THE DINNER LADY

~ Posted by Robert Butler, December 9th 2011

Over at Economist Debates the theme is Women & Work and the motion is: "This house believes that a woman's place is at work." At the moment 45% agree with the motion and 55% disagree. Those who agree with the motion believe that women belong in the work place "so that they can live to their full potential as productive and self-reliant individuals". Those who disagree say women "do not have an assigned place. In free societies, they choose where they wish to be". Of course it's not always an "either/or", sometimes it's an "and/and". One extreme example appears in the Daily Telegraph where Meryl Streep discusses preparing for the role of Mrs Thatcher in "The Iron Lady". Streep spent months watching videos and broadcasts and met many people who knew her. The detail that really amazed her was that Mrs Thatcher cooked supper each evening.

She wanted to make dinner for Denis every night, and even when it was take-out from Marks and Spencer’s they would sit down and have it together.

Streep employs a cook, and says she hasn't made her own supper when working since "Sophie's Choice" (1982). 

"The Iron Lady" is released in Britain on January 6th and in America on December 30th