Historically, stepmothers were often portrayed as villainous figures, as seen in classic fairy tales like Cinderella. This portrayal contributed to a negative stereotype that has been difficult to shake off. However, modern society has seen a shift towards more nuanced and realistic representations of stepmothers. With increasing divorce rates and blended families becoming more common, the role of stepmothers has become more normalized and accepted.
Characters often struggle to reclaim roles within new structures, such as moving from "false father" to "real father".
Compare a film from the 1950s (like Cinderella ) to a modern one to show how much the "step-parent" role has been humanized.