How far we have come...

[Griff]

Originally Posted by DanaC

An excellent point. I have talked a little before about the sexist portrayal of men in sitcoms and advertising in particular. The dumb dad image winds me up no end. Positive portrayals of husbands and fathers in advertising were all but absent for much of my life. Dad's were either: slightly inept mini-tyrants against whom the mum and kids collaborated, big kids, with whom the wives were infuriated, or fools to be tricked and cajoled by domineering wives and daughters.

Mainly because, I think, anything that was being sold as a product for the home and family was assumed to be selling to women - and this kind of 'Men huh!' eyerolling was assumed to appeal to wives and mothers.

i love it when I see a really good portrayal of fatherhood in adverts. My favourite recently was the Colman's Shepherd's Pie advert:

As an early adopter of the stay at home Dad role, I tended to notice this stuff. I wasn't really offended though. Pete was offended enough for both of us. I think because she was raised to be a feminist and suddenly this idiot male stereotype asserted itself while she was making career progress in a guy field, while I was making it possible at home.