Hubby and I have been noticing a trend lately. Sitcoms, jokes, and commercials all seemed aimed at pointing out the flaws in our men. Don't get me wrong - men are flawed! So are women. But the mockery pendulum seems to have swung away from buxom blondes to hapless Harrys.
One commercial in particular annoys us both tremendously. A tall, attractive woman is looking out the window at a shirtless, very ripped neighbor who is washing his car. Her husband, a slightly shorter, somewhat pudgy man comes up behind her and asks, "Do you think we settled?" He's talking about their cable package. She can barely pull two words together on the subject. The subtext is clear: SHE 'settled' when it came to her spouse. HE is unworthy of her.
There are dozens of other similar examples out there. And while it is nice to see it implied that women deserve 'better,' (whatever that is!) it should not come at the expense of our respect for our spouses.
This morning's children's sermon was another example of this. The pastor read a list of things the children might have heard their fathers say. Some were humorous: "I am NOT lost!" Some were traditional: "This is going to hurt me more than it will hurt you." (All the kids looked mystified by that one.) But the last one was: "Why are you asking me? Go ask your mother!"
Ouch.
It got a big laugh, understandably. But in my heart of hearts I feel it undercuts the very fabric of paternal respect and authority. Hubby and I decide together. If he says no, it's no. If I say no, it's no. If we disagree, we do it in private and come back with a united front.
Women have been thoroughly disrespected for centuries. Passing it on to the men doesn't make it even.
So Happy Father's Day to my Hubby - the other half of the team, my best friend, my heart. And Happy Father's Day to my sons-in-law, my brothers. And to my Dad, who never tolerated a moments disrespect from us toward either him or my Mom.
DeeDee
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