Bravo Google - A Rare Commercial Portraying Fathers as Something Other Than Bumbling Idiots

yougottawanna · 2012-12-31T05:48:42+00:00

The reason most commercials have bumbling idiot fathers, apart from the fact that white men are the easiest target for humor that won't cause political backlash is because in most American (and Australian) households...

...it's the woman that does the shopping.

So even when advertising some male products you get the strange effect where it is much more profitable to market it to appeal to women (and indirectly men) than just flat out appealing to men.

Don't believe me? Old Spice Guy.

Who are Google marketing to here? They're marketing an internet service to modern families, and because in married couples men spend more time on the computer (business, games, news) and because teenage girls are stereotypically the main users of social media, this ad works wonders.

It's a rare commercial because it has a very rare demographic for its consumer and even though this is the case let me point this out.

Despite what you say, there are still many allusions to female superiority, and his non-bumbling idiot image is a direct response to the female figure not being there. It is HEAVILY implied she is dead at the start and that "she would have been better" at helping with something.

You'll find that this is a common theme. Men step up to the plate when a woman is not around in advertising and in movies. Single fathers are always portrayed as entirely competent. Look at the father in Love Actually and the father in Definitely, Maybe.

I'm sorry but this is really nothing out of the ordinary.

youlleatitandlikeit · 2012-12-31T05:04:03+00:00

There are actually a few great commercials with strong fathers. It's especially common with products sold to men or with strong unisex appeal.

For products that are geared towards women -- especially cleaning and household products -- I think that advertisers target women using the "your husband is stupid" hook because its evil tricky goal is to get the woman to say, "My husband is far to stupid to [wash the dishes/keep the floor clean/etc] so I'd better handle it myself using this product."

Pecanpig · 2012-12-31T08:00:50+00:00

Good commercial, very well made.

2012-12-31T10:43:57+00:00

So sweet. Makes me miss my dad. Which is a little crazy cuz he was nothing like that.

ObsidianOverlord · 2012-12-31T12:13:37+00:00

The phrase "mom would have been better" is implanted in my head, subliminal

Title	Bravo Google - A Rare Commercial Portraying Fathers as Something Other Than Bumbling Idiots
Author	yougottawanna
Upvotes	40
Comments	13
Date	December 31, 2012 4:10 AM UTC (13 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/MensRights
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/MensRights/comments/15pgu7/bravo_google_a_rare_commercial_portraying_fathers/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/MensRights/bravo-google-a-rare-commercial-portraying-fathers.1005387 https://theredarchive.com/post/1005387

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