her family's internal state in the beginning of the series?

While Bree's family has a veneer of perfection externally, resembling the presidential first family, internally most of the family members, including Bree herself, are incredibly unhappy.

How does Bree's parenting style affect her relationship with her daughter Danielle?

Bree's harsh and traditional parenting style is quite cruel to her daughter Danielle, which backfires when Danielle becomes pregnant and is reluctant to let Bree raise the baby as her own due to the harsh upbringing she experienced.

How does Bree react to her son Andrew's revelation about his sexuality?

Initially, Bree is seemingly mortified when her son Andrew tells her he might be gay. However, as the show progresses, she begins to accept his sexuality and starts to work with him instead of trying to change him.

In what ways does Bree's character evolve throughout the series?

Bree's character evolves by breaking away from her traditional outlook, finding her sexual agency, building close friendships despite political differences, and eventually entering local politics while maintaining her outward appearance as the perfect WASP housewife.

How does Bree's perspective on her role as a housewife change over the course of the series?

Bree's perspective changes as she realizes that being a housewife and mother in the traditional sense leaves her unfulfilled and isolated, leading her to build a Martha Stewart-style empire and find more fulfillment in her career.

What is the significance of Bree's first orgasm in season 3 with her third husband?

Bree's first orgasm in season 3 marks a significant change in her outlook on sexuality, realizing the freeing and positive aspects of connecting with her own sexuality.

How does Bree's approach to relationships change as the series progresses?

Bree's approach to relationships evolves from seeking traditional partners to experimenting with different types of men, compartmentalizing her politics and public image from her personal life in pursuit of happiness.

What is the irony in Bree's success in building a business based on old-fashioned style values while not living out those values at home?

The irony is that while Bree builds a successful business promoting traditional values, she herself is not living by those values at home, indicating a disconnect between her public image and her private life.

How does Bree's character arc reflect the challenges faced by traditional housewives?

Bree's character arc reflects the challenges faced by traditional housewives by showing the pressure to maintain a perfect home and family while dealing with personal unhappiness and the realization that the traditional life taught by previous generations may not be the only path to happiness.

What message does Bree's journey throughout the series convey about self-improvement and happiness?

Bree's journey conveys that self-improvement and happiness can be achieved by recognizing and embracing aspects of oneself that were previously hidden, being open to change, and not being afraid to step out of one's comfort zone.

Outlines

00:00

🏡 Transformation of Bree Van de Kamp

Bree Van de Kamp, portrayed as the quintessential traditional housewife, initially appears perfect and conservative, adhering to old-fashioned values such as respect for God, family, and country. She is depicted as the 'Stepford Wife' of Wisteria Lane, with her family seemingly the epitome of perfection. However, it's revealed that her relentless pursuit of this image leads to internal family strife and unhappiness. Bree's character is used to explore the darker side of forcing oneself into a constricting traditional role. As the series progresses, Bree faces challenges such as her daughter's pregnancy, her son's homosexuality, and her own perfectionism, which initially hinders her from being a supportive parent. Over time, she learns to accept her children's choices and begins to question her rigid beliefs, leading to personal growth and a shift in her outlook on life.

05:01

🍲 Bree's Journey from Traditional Housewife to Empowerment

Despite Bree's dedication to her family and home, she faces criticism and is blamed for their unhappiness. After her husband Rex's death, she turns to alcoholism, further complicating her life. However, Bree's narrative takes a turn when she starts building a business empire, reminiscent of Martha Stewart, which suits her more than her previous role. Her friend Catherine helps her overcome alcoholism, and Bree begins to realize the importance of self-care. She starts to embrace her resilience and toughness, using her new career as a cookbook author to positively influence other women. Bree's character evolves to compartmentalize her public image and personal life, seeking happiness in unconventional ways, such as having one-night stands and dating men outside her traditional preferences. She eventually enters politics, showcasing her adaptability and resilience, but must leave her past behind to maintain her image as a perfect conservative housewife.

10:02

📺 Invitation to Explore More Content

The final paragraph serves as a call to action, inviting viewers to explore more engaging content through a video or a playlist. It encourages viewers to subscribe and turn on notifications to stay updated with new releases. Additionally, it promotes the Patreon subscription for exclusive content, indicating a broader engagement strategy to keep the audience connected and interested in the series of videos.

Keywords

💡Traditional Housewife

A traditional housewife refers to a woman who is primarily responsible for managing the household and family affairs, often embodying conservative values and roles. In the video, Bree Vamp is portrayed as a traditional housewife who adheres to old-fashioned values, such as respect for God, family, and country. Her initial portrayal is of someone who is uptight and conservative, dressing in a manner reminiscent of political first ladies like Jacqueline Kennedy and Pat Nixon, which illustrates her commitment to traditional roles and appearances.

💡Perfectionism

Perfectionism is the pursuit of flawlessness and setting extremely high standards for oneself. In the video, Bree's perfectionism is depicted as a barrier to happiness, as she strives to maintain a perfect family image, which leads to unhappiness within the family and herself. Her perfectionism is highlighted when her children push back against her rigid expectations, showing the negative impact of her pursuit of perfection on family dynamics.

💡Sexual Agency

Sexual agency refers to an individual's capacity to make independent decisions about their own sexuality and relationships. In the video, Bree's journey towards sexual agency is marked by her first orgasm with her third husband, which changes her outlook on the positive aspects of connecting with her own sexuality. This shift is indicative of her growing self-awareness and autonomy, moving away from the constraints of traditional expectations.

💡Gendered Upbringing

A gendered upbringing is one that enforces traditional gender roles and expectations from an early age. Bree's harsh treatment of her daughter, Danielle, is a result of her own gendered upbringing, where she was taught that beauty and charm were essential for women's survival. This is exemplified in the video when Bree tells Danielle to take care of her looks, as she has no other 'weapons' at her disposal, reflecting the ingrained gender stereotypes she was raised with.

💡Acceptance

Acceptance in this context refers to the process of embracing and coming to terms with oneself and others, despite differences or challenges. Bree's initial struggle with her son Andrew's homosexuality is a key point in the video, where she initially reacts with shock but eventually accepts him. This acceptance marks a significant shift in her character, showing growth and a willingness to move beyond her conservative beliefs for the sake of her family's happiness.

💡Alcoholism

Alcoholism is a condition characterized by an uncontrollable and compulsive need to consume alcohol, often leading to physical and psychological dependence. In the video, Bree's alcoholism is a coping mechanism for the pressures and failures she experiences in her life, particularly after her first husband Rex's death and the subsequent family turmoil. Her struggle with alcoholism is a significant plot point that underscores the theme of personal struggle and the search for happiness.

💡Career Empowerment

Career empowerment refers to the process of gaining confidence, skills, and independence through one's professional life. Bree's venture into building a Martha Stewart-style empire is a turning point in the video, where she finds fulfillment and success outside of her traditional roles. This shift is significant as it contrasts with her earlier life as a housewife and highlights her transformation into a more empowered and self-reliant individual.

💡Traditional Ideals

Traditional ideals are the established beliefs and values that have been passed down through generations, often reflecting conservative and conventional ways of life. Bree's adherence to traditional ideals is a central theme in the video, as she grapples with the constraints they impose on her life and happiness. Her eventual realization that these ideals are not necessary for a fulfilling life marks a significant change in her character and outlook.

💡Self-Destruction

Self-destruction refers to behaviors or attitudes that harm one's own well-being. In the video, Bree's strict adherence to traditional ideals is portrayed as a form of self-destruction, as it leads to unhappiness and isolation. Her journey towards change and self-improvement is a response to this self-destructive pattern, illustrating the video's message about the importance of personal growth and adaptation.

💡Personal Growth

Personal growth is the process of self-improvement and development, often involving changes in beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. Bree's character arc in the video is centered around personal growth, as she moves from a rigid adherence to traditional ideals to a more open and accepting perspective. Her journey reflects the video's theme of transformation and the pursuit of happiness, showing that change is possible even for those deeply rooted in tradition.

💡WASP (White Anglo-Saxon Protestant)

WASP is a term used to describe a social and ethnic group characterized by their white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant heritage, often associated with a specific set of cultural and social norms. Bree Vand Camp is described as a 'textbook WASP,' highlighting her embodiment of traditional values and behaviors. The video uses her character to explore the challenges and transformations faced by individuals within this cultural context, as she navigates changing societal expectations and her own personal growth.

Highlights

Bree Van de Kamp, portrayed by Marcia Cross, embodies the quintessential traditional housewife with a focus on conservative values and a polished exterior.

Bree's character serves as a vehicle to explore the darker truths of adhering to a restrictive traditional lifestyle and the consequences of opening up to new perspectives.

Initially, the Van de Kamp family appears to be the epitome of perfection, akin to the presidential first family of Wisteria Lane.

Bree's early outfits are reminiscent of the Golden Era of political dressing, drawing parallels with first ladies like Jacqueline Kennedy and Pat Nixon.

Despite the facade of perfection, Bree's family members, including herself, are shown to be deeply unhappy.

Bree's perfectionism and traditional values are revealed to be barriers to her own happiness and her children's well-being.

Bree's daughter, Danielle, resists Bree's harsh parenting style and the societal expectations it enforces.

Bree's initial reaction to her son Andrew's homosexuality is one of shock and denial, reflecting her conservative values.

As the series progresses, Bree begins to accept Andrew's sexuality, recognizing shared traits and the importance of support.

Bree's journey involves overcoming her traditional outlook to form close friendships with women who do not share her political views.

Bree's sexual agency is awakened in season 3, leading to a significant shift in her perspective on sexuality and personal freedom.

In the final season, Bree opts for one-night stands over seeking true love, maintaining her composed demeanor.

Bree's character study highlights the challenges women face in traditional households, often being damned if they do or don't.

Bree's unfulfillment in her roles as housewife and mother leads to alcoholism following her first husband's death.

Contrasting early and later seasons of Bree, her career as a cookbook author and businesswoman brings her fulfillment and a new sense of self.

Bree's later relationships move away from traditional WASP choices, indicating a compartmentalization of her public persona and personal desires.

Bree's political success comes at the cost of leaving her past and Wisteria Lane behind, reassuming her image as the perfect WASP housewife.

Bree's character arc reflects a realization that traditional ideals are not mandatory for women's happiness and success.

The series concludes with Bree understanding the importance of self-care and personal growth, moving away from her initial portrayal.

Transcripts

Desperate Housewives Brie Vamp portrayed

herself as the perfect hash tradwife

always put together conservatively

dressed Prim and straight laced Brie

Vamp believed in oldfashioned

values things like respect for God the

importance of

family and love of country she

functioned as the more old school

uptight end of Wisteria Lane's gaggle of

housewives in the show used her to

unpack some of the darker truths about

what it's really like to force yourself

to exist within that constricting

traditional outlook on life and what can

happen when one opens themselves up even

just a tiny little bit to new ways of

thinking at the outset of the first

series the vamp family have a veneer of

perfection almost as though they're the

presidential first family of Wisteria

Lane you're the one who acting like

she's running for mayor Stepford Bri

even dresses the part of first lady to

her husband Rex her outfits are

carefully tailored and often reminiscent

of what's often seen as the Golden Era

of political dressing with aspects of

first ladies like Jaclyn Kennedy and Pat

Nixon but very quickly in the pilot

episode we're shown All Is Not What It

Seems Bri is working too hard to create

this external portrait of the perfect

family and inside most of the family

members are incredibly unhappy including

Bri herself I'm saying do you always

have to serve Cuisine can't we ever just

have food are you doing drugs in many

ways at the outside of the show her

values and her commitment to being the

perfect traditional housewife are

holding her back from happiness and more

importantly until she lets go of some of

her more rigidly conservative beliefs

she can't give her kids the support they

need her perfectionism makes it hard for

her to parent responsibly and both kids

push back hard against it from the very

beginning she seems to be unable to

shake the very difficult heavily

gendered upbringing she experienced and

as a result can be quite cruel to her

daughter Danielle I possessed Beauty wit

cunning and insight these were weapons

all women needed to survive in the world

so take good care of your looks

Danielle you don't have any other

weapons at your disposal this backfires

on her when Danielle Falls pregnant Bri

wants to keep up appearances and raise

the baby as her own but Danielle is

reluctant to allow it because she feels

she suffered due to Bree's harsh

parenting style and does not want her

child to suffer the same fate a baby is

God's most precious gift I will not have

mine raised by a cold emotionally

unavailable woman like you in the first

season Bri finds out that her son Andrew

is gay and is seemingly mortified by the

implications Andrew just told me he

thinks he might be gay what that's why

he wanted me to come in first he thought

I could take it better well he was right

I will be waiting in the car but as the

show progresses Bri begins to see that a

lot of the things she prizes in herself

like her intelligence and her resilience

are attributes that Andrew shares she

comes to accept his sexuality and begins

to work with him instead of always

trying to fight against him or mold him

into someone else honey you're here

you're queer and I'm used to it this

development shows that although Bri is

in many ways small CA conservative she

can still be open to change and she

begins to see that there's no point in

being deliberately self-destructive in

the name of holding on to those

traditional ideals that make everyone in

her life miserable including her she

also begins to open herself up to this

kind of growth in her friendships as

well most of the other housewives on

Mysteria Lane do not share Breeze

politics which often leads to them

budding heads but over time they are all

able to build close friendships in spite

of their differences there is nothing

more important than friendships that

endure especially in a world that

insists on changing another big way Bri

began to break off from her more staunch

traditional Outlook is by finding her

sexual agency in season 3 she has her

first ever orgasm with her third husband

and it begins to totally change her

outlook on how freeing and positive

connecting with your own sexuality can

be Miss Vamp I think you may have had an

orgasm no no no I've had orgasms before

that warm sensation that tingling

feeling of relief when it's over no no

this was much

better yes by the final season she's

decided against seeking true love and

starts having one night's stands instead

though of course all the while retaining

her polite slightly cold demeanor with

the men she sleeps with she is still

Brie after all I have had husbands and

boyfriends so now all I want is a body

in my bed at night so that's it you're

just going to kick me out I am so sorry

where are my

manners it was lovely having sex with

you Bri is also a careful study of how

in the way the traditional household is

set up women can't really win no matter

what they do in season 1 she doesn't

have a career and channels all of her

energy into creating the perfect home

cooking a Abate meals dressing

immaculately and trying to keep her

family happy and she's largely

unsupported even when she outright asks

for help seeing that you're the head of

his household I would really appreciate

you saying

[Music]

something pass the salt but even though

she devotes everything to her husband

kids and home she is still blamed for

their unhappiness much to her own

frustration you emasculated him well

you're not going to emasculate me you

don't even know what that means you

pitch sock puppet the pressure she feels

after her first husband Rex dies and her

family begins to implode leads her to

alcoholism though she continues to try

and Salvage some aspects of her family

life clinging to the idea that she can

improve Andrew who at that point hates

her it's my job to teach you and you are

not half the man I know you can be got

news for you this is as good as I'm

going to get if I really thought that

I'd get a gun right now and kill us both

a large part of Bree's problem in these

early seasons is that she is unfulfilled

by her role of house housewife and

mother and the way it leaves her

isolated this becomes obvious when we

contrast early season Bri with later

season Bri when she begins to build a

Martha Stewart style Empire she really

suits having a high-powered career and

working closely with her friend

Catherine who co-own her business and

helps her out of her alcoholism would

you please tell this gentleman that if

he calls me sweetie one more time I'm

going to grab his camera and take a

picture of his colon the irony is that

the more she builds a business on the

back of her old-fashioned style values

the less she's actually living out those

values at home we see this as she goes

on a radio show to promote her first

cookery book leaving her husband Orson

eating takeout at home well I think a

lot of people miss the way life used to

be it's always been important to me to

have the family gather around the table

every night for hot lovingly prepared

meal we've seen this divide pop up more

recently as tradwife influencers sell

their wife who doesn't work Lifestyles

by doing a lot of work to create and

support their social media Empires the

difference between the Brie we met in SE

one who was gathering her family around

the table and cooking for them every

night is that this new Brie has realized

that while she served everyone else she

was neglecting herself we go on a

Learning Journey with her certainly not

without its troubles but over the show's

run Brie starts to recognize and embrace

aspects of herself that she'd previously

kept hidden I used to think of myself as

a good person lately I've begun to

realize

that I'm capable of doing whatever needs

to be done underneath her Charming Ultra

feminine exterior she is tough and

resilient and she realizes she needs to

look after herself a little more and she

sees her new career as a cookbook author

as a positive contribution to other

women who are also in the position she

was once in I have fallen down more

times than I can count just like so many

other Housewives out there we're all

just barely holding on and we all think

that we're alone but ironically Bri has

no desire to inspire women out of their

unhappy positions at home she just wants

to make the more comfortable while

they're there it's a Lifeline from me to

those other women because I want them to

know there's always a chance to get

something

right even if it's just a casserole she

also starts seeking out men who are less

stereotypical picks for a wasp woman you

could have an affair with anyone and you

choose a pharmacist you are such a

republican while at the beginning she

goes for men like Rex a doctor and a

pharmacist George Who fit in with her

existing life later on in the shows run

she tries her luck with more types in

this way Bri compartmentalizes her

politics and the way she wishes to be

viewed by others in the pursuit of

happiness though the writers still play

the politics card for Laughs

occasionally you found something bad is

he a dirty cop or a Democrat ultimately

Bri does come out on top in a way that

we've seen conservative women progress

before in the political arena in order

to become a successful politician

however it's necessary for her to leave

fair viview and all of her past

indiscretions behind her so she can

reassume the carefully constructed

outward appearance she' perfected all

those years before as the perfect wasp

housewife trip then encouraged her to

enter into local Politics the following

November Brie was elected to the

Kentucky State Legislature ultimately

she can only win in this Arena if she

pretends she doesn't have a past gun

toading perfectly quaffed and staunchly

set in her ways Bri vand Camp is a

textbook wasp and very much a character

of her era actually we don't eat meat

we're

vegetarians excuse me she struggles with

the way the world is developing and on

the surface often seems to want to

travel back in time to the dawn of the

50s housewife but during her 8 season

Arc she comes to realize that the life

she'd always been taught she'd have by

her own mother isn't actually what women

have to have all well brought up women

conceal their emotions is very useful

especially when dealing with men and if

she opens up to the right people and

accepts things out of her comfort zone

she'll be happier and more successful as

a result that's the take click here to

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