So I was reading "The Expectant Father-Facts, Tips, and Advice for Dads-to-Be" by Armin A Brott and Jennifer Ash and stumbled across this idea of the media, of society, totally downplaying the role of the father. At first I thought it was a bit ridiculous but then when the writer started showing examples, it got me paying closer attention to the way the media portrays fathers... and I must say, I'm a little hacked off
Here's a passage:
regarding fatherhood.... "The responsibilities of the job itself are difficult and at times frustrating, but the biggest obstacles you'll face--ones you've probably never even thought about before--are societal....The emphasis on the traditional roles start early. Even before they can walk, children of both sexes are bombarded with the message that fathers are basically superfluous. Just think of the books your parents read to you, and that you'll probably read to your own children. Have you ever noticed that there aren't any fathers in The Cat in the Hat; Babar; Where the Wild Things Are; Are You My Mother??; Goodnight Moon; The Runaway Bunny; and Peter Rabbit?....and its not just in the books...In a recent study of sitcoms, the National Fatherhood Initiative found that fathers were eight times more likely than mothers to be portrayed negatively....Here are a few examples:
*In a spot for Post Raisin Bran, a father and his daughter are oohing and aahing about their cereal. 'Somebody must really love us,' says Dad. 'Who do you think it is?' 'Mommy!!!' yelps the child
*Another breakfast cereal, Kix, is billed as being 'Kid tested, Mother approved'.
*When it comes time to make lunch, advertisers insist that 'Choosy mothers choose Jiff.'
*Robitussin cold medicines are 'recommended by Dr. Mom,' who sometimes has to drag herself out of her sick bed to keep an eye on her incompetent husband, who's burning dinner.
*In a nationally run magazine ad, Fisher-Price gleefully informs us that 'it took Fisher-Price and 2,043 mothers to design a highchair like this.'
*In a commercial for Aquafresh toothpaste, a father and child are arguing about whether fluoride or mouthwash is the toothpaste's most important ingredient. They probably would have argued all day if Mom hadn't stepped in to tell them, 'You need both.'
*An MCI commercial showing a bunch of kids caught in a sudden downpour tells us that a single call to mom's pager will ring her office and her cell phone and that 'Mom rolls in right before the storm.'"
And I'm sure you've seen the Charmin commercial where the baby bear is taking too many ice-cream scoops and the mom comes along right before the bear drops all the ice-cream and saves the day....then here comes the idiot father bear with 7 scoops of ice-cream piled high and spills it everywhere. Or how about the Bounty commercial where a father and son are looking at a spill on the floor debating on how many paper towels it will take to clean up the mess. Super-mom knowingly exclaims "It's a one-sheeter".
So, lady with the over sized sun glasses drinking your hot mocha latte while pushing your newly bought designer shoes around in your stroller while your toddler walks in the little girls section of Gymboree...Stop sneering at me! Did anyone ever stop to think that maybe if men were considered equal in the home, that women would finally be considered equal in the workplace? hmmm... now there's a thought.
So here I stand on the proverbial Soap-Box shouting to a deaf world that there are indeed men who desire to be very active and very involved in the lives of their children....and we have brains too!
I am the father of Sofia...I am DADDY-Hear me ROAR!
