# Who was the Boss? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 3, 2019, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-boss/839637 "2019-09-03T17:50:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2019, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-boss/839637/1 "2019-09-03T17:50:02Z")
Angela is the breadwinner. Tony runs the house. Samantha and Jonathan are kids. Children often possess an inordinate amount of power in any household, though they are almost never aware of it. Mona is Angela’s mother. Mothers often possess an inordinate amount of power over adult children. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2019, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-boss/839637/2 "2019-09-03T19:53:11Z")
Bruce Springsteen ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2019, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-boss/839637/3 "2019-09-03T20:43:30Z")
[Angela](https://youtube.com/watch?v=tBr4Fnj5b-o). ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2019, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-boss/839637/4 "2019-09-03T20:54:43Z")
Springsteen. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2019, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-boss/839637/5 "2019-09-03T20:55:31Z")
Tony did not run the house. He cleaned it. He also nanny-ed but he had absolutely no say in any major decisions. I remember in one episode he was conned into buying something (encyclopedias? an appliance?) very expensive. Angela immediately figures out the price (because apparently, Tony can’t math) and has a fit. It is clear that Tony does not have the authority to make such a major purchase for the household. Mona has more say as she does what she wants because Angela is not HER boss. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2019, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-boss/839637/6 "2019-09-03T20:56:34Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > [Angela](https://youtube.com/watch?v=tBr4Fnj5b-o). “What WAS happening?” ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-boss/839637/7 "2019-09-04T00:41:37Z")
Hank Morgan, the Connecticut Yankee in Mark Twain’s **A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.** ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-boss/839637/8 "2019-09-04T00:45:38Z")
C. Montgomery Burns ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-boss/839637/9 "2019-09-04T01:04:43Z")
Hugo ---
**Author:** ![Temporary\_Name](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Temporary\_Name](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Temporary_Name)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-boss/839637/10 "2019-09-04T01:36:55Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Hank Morgan, the Connecticut Yankee in Mark Twain’s **A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.** Sure Hank Morgan was “The Boss” and his assistant Clarence thought of himself as a page - - - - but he was no more than a paragraph. Got to love Twain! ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-boss/839637/11 "2019-09-04T01:47:06Z")
[Richard J. Daley](https://www.amazon.com/Boss-Richard-J-Daley-Chicago/dp/0452261678) ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-boss/839637/12 "2019-09-04T01:56:25Z")
George Steinbrenner ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-boss/839637/13 "2019-09-04T02:05:40Z")
Definitely Springsteen. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-boss/839637/14 "2019-09-04T13:45:03Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Bruce Springsteen > [@Czarcasm](#): > > Springsteen. > [@Smapti](#): > > Definitely Springsteen. _Checks location_ Springsteen for the home run. I know it sounds ghastly, but I have to outlive him so I can see New Jersey’s reaction when he dies. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2019, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-was-the-boss/839637/15 "2019-09-04T13:57:18Z")
Thread hypothetical: > [@](#): > > Angela is the breadwinner. > > Tony runs the house. > > Samantha and Jonathan are kids. Children often possess an inordinate amount of power in any household, though they are almost never aware of it. > > Mona is Angela’s mother. Mothers often possess an inordinate amount of power over adult children. Question #1: Who was the Boss? Question #2: Who was the Chairman of the Board? Question #3: Who was The Hardest Working Man in Show Business?