Memorable mothers-in-law
Mothers-in-law tend to get a bad rap in pop culture. On the other hand, they're often amusing, cringingly so. We round up a few memorable dames from small screens and large, some domineering, one supportive, and one simply over the top.
Marie Barone on "Everybody Loves Raymond" (Doris Roberts)
The classic monster-in-law - smothering, guilt-tripping, and passive-aggressive. In the guise of being helpful, Marie tormented and insulted her daughter-in-law Debra on a daily basis.
Endora on "Bewitched"
(Agnes Moorehead)
Indeed, this mother-in-law was a witch. She couldn't stomach mortals, most of all son-in-law Darrin, whose name she loved to mangle ("Derwood"). But Endora's contempt was irresistibly stylish, and she is an icon for the ages.
Bunny MacDougal on "Sex and the City" (Frances Sternhagen)
Poor Charlotte. Her first marriage, to Trey, was overwhelmed by his messy Freudian connection with his domineering mother. Bunny walks into Charlotte and Trey's bedroom, figuratively and, in one memorable episode, literally.
Bev on "Roseanne" (Estelle Parsons)
Sometimes your mother-in-law makes your spouse unhappy, and then your spouse makes you unhappy. Roseanne's mother was a cranky, conservative pain in the neck whose misbehavior was not so fun for the whole family.
Viola Fields in "Monster-in-Law"
(Jane Fonda)
Fonda, never known for her subtlety on film, goes all Mommy-in-law dearest here, screaming, yowling, and beating on the furniture when she discovers her beloved brain surgeon of a son wants to marry (egads!) a temp, played by Jennifer Lopez. "I could just kill that dog-walking slut!" Fonda wails. In fairness, the hair extensions on JLo could make anyone homicidal.
The Queen in "Shrek 2"
(voiced by Julie Andrews)
Ask any mother-in-law: Occasionally the fine fellow who marries your daughter can be a bit of an ogre. Or, in the case of Shrek, pretty much a full-time ogre. Still, the Queen tries to keep an open mind about Princess Fiona's marriage to a chartreuse swamp-dweller. This time around, it's the father-in-law, King Harold, who acts like a toad. 