Housewives gain water-cooler attention

KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
She was called the married woman, stay-at-home mom, or, in the old days, the housewife. And while she was frequently a targeted consumer for household items, she was not often cast in a high-profile, glamorous light.
But this year, she has come into her own. At the center of an explosion of television shows, she may be "our next big topic of conversion," The New York Times says.
ABC is getting considerable attention for its prime-time drama "Desperate Housewives." Reality shows such as "Wife Swap " and "Trading Spouses" from ABC and Fox are creating the proverbial water-fountain buzz. CBS aired a made-for-TV film called "Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman," about a betrayed middle-age wife.
The Times notes that housewives haven't had much television attention since "Roseanne." They come on the heels of such "It" topics as the makeover craze, young girls who hear voices ("Joan of Arcadia") or greed as in "The Apprentice" and "Who Wants to be a Millionaire."
On your next trip to the water fountain or at your next dinner party, float the topic of housewives, and see who is paying attention.