Here's another awesome video!

[jhameia]

This is, according to Liss from Shakesville, a PSA from the White House's Fatherhood initiative.

I like it because the dad is so totally into what he's doing with his daughter and it doesn't mock him for it.

Lots of people in the Shakesville post are talking about stuff they did with their dads which was stereotypically "girly".

My dad taught my brother how to cook, who in turn taught me. Cooking was never women's work in my household (although my mom can rise to the occasion, she knows my dad has more energy for that, but she was the first one who taught me how to mix eggs into my instant noogles). My dad was also the kind to be more visibly enthusiastic, going "YEEEAAAAAAAA!" unabashedly when I accomplished something.

Comments

[aishlin.livejournal.com]

I LOVE that commercial! :D

[tarmaque.livejournal.com]

If my dad ever tried to do something like that I would hit him with a blunt object.

That's not to say he didn't enthusiastically support me in everything I've ever done. Because he did.

OTOH, If anybody ever catches me in a little cheerleader outfit like that doing a hip-hop bump and grind, I would politely request that they hit me quite fiercely with a blunt object. Repeatedly.

[aishlin.livejournal.com]

Well, it's not so much the act itself, as the point behind it... even if it is cute.

[nolan-ash.livejournal.com]

If anybody ever catches me in a little cheerleader outfit like that doing a hip-hop bump and grind, I would politely request that they hit me quite fiercely with a blunt object. Repeatedly.

Whyzzat? Is a male doing something considered to be a female activity so shameful?
Would it be equally shameful to see a mother throwing a football with her son to help him train?

[fantasyecho.livejournal.com]

a) You're not a little girl, so you don't ever have to worry about that.

b) You missed the point :P

Very often, fathers miss out on doing stuff with their daughters because there's a stigma attached to doing 'girly' stuff. Usually it's because most fathers are dudes wrapped up in the whole machismo stuff. As a result, fathers miss out on the opportunity to truly engage with their daughters, purely due to anxiety over their self-image.

[tarmaque.livejournal.com]

Oh, I agree. I have no children, but I understand the sentiment. OTOH, my Irish/German/Choktaw father doing anything like that would be something nobody wants to see. Nobody.

My hat is off to my brother with his 12 kids (10 girls) who tries his best to spend time and support them in anything they want to excel at. Even if his attention is spread a little thin...

[fantasyecho.livejournal.com]

I think you underestimate the desire to see men break free of conventional machismo.

[tarmaque.livejournal.com]

Not really. I have no desire to see my fat English Mother doing that either... :~D

[fantasyecho.livejournal.com]

As long as it's feelings only for your parents.

I personally don't care as long as I see people break out into rashes of happiness.

[tarmaque.livejournal.com]

My coworkers seem to have mixed feelings when my blond Scots/Irish ass breaks into a booty dance.

My coworkers love me.

[miz-evolution.livejournal.com]

That commercial is awesome, I love it.

My dad taught me to cook, and play Texas Hold 'Em. Heh.

[fayenatic.livejournal.com]

Dad never teaches me anything 'girly'. He did taught me one thing, how to change a car tyre in the midst of a flat out situation.

Only mom was the one who did all the teaching. All my cooking skillzors, I got it from her.

[lovely-lici.livejournal.com]

I love it!

My dad was the one to teach me a lot of things too. He taught me to do laundry. He would have taught me to cook if I cared at all. His parents (not biological, by the way) were determined to make sure he was as well-rounded and self-sufficient as possible, so he can cook, clean, and sew a lot better than most women. I don't think he would cheerlead with me though... Lol.

[nolan-ash.livejournal.com]

My dad was also the kind to be more visibly enthusiastic, going "YEEEAAAAAAAA!" unabashedly when I accomplished something.

Awesome. That's the element that struck me the most about this commercial. It isn't about shaming! So often in this Men from Mars, Women from Venus HOLY CROW! THE GENDERS ARE NOTHING ALIKE AND MUST NEVER CROSS! culture of ours, this commercial simply MUST include some shaming from the father to the daughter or from someone else to the father to make sure those all-important gender roles are reinforced.

I love this ad. It's got the subtle tagline of: "Get the f--- over yourself. Be a father."

It bothers me when I see young fathers looking embarrassed to be seen with their girly-dressed daughters or carrying a diaper bag. I'm just thinking, "Holy crap, man. If you're feeling ashamed and high-anxiety to do any activity that doesn't reinforce machismo stereotypes, you're going to be one high-strung and unhappy dude by the time this kid is old enough to be good conversation."

[eleraine.livejournal.com]

Well-made ad! A lot of fathers are somewhat nonchalant when it comes to bring up their kids simply because society doesn't expect them to (well, this depends on where you come from but in my family, the men aren't expected to do things like change diapers, or spend time teaching their kids but disciplining them instead).

My dad never really taught me girly stuff - in fact, sometimes I think he thought I was a boy in the making because of all the things he would teach me (and the stuff I was interested in). He did teach me to cook a few times but discovered that my mum was a better cook than he was and definitely a better teacher at it. So he stuck to what he knew best - "man" chores as my mum likes to put it.

Heck, I learnt how to fix stuff around the house like radios, change light bulbs, maintain a car and all that with my dad not to mention do other non-girly stuff like paint the place and so forth. When we do hang out together in public, it's usually to accompany me for things like grocery shopping and so forth. And like your dad, whenever I have done something even making cookies without a mould (like how my mum would), he is more direct with his compliments than my mum.

[eiko82.livejournal.com]

Aww, that ad rocks!!! I love it.

Tbh I think that dads should be more encouraged to take part in their kids' lives. Any part of it really. It's sad but true but I honestly can't remember any period of my life where my dad actually taught me anything. It's always been my mum who encouraged and supported us to do something.