George is getting angry!

I was sent this joke this morning:

###

I was out walking with my 4 year old daughter. She picked up something
off the ground and started to put it in her mouth. I took the item away
from her and I asked her not to do that. 'Why?' my daughter asked.
"Because it's been on the ground, you don't know where it's been, it's
dirty, and probably has germs" I replied.
At this point, my daughter looked at me with total admiration and asked,
'Momma, how do you know all this stuff, you are so smart.' I was
thinking quickly. 'All moms know this stuff. It's on the Mom Test. You
have to know it, or they don't let you be a Mom.' We walked along in
silence for 2 or 3 minutes, but she was evidently pondering this new
information.

OH...I get it!' she beamed, 'So if you don't pass the test you have to
be the dad. ''Exactly' I replied back with a big smile on my face.

###

It is meant to show how women/mothers are smart and men/fathers are stupid. There are several examples of this on a daily basis. Swiss Chalet has a radio commercial out now where a woman calls up to order supper for her family (and the firemen) because her husband 'tried' to cook meatloaf. Meatloaf which is supposed to be easy to make and easy to cook but the poor/stupid man could not even complete this task.

Need more? TV Commercial (and sitcoms) often portray men as 'The Buffoon' where the man commonly appears as a bungling father figure. Usually well-intentioned and light-hearted, these characters range from slightly inept to completely hopeless when it comes to parenting their children or dealing with domestic (or workplace) issues.

When I look at the men that I associate in my neighborhood which consists of a households where both parents work, the men take a very active role in the lives of their children and in household activities such as laundry, cooking, etc. These households could simply not function if BOTH partners where not active. Let's face it, one person can not do all things.

I read an editorial last year where the editor (a woman) had attended a grade school and had talked to the children at length about how girls can be what they want to be, do what they want to do, and should not be limited by barriers. At the end of the talk she looked out at the young boys and was struck at what this message must have said to them. That they were being told girls can do anything but no one was saying that they could as well. She then realized that this message while important for girls to hear, could be having a negative effect on the boys.

Ultimately, until men and women are portrayed in the media to be on a level playing field, effective change is not going to occur.