[mcphage]

> but when every commercial depicts dads as bumbling idiots and family life as chaotic and undesirable [0], suddenly there are no conceivable implications?

“Dads are numbing idiots” and “family life is chaotic and undesirable” are not progressive messages at all in any way, shape, or form. I agree with you, they’re terrible, and I hate them. But I think they’re the last remnants of Al Bundy era baby boomer “I hate my wife and my kids” messaging.

For an actual progressive take on dads and family life, check out the kids show Bluey.

[touisteur]

+1 for the Bluey suggestion. The show is very sweet and funny, multi-layered, positive, caring.

[glenngillen]

Bluey was criticised for the exact same tropes. That the dad was the fun idiot who was incapable of doing basic organisational things like packing towels to go swimming.

[mcphage]

> That the dad was the fun idiot who was incapable of doing basic organisational things like packing towels to go swimming.

That had to be written by either someone who only saw a single episode—or is performing such an incredible misreading of the show that I’d expect if they read “A Modest Proposal”, they’d wonder what spices Jonathan Swift used on his babies.