“No Wire Hangers!” is one phrase forever tied to Joan Crawford. “Mommie Dearest” certainly did not set out to become one of the all-time gay cult films, but it certainly could not help it with incredible performances by Oscar winning actress (Faye Dunaway) portraying another Oscar winner (Joan Crawford.) The film based upon the best-selling memoir Crawford’s daughter, Christina (played by Mara Hobel as a child and Diana Scarwid as a teen and beyond) growing up as a victim of child abuse.

Jeff Best provides us with this explanation of why Mommie Dearest became such a gay icon of a film: “Number one, her outfits are fabulous. Number two, her attitudes and the way she experiences life resonates with a lot of people. Her anger and her fear and her confusion and all those core things resonate with people. And, even though it’s dysfunctional, people still can relate to it. And, I think that’s why it’s so popular.”

This 1981 cult classic has provided us with an unintentional comedy gold mine as captured by the following animated GIFS. Happy Mothers Day to all the wonderful mothers out there!