catchphrase / said by James
Cheer up bitch
What does "Cheer up bitch" mean on Small Town Murder?
James's mocking summary of how doctors and husbands were supposed to treat women's mental health in the 1950s and 60s: don't investigate, just tell her to cheer up. The show uses it as the label for that whole callous era and has turned it into a long-running joke and a line of merchandise.
- Kind
- catchphrase
- Usually said by
- James
- First heard
- Episode 68, 7 May 2018
The story behind the phrase
Where did "Cheer up bitch" come from?
It starts in episode 68. James is covering a case from decades ago in which a young mother seems to have postpartum depression, and he says that back then it was called "cheer up bitch", adding that it was probably the official medical term.
It is James's mocking shorthand for how women's problems were brushed aside in the 1950s and 60s: no one looked into it, they were just told to be happy. Jimmie joins in straight away with "be happy dummy".
How is "Cheer up bitch" used now?
In episode 106 James says it "overlays really everything" about how women were treated, such as police leaving a violent home alone. After that it becomes a general label for the era, and a loose joke for telling someone to lighten up. It was on T-shirts by episode 74, and a Christmas sweater design is plugged in episode 198.
When was "Cheer up bitch" first said?
It was first heard in episode 68, "Too Many Dead Husbands", on 7 May 2018, at about 0:57:06.
"Uh this whole thing with the baby and the whole she has some postpartum depression, I would assume, which back then they were back then they called that cheer up bitch."
While telling the (name covered) Lou Beets story, James says that postpartum depression was called 'cheer up bitch' back then and jokes it was the official medical term. Jimmie repeats it and they riff on a doctor writing it out as a prescription, so it is coined on the spot in this episode rather than arriving as an established joke.
Heard in these episodes
Found by searching the transcripts; speech recognition can miss a use.
Rate the phrase
Loading fans' ratings...