Stupid TV Dads

 

Why is okay to make dads the stupid ones in commercials and tv shows?  Is it just me that is bothered by this at times?  A recent article in the Baltimore Sun commented on those AT&T cell phone commercials that made the fathers look like weak buffoons.  This cell phone commercial is funny but doesn't resort to undermining the valuable role of a father.  

I remember watching an interview with Bob Newhart explaining that in the different sitcoms he was in he did not want to have children, because fathers usually end up as the butt of the jokes. However, on the Cosby show, the dad was never on the butt end of the jokes from the kids.  You always knew he was in charge, and it was funny.  Then came the Simpsons and changed all that. I have to admit I am part of the guilty party that watched the show.  But I figured it was a cartoon.  

Still I worry about the implication when fathers are portrayed in such a negative light.  Maybe making fun of dads is representative of something more.  Does it go back to our desire to stick it to the one with the power?  Is it a way of venting on the ones that can take it, as this 30 Rock so hilariously illustrates.  Just the same, I wonder what the cost is of making fun of all these dads?    

Prison Dad Child Rights

I recently came across this story about a program in North Carolina that allows incarcerated fathers to spend time with their children, including allowing them to communicate with them on the internet and to spend a week together in a Child/Father summer camp where they get to do clinically guided activities together.

I'm not sure what to think about this just yet. I have worked with several people that have been through the penal system both jail and prison (most say prison is better). Whether this system is for reformation or punishment or both, one thing is for sure, they usually do not want them to come back. I don't have the exact figures but we know that they frequently do. One thing I have seen is that if people are to change they often will do it for their children.

Maybe having contact with their children will encourage and motivate prisoners to stay out of the system. On the other hand, maybe they end up being a negative influence on the kids and shouldn't have a limited amount of contact. Do they still have the right to see their children or did they forfit that right when they committed the crime? What about the children's rights? In the end the child ends up paying the price.

Selfish Dads Are a Punishment to Kids

I read about this very disappointing story in the Tribune, wherein a father left his two year old son locked in the car to watch a midnight showing of the Dark Knight. It's sad how this kind of story keeps coming up. Unfortunately there seems to be no shortage of thoughtless, inconsiderate parents. Also I have noticed that it tends to be dads more than moms. How is it that parents can be so flippant about their children?

In reading this article closely, I found what might be a few clues of what went wrong. The first clue was that the dad was 23 y/o and the child was 2, making him either 21 or 20 when the child was conceived. In addition this dad and the mom were never married and are no longer together. Essentially this child is the product of some youthful transient union. First off, I wish people were more responsible with sex. I would say use condoms or birth control but I've known plenty to get pregnant even with those prohibitions. The other thing is that if you are young, unmarried and pregnant - give the child to someone who is ready for the huge responsibility of being a parent.

Indeed being a parent is a constant act of unselfishness. It is not about you. It requires giving up midnight showings if you can't find a babysitter at the very least. Needless to say I think an appropriate punishment would be to lock the dad in a car seat for a few hours in a car or maybe sterilize him. In the end the child will be punished far more by the thoughtless actions of his parents, than his dad ever will be.