That stupid commercial with the weak father and the obnoxious kids is back. (you're probably wondering just which of the stupid commercials with the weak father and the obnoxious kids I'm talking about).
It's a minivan commercial and Dad built his boys a treehouse, He's sweaty and tired and is excited to tell them about all the features he included to make their life fun. (how many of our dads actually built us treehouses?)
The children ask if there are leather seats and a DVD player in the treehouse and since the dad didn't offer his two spoiled brat children these luxuries they decide to continue playing in his auto.
I want the commercial to continue to a better resolution. I want Dad to try to start his car and find that his battery is dead since the littlt demons had to have the DVD player on all day. I want him to call the boys little unappreciative monsters and send them to their rooms. I want him to lock his car doors and forbid them from ever getting in his car.
I don't understand why the average guy isn't up in arms based on his portrayal in television commercials. In most commercials either the children or mom have to save the day since dad is just too _________ (naive, gullible, stupid, lazy, ignorant, rash, silly, inept or goofy) to handle the situation. Example: Most of the Sonic burger commercials - the wife knows all - the husband is just stupid.
When did the male of our species become this sad sack? Why do we allow this? Our impressionable children are learning that all men are just plain dumb. We have enough goofy guys in real life (eg: GWB) and we don't need commercial breaks adding to the poor impression of men.
Rant off.
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16 comments:
That is a rant I go on often. Especially on sitcoms the father is usually lazy, spineless, fat and stupid...meanwhile the wife is gorgeous and smart and solves most of the problems. I hate it.
I promise to be a father that is intelligent and will beat the kids.
I'm sorry, maybe I'm wrong here, but this one doesn't offend me. I don't like men for their intelligence. I don't care how they're portrayed on tv, I'm only concerned with performance.
Me tinks dat men be lukin stupad on tv becoz dey are not as grate as me! yahe!
Know what you mean j...give it a few years and someone will start up masculinism.
Feminism and the other ideologies of political correctness have brought us to the point that the only "fair" target is the white male, more specifically the white male.
Imagine the reaction to a commercial in which the wife is portrayed as the idiot (I've posted some Maxwell House commercials from the 60s that do just that)?
At any rate, it can't be a positive message for boys that they're supposed to turn into feckless morons.
I agree with you, Jali. I haven't see this particular commercial, but the general attitude that family men are big, dull idiots bothers me.
I think there are too many manhaters out there, so the media thinks this is okay.
*seen
(sorry couldn't let it go)
EXCELLENT post. Excellent point!
I've noticed this for over a decade. Men are stupid, lazy, inconsiderate and hapless; buy our product.
OMG Jali you took the words right out of my mouth. The media completely devalues a man's role in everyday life so the women consumers can be like, "Oh yeah.. I can relate to that" haha! I'm buying whatever you're selling!" They don't expect much from their husband and then piss and moan when their husband lives up to their expectations.
Its the pussification of America.
I am guessing you will appreciate this then: we recently took a car ride with Things 1 and 2. We drove 6 hours day one, 10 hours day two, and then 12 hours on day 4. We never even turned the radio on! There is no DVD player in my car. There were no hand held video games or personal CD players, MP3s or whatever.
(hooray!)
Given that women choose men, and not the other way round, if these ads are working, it means women have accepted that men are incompetent imbeciles. If the ads weren't working, wouldn't the idea die? On sitcoms, at least, they may show that the guys aren't totally dumb, but they pretend to be so the women will get fed up and just do the work themselves.
You should alert some vehicular child protection group about the ad, and see if they can get it pulled. When kids play in cars, they lock themselves in the trunk or get stuck in automatic windows and suffocate. They could break bones by slamming the doors on each other. Little sibling probably fits in the space where the seat folds down! And when, like morons, they stand behind the running car, they're too short to be seen in the back window, and the idiotic driver backs over them.
I hate the ad where the guys strip so they can wash the ugly-ass-orange car w/ their sweaty shirts. And the women laugh and laugh instead of ordering them away after addressing them as "Motherfucker."
When I read the line "We have enough goofy guys in real life (eg: GWB)..." at first I thought GWB meant gay white boys. Then I realized my error.
Sometimes I think I am genetically blond...
I think it creates just the opposite reaction more female bashing and less respect for women in general. But have you noticed that a lot of the commercials for dumb men are mostly white men. I think that includes another level of racism that creates more stereo types. On a lighter note, since I am divorced and think men are ASS in general I would have laughed thinking yup... he's a loser.
Did dirk just diss blondes? *smacks*
All I can think of Jim Belushi in "According to Jim". Its' funny, but you're right. Stereotyping men.
This is so true. I commend you for bringing this point to the light. Women have been complaining about how they are portrayed in rap videos and other places on TV for years, and men are portrayed in a negative light frequently as well.
I think I will write about this myself. Thanks for the inspiration, and of course by "inspiration", I mean "unadulterated, and blatant theft of your idea". Thanks.
Nearly everybody in commercials is stupid. I haven't seen this one, but couldn't get past my tree house envy.
I had to build my own lousy tree house; it consisted of a couple of boards in the crotch of a tree which I reached by climbing a fence. It wasn't a good place to read in the rain.
I agree 100% that men, specifically white male fathers, are often the target of cheap shots for laughs. Sad. I am currently writing a book on this very subject and am glad to see at least the beginnings of a ground-swell against this incredibly harmful father-bashing. Keep up the good work!
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