What in the World?!: A Southern Woman's Guide to Laughing at Life's Unexpected Curveballs and Beautiful Blessings

In What in the World?!, Leanne Morgan describes the specific gendered expectations that exist in the traditional, conservative communities of the Southern United States, including that men be strong providers and women stay home to take care of the house and the children. In certain respects, Morgan was happy to conform to these expectations, but in others, she struggled to fit in. Comedy became the place where she could negotiate her identity on her own terms and be more than just a wife and a mother, subverting traditional gender roles.

Growing up in Adams, Tennessee, Morgan was brought up within traditional notions of gender roles. She was taught that girls should “be pretty to find a good husband” (18). They could be smart, too, but “just as long as it didn’t scare off a man” (18). Once she got to college, Morgan realized she would have to be more than “cute” and “fun” to be successful, and her failed first marriage taught her that she couldn’t necessarily rely on a man to support her. Then, however, she married Chuck, with his ultra-traditional concepts of gender roles. Chuck was the stereotypical macho provider, unable to communicate his feelings and believing that “[t]he man made the decisions, and the woman went along with whatever the man did” (208). Most often, this came not from a place of control but one of care; Chuck believed he was “doing [his wife] a favor” by taking responsibility for big choices and not sharing the burden of financial decisions (107). In the early years of their marriage, Morgan was his “willing Wilma”; she loved being home with her children and found motherhood very fulfilling, even as she admired the more “equal partnership” that her parents modeled in their relationship.

However, as their relationship continued, Morgan began to demand a more equal partnership. There were certain places where she stood up to Chuck’s attempt at absolute dominance in their relationship. For example, when he took a job in another state or bought a home without consulting her, she demanded to have a bigger say in these kinds of decisions. In addition, as Morgan’s comedy career took off, the power dynamic in her marriage began to shift. Suddenly, Chuck was no longer the family’s sole provider, and while the change made him feel insecure and vulnerable, it also opened the door for changes to their relationship dynamic.

Morgan’s journey toward a more equal partnership and a redefining of the gender roles in her marriage culminated in the success of her comedy career. Comedy became a place for Morgan to break the polished veneer of Southern womanhood, where appearances are prized and the messy realities of motherhood, marriage, sex, and aging are covered up or not talked about. She took advantage of the opportunity to be honest about the difficulties that come along with motherhood and dream of a life outside of the home while loving her husband and children. Through her journey, she illustrates the complexity of female identity, exploring how women can embody multiple identities and experiences that subvert and push the boundaries of conventional gender roles.