Phil's News For Those Mid-Life Blues

     It is becoming very difficult to ignore the attack on the family dynamic perpetrated by movies, tv shows and commercials. Today’s entertainment pieces make parents out to be dysfunctional weaklings, with the father being the weakest of them all. He’s a bumbling laughing stock and a doormat, an ATM with feet. Moms are portrayed as over protective, emotional basket cases. Children, on the other hand, make the tough decisions and are the strongest and smartest of the family core.

    What gives Hollywood? You can’t empower today’s generation without undermining the family dynamic? I really wish these platforms would choose a different approach. Can’t you embolden this generation’s youth without denigrating the adults? This narrative has found its way into TV commercials, movies, TV series and – – yes – – cartoons (ever see the cartoon series Gumball?)

     Fathers are strong, durable, courageous, wise, practical and nurturing and used to be portrayed that way. Not anymore. It’s hard to find a TV show or movie without this new, skewed portrayal of the parental presence. As a result of this, I’ve drawn limits on what I watch. Even if it’s a decent show with a strong father figure the commercials bring the “dopey idiot” dad right back on the screen.

And they wonder why we watch so much football…

      Now, I don’t think this has any kind of psychological effect on guys other than being annoying. I see it as a stone in my shoe. Personally, it doesn’t cause me to be less malleable or become harsher towards my family to prove myself capable. I don’t need to bark at the kids to prove that I don’t fit that mold. If your family knows you, they know when there’s nothing bumbling about you. If there is, one of them will for sure let you know.

    But let’s not put this in a category of a stereotype or label it “dad-bashing” or call it dad abuse. To me it’s not that serious. I’m an electrician and pretty handy around the house so my work speaks for itself. Let’s not get butthurt over this, guys.

    Although, once, I leaned on the armrest of the car and accidentally rolled down the back window in the family car while going through a car wash. My 14-year-old daughter was so pissed, and my wife and 16-year-old daughter had their mouths agape in disbelief.

  Was that bumbling though?

I did immediately roll the window back up and I helped her wipe up all the water after we exited the car wash. It’s amazing how much water got in when the whole ordeal took like two-seconds.

    Well, feel free to have fun with this and share with me a bumbling idiot moment.