For Too Long TV has portrayed men and fathers as bumbling idiots, especially in sitcoms - this is changing a little now, but it needs to be called out more. Let the creators of adverts, etc know on social media etc (this is happening as MRAs become much more active online)

Agreeable-Raspberry5 · 2021-06-14T18:13:24+00:00

And yet they double down on it as seen here:

https://variety.com/2021/tv/features/kevin-can-fk-himself-valerie-armstrong-worldbuilding-interview-1234975353/

All very well to talk about "the behavior sitcom husbands, neighbors and fathers have been allowed to get away with for decades." but hold on, back up a moment - they're fictional characters! How about the way the characters are written? (The New Yorker were a lot less complimentary about the show btw).

DanteLivra · 2021-06-14T16:17:55+00:00

Homer could have been the perfect example of the overworked dad, supporting his family financially but being unnable to do much more because of his job, alcohol habits and lack of overall support. The simpson could have pointed out how all of it was related and it would have been generally funny to point out the irony of everything.

Instead Homer got painted as the comic relief, the dumb guy who's lazy and useless (even tho he's the only one who works in his household).

Marge gets painted as the angry mom with a barren sense of humor, the stereotype isn't really healthy for women either.

There's also a lot to say about how Lisa is the "smart" one despite always needing help to get out of bad situations while bart is "stupid" despite always getting out of situations on his own.

YesAmAThrowaway · 2021-06-14T16:33:47+00:00

Still appreciate Dan Povenmire and Swampy Marsh for giving us Dr. Doofenshmirtz.

parahacker · 2021-06-14T16:12:11+00:00

I started saying that men portrayed in the media was affecting real men negatively 20-30 years ago.

I find it very heartening to finally see other voices take up the cry.

mhandanna · 2021-06-14T13:58:46+00:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46DGwd1a47I

Simple things you can do:

Post the stats below on social media

Draft a letter with the stats below. Email your local politicians etc. They only know what they are told. Politicians are generally quite clueless.... the world is too big, how would they know about everything. They rely on reports, summary sheets, lobby groups etc telling them what to do

_____________________________

A very well received and succesful organisation for boys. This is legit, its not soy boy toxic masculinity boys are dysfunctional type organisation at all. The founder is excellent, fully legit.

Raising awareness of fatherlessness and helping boys in all domains of life.

https://ladsneeddads.org/

Here are some stats about fatherlessness. Obviously its a complex issue, so take this just as data. The concussions and what this means are more complex:

85% of all youths in prison come from fatherless homes – 20 times the average. (Fulton Co. Georgia, Texas Dept. of Correction)
80% of rapists with anger problems come from fatherless homes –14 times the average. (Justice & Behavior, Vol 14, p. 403-26)
70% of youths in state-operated institutions come from fatherless homes – 9 times the average. (U.S. Dept. of Justice, Sept. 1988)
63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes (US Dept. Of Health/Census) – 5 times the average.
90% of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes – 32 times the average.
85% of all children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes – 20 times the average. (Center for Disease Control)
71% of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes – 9 times the average. (National Principals Association Report)

Father Factor in Education – Fatherless children are twice as likely to drop out of school.

Children with Fathers who are involved are 40% less likely to repeat a grade in school.
Children with Fathers who are involved are 70% less likely to drop out of school.
Children with Fathers who are involved are more likely to get A’s in school.
Children with Fathers who are involved are more likely to enjoy school and engage in extracucricular activities.
75% of all adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes – 10 times the average.
43% of US children live without their father [US Department of Census]
90% of homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes. [US D.H.H.S., Bureau of the Census]
80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger come from fatherless homes. [Criminal Justice & Behaviour, Vol 14, pp. 403-26, 1978]
71% of pregnant teenagers lack a father. [U.S. Department of Health and Human Services press release, Friday, March 26, 1999]
63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes. [US D.H.H.S., Bureau of the Census]
85% of children who exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes. [Center for Disease Control]
90% of adolescent repeat arsonists live with only their mother. [Wray Herbert, “Dousing the Kindlers,” Psychology Today, January, 1985, p. 28]
71% of high school dropouts come from fatherless homes. [National Principals Association Report on the State of High Schools]
75% of adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes. [Rainbows f for all God’s Children]
70% of juveniles in state operated institutions have no father. [US Department of Justice, Special Report, Sept. 1988]
85% of youths in prisons grew up in a fatherless home. [Fulton County Georgia jail populations, Texas Department of Corrections, 1992]
Fatherless boys and girls are: twice as likely to drop out of high school; twice as likely to end up in jail; four times more likely to need help for emotional or behavioral problems. [US D.H.H.S. news release, March 26, 1999]

Blauwpetje · 2021-06-14T19:13:11+00:00

In comedy and humor, every group and every kind of person must be allowed to be depicted as caricatures and idiots. But yes, the problem is we more and more just see sensible and wise women correcting stupid men.

BloomingBrains · 2021-06-15T00:10:00+00:00

This is one reason why I like Rick and Morty. Every character in the show mocks Jerry for being an idiot and a piece of shit, and to some degree they may be right (they all have flaws), but I'd argue every character in the family other than him is much worse.

And the main source of tension in the show is whether the family wants to follow Jerry and embrace the safe, but mundane world, or follow Rick and go on cosmic adventures at the cost of sanity. When it comes down to it, I think most of us would choose the former: and when you see the characters get progressively more jaded, more like Rick, then I think it becomes clear the the show itself is arguing from Jerry's point of view.

The interesting part comes in when you look at the main way the conflict gets expressed: through Beth and Jerry's relationship. Beth is constantly thinking about leaving him and questioning his manhood because she pines for something that threatens to destroy her the way it destroyed Rick. She calls him stupid and boring, but he only seems stupid and boring because he's being compared to Rick, a completely unrealistic and impossibly powerful character (and look what that got him: does anyone think Rick is really happy?). In other words, she has unrealistic standards about men and masculinity and fails to appreciate what she has.

So on the surface it appears like its just another example of this trope, but if you look deeper, its actually subverting it through satire. If you identify with Beth or Rick instead of Jerry, what does that say about you?

Burlerevyy · 2021-06-14T18:29:25+00:00

don't watch tv

Deadly_Duplicator · 2021-06-14T23:15:18+00:00

This is problematic logic.

Character has property y that does x bad thing? They must mean all y people in real life have x property.

No. This is bad when feminists do it, this is bad when anyone does it. Homer is a bumbling idiot because it's funny. End of story.

CyclopeWarrior · 2021-06-14T20:30:27+00:00

Hmm anyone got a list of all the shows they can they no about that have bumbling lazy household father figures?