According to a survey done in the UK in 2013 50% of respondents believe fathers are represented as lazy and stupid by the media. More than 90% said that said the stereotypes of fathers depicted by the media were out of touch with reality.
“It’s never been harder to be a father – but good dads have never been more needed by their families. So it seems perverse we are telling men to step up and be involved, while running them down in the media,” said the founder of the parenting website that conducted the survey, Siobhan Freegard.
Ross Jones, policy and communications manager for campaign group Families Need Fathers said poor media representation was a big issue for dads.
“It shows them as incompetent when it comes to looking after their children or doing their bit around the house. It would be nice to see more accurate representations that reflect the many fathers across the country that parent equally. It comes up with our members who may be struggling to see their children or to keep meaningful relationship with them. When they see these negative representations it makes them feel the role of father is being devalued,” he said.
This article and the survey it references are from the UK. Do you think its reflective of the reality in North America? What dads on tv or in movies do you consider to be positive role models?
To see some beautiful pictures of dads being well-represented click here!