I was hoping Sarah Haskins would get to this infuriating trends in commercials and lo and behold allow me to introduce "Target Women: Doofy Husbands."
I loathe this phenomenon because it just reinforces all the stupid stereotypes that men are actually just walking toddlers and can't be trusted with anything more complicated than a spoon. So of course it's the woman's job to take care of the house, children, plan activities, and get dinner on the table all while he sits in the recliner trying to figure out his magic eye (it's a dolphin, now put the damn thing down!)
It doesn't just hurt women by eating up all their energy and time forcing them to juggle it all while trying really hard to not put a slip 'n' slide on the roof, it's also bad to men. When they're constantly treated as giant babies without a modicum of responsibility they are not allowed to have an opinion, are never going to learn simple living skills (it's scary just what my husband didn't know how to do because he never had to growing up sometimes) and have no real say in their own lives.
What I wouldn't give for just one commercial to show a man, a competent man, cleaning something. Hell it could just be the windows, or spraying an air freshener, but come one. Mad Men has never really left Madison Avenue. All those women folk are still at home wearing their pearls scrubbing up juniors spaghetti mural while Dad nearly kills himself trying to use the TV in the bathtub.
A few of my girlfriends like to talk smack about their husbands. "Men are useless" is there battle cry. Ok, my husband can't seem to find the laundry basket but he's far from useless. It's endless bitching and moaning about how you have to do everything. I can listen for a little while but then I wonder why did you marry him if he's so inept?
ReplyDeleteYes, this. Those commercials always seemed weird to me growing up, because my dad always did the laundry (and would in fact not like it if mom ever did some, because she would mess with his system).
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