"I'm not her friend, I'm her mother!" Neoliberal mothering in Big Little Lies

HBO's mini-series Big Little Lies (2017-2019) has received critical acclaim for its treatment of issues like domestic violence, trauma and sexuality, and gender roles. Yet some critics object that Big Little Lies buys into neoliberal discourses. Others see the series' feminist message compromised by signs of classism in its central story line. I suggest reading the series as a critique of neoliberalism. Specifically, Big Little Lies reveals the contradictions and inconsistencies of the neoliberal mothering model and the impossibility of living out its demands. The series comments on a cultural environment which devalues women regardless of their socio-economic background. Given the unreasonable demands of the neoliberal mothering model, even privileged and affluent mothers find themselves dismissed as insufficient providers for their children. Big Little Lies' impetus becomes evident especially in the story line of Madeline Mackenzie, who proves an unwitting revolutionist against the neoliberal mothering model. Although Madeline does not realize that the causes of her unhappiness are structural and hence require structural change, her story illustrates the unreasonable demands of neoliberal mothering and thereby paves the way for a more fundamental critique of neoliberalism.