Happy New Year!
You know what I like about 2013? Here's what I like about 2013.
Commercials.
I'm not kidding. I'm really digging TV commercials lately. Holy shit...there are commercials of....of MEN being nurturing and COMPETENT with children!
Now...we don't watch a whole lot of TV. We're Netflix, PBS, and board game type folks in the Muskegon Critic household. In fact...not long ago when we watched TV my youngest son asked me why the show stopped. The concept of "commercials" is sort of foreign to him. I know, right? I love that he's not exposed to the crap, but on the other hand, he's not building up a resistance and cynicism to ads. So......who knows if it's good.
Anyway....
Where was I?
Ah! Yes....commercials!
...over the past few years I've been a stay at home father. Yes, I do some contract work while being home. But I've been the primary care giver for our kids for most of 8 years. And I admit...watching media images of the mother as the primary care giver while the father is depicted as some bumbling, clueless entity around his children has kind of gotten up my nose.
But lately there are more commercials of GUYS with CHILDREN being not bumbling idiots. I just saw a Tide commercial of a guy folding laundry with his daughter. I know, it's a stupid thing to get all sentimental about. But it really means a lot to me.
In all seriousness, I can't express how.......how..............what's the word?
How, I guess, validating it is to start seeing media images of fathers who are nurturing, competent parents rather than the butt of a joke.