Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Yee Haw! Father's Day Media Round-Up!



Better Fathers: Courtesy of the Sexual Revolution: "Little attention has been paid to the impact that women's liberation has had on men. The unacknowledged truth is that men have been transformed too. Today, men have more freedom, flexibility and choices -- in the most meaningful ways."

When Mom and Dad Share It All: "Gender should not determine the division of labor at home. It’s a message consistent with nearly every major social trend of the past three decades — women entering the work force, equality between the sexes, the need for two incomes to pay the bills, even courts that favor shared custody after divorce. And it is what many would agree is fair, even ideal. Yet it is anything but the norm."

First-time dads have a few more gray hairs: "I've interviewed many people who became parents in their 30s and 40s who said that parenthood revealed to them how selfish and silly they had been in their teens and 20s - and I think that definitely applies to me."

When moms criticize, dads back off of baby care: "Both partners have moments of uncertainty over making the right decision for their child. But it may be that some dads need a little extra cheerleading is because, culturally, the father's role in caring for an infant isn't as well-defined as the mother's."

Gay Unions Shed Light on Gender in Marriage: "A growing body of evidence shows that same-sex couples have a great deal to teach everyone else about marriage and relationships."

When Father's Day is a double celebration: "Devin and Geoffery, both 44, can celebrate Father’s Day on Sunday secure in the knowledge that their ranks are growing. Gay, lesbian and bisexual people across the nation are pushing for parental rights and increasingly are seen as a valuable resource by the child welfare system in dealing with the tens of thousands of American children who need foster and adoptive homes."

My life as a stay-at-home dad: "One day I noticed something different. I wasn't depressed. I wasn't bored. I was a dad. I don't know when it happened or why. Perhaps, I just needed time to adjust to the new me, the stay-at-home dad."

Obama's Father's Day Speech
: "He did it in front of a black crowd, and it was the right thing to say. But reporters need to stop acting like this dude is the only civilized black man in the world." See follow-up post here: "My heroes in this business are virtually all white (how many black people are doing long-form journalism these days? I'm still stuck on Baldwin)... And yet so often, these same writers whose minds are so nimble and nuanced, go rigor mortis when it comes to black people. I don't get it."

Why Obama and Cosby comparisons are annoying: "There is no doubt that Obama’s speech was tailored for his black audience, however his lessons are not limited to them. The importance that he gives to higher expectations, increased responsibility and teaching children empathy and self-respect are lessons that all can take away—black, white or brown. Unlike Cosby whose arguments are clearly framed as a problem restricted to the black community."

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Well, this is certainly an interesting collection of quotes and links to what's on everyone's mind this past father's day. Thanks for new reading material for me to go over!