After reading the post about Society’s Opinion of men (I’m A Man Society’s Opinion), a few people commented (online and offline) that the image of a man portrayed on T.V. sitcoms is horrible. I agree. Many sitcoms portray the dad in the show as a bumbling idiot.
Here are a few to consider:
Homer Simpson Al Bundy
Peter Griffin
Pick any show on Disney Channel (Seriously). Let’s use the show “Dog With A Blog” as the example. The dad on the show is Bennett James. Here’s the description of Mr. James from that ever popular site, Wikipedia.
Dog With a Blog – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
“Bennett James, played by Regan Burns, is Tyler and Chloe’s father and Avery’s step-father. He is a child psychologist(who basically has the mind of a child) who has his own book and tries to think of ways to get his kids to come together. He is also shown to be quite conceited. Sometimes, his wife thinks he got his psychology degree online, as his attempts at practicing psychology do not seem to go well. In the pilot, he introduces Stan to the blended family in hopes that the dog will help his children bond.”
Did you catch that? “Who basically has the mind of a child.”
How many times do we laugh at the dad on the show we are watching? What kind of impression do our children gain about the role of a dad from watching these shows?
Do I laugh at these shows? You bet. I’m part of the problem too. I’m also going to be part of the solution. What can we do? We can begin by setting a better example. Stop watching shows that tear people down. This applies to everything we watch. If you still have kids at home, of any age, do you watch shows with them that are inappropriate for their age? Some of you are saying, “Of course not. My spouse and I wait until they are in bed before we watch anything the kids shouldn’t see.” Hmm…That may be a place to begin the change in your home. It’s a place to begin in my own home.
I’ll admit to it. My wife and I were hooked on the ABC show Scandal for quite a while. We like shows that make us think. Twists and turns in the plot, and trying to determine who is doing what to who, are exciting and fun to try to unravel. But is the show appropriate? No. Flat out, no. I love the intrigue. The sex and violence are addictive though. And wrong. Would the show be as popular if the writers took out the sex and violence? Probably not.
So here is a challenge for you and me. Take a hard look at what images and stereotypes you are helping perpetuate when you turn on the box. I’m not advocating the extermination of the TV in your house. There is something beneficial with that action, but I don’t believe it is necessary to move forward and do better.
Let me know if you are taking up the challenge.
What actions will you take?
Share them in the comments below. Continue the conversation.
