Does anyone else find it disturbing that father figures on TV are all idiots?

Question

What are the chances that this is a backlash against the former treatment of women as powerless and airheaded? Or is this some exaggerated social commentary?

Answer 1

If you like comedy, someone has to play the idiot. Since women and minorities have to be portrayed as superior, that only leaves men. Many women I know would say that it is just easier for men since playing the fool comes so easily to them. I believe that all people should be able to laugh at themselves or we end up with a joyless world. However, when it carries over into the real world and work place perception of men, it is malicious.

Answer 2

DUDE! You are SO inside my head! I had this argument not 2 nights ago with my wife! When did it become okay for the female characters to treat the husbands like crap on sitcoms and still be considered a nice wife?
The idea that women were made stupid years ago in sitcoms is as preposterous and one-sided as it is wrong! For every Edith Bunker in the sitcom world, there was always a Gloria to balance things out. Mary Tyler Moore, the Dick Van Dyke Show, Cheers, Fish, Night Court, All in the Family, the Jeffersons, Good Times, I could site so many really good examlpes of strong women balancing out weak ones.
My favorite? What's Happening? Momma balances Shirley.

Answer 3

Yours is an excellent question. Having watched America for about 70 years I find today's climate disturbing. Basically my complaint is the "feminizing" of America with women characters crashing into rooms with a hand gun at the ready. Women who should be maids are in roles where they are the sole contact to the president in an important CIA raid on a jungle camp. Colleges where the women make up 60% of the student body and the science department has all but shut down for lack of interest. My nephew is the commanding officer of a large Naval ship and a large part of the crew is female. Too much of his time is taken up counseling pregnant crew members. Our secretary of state heads for the middle east and the Arabs find her role very inappropriate, but after two women in the job they are getting used to it. How will our boys learn to be men when they are supervised from birth to death by women?

Answer 4

Yes, I find it disturbing and I don't watch shows that portray men that way.
I think both reasons you presented are entirely plausible except that 'former' shouldn't be used in the comment about the treatment of women-have you ever watched a music video?

Answer 5

You know, that is a good question. So if they're idiots, then maybe they shouldn't be called "father figures". I guess the only thing we can learn from such characters is to not make the same mistakes that they did.

Answer 6

It's exaggerated. Most people seem to believe that fathers aren't as involved as the mother, and that the children prefer to speak to the mother on certain subjects than the father. Though it is still exaggerated when they make the father out to be oblivious of everything in their children's lives. Like my dad knows more about my music/movie/clothes preference than my mom. He knows I like to listen to rock, watch horror/comedy films, and dress in baggy clothes. My mom still thinks I listen to Britney Spears, love Disney movies, and like to dress in pink frilly skirts. Though on certain... girl subjects, I prefer to talk to my mom, but it usually gets around to my dad one way or another and then we talk about it. TV Dads don't seem to know anything, supposedly, but real fathers are more into their children's lives.

Answer 7

I agree with Wascal. You are not aloud to show
men bettering women on tv since that is sexist.
You must show guys are dumb and women are superior
or many women will get upset.

Answer 8

I do sort of find it troubling. I'm sure if they made all the woman stupid people would get mad. (Oh wait, they did that years ago!) I think it's just for cheap laughs and used by poor writers.

Answer 9

HA!