JamesH

I second your view on Tricia Duffield (ABC radio).

I was astounded to hear her make a gratuitous comment just prior to Fathers Day that it was really was a bit of a non-event compared with the other big (!) day, Mothers Day. She went on to say that because it was a non-event there was always a problem of what small gift to get if any.

Tricia's comments were completely out of left field and delivered quick as a flash. Thankfully the other woman with whom she was speaking did not respond to Tricia's invitation to sink the slipper into fathers as an irrelevancy.

Interesting subject .
A man's role has changed along with our modern society and I suspect that men will be on the "outer" a bit while ever families remain small and women find it hard to get enough stimulation from their home life.
Single women are "cruising " these days ,well educated and independent .Their complaint however about men not being able to commit to a long term relationship must however have something to do with their own behavior, as once married, women then initiate some 60% of divorces ,hardly commitment!.
It is no wonder men are reluctant, as they can see the possibilities of divorce induced problems ahead in about half of Australia's marriages .
Man's role as protector of the family has been reduced as the police and other government agencies do their job.
I suspect that war can give men a boost unfortunately, as women and their children can then become vunerable and the society must become more cohesive.
Men are valued again for the role that nature has best fitted them for .

How many tv shows men, especially fathers as positive role models? Having wisdom, maturity etc?

How many portray them as comic relief, buffoons, stupid?

What message does this send to the audience?

And before anyone says it, it isn't just entertainment. It is quite clear that people learn a lot, pick up a lot from tv and the mass media.

Perhaps, once again my "lower race" thinking facilities does not allow grasp properly whom do disputants try cheating speaking of undermining the male role in society?

What one could expect from a society where unelected female reigns longer than many participants of this forum exist on the Earth?

Media stereotyping is very easy to side step.

Dont feed the beast.

Stay away from the dross they produce. Turn the TV off and dont read the press. Filter your own info-reality via internet.

l've never been a newspaper sort of guy. Except for the Saturday classifieds. TV packed it in at the start of this year and l never replaced it, just as an exercise in patience. Frankly, l dont miss it. In fact 20 mins of TV is enuff to frustrate me, finding myself argueing and being drawn into arguements with people around me over stuff which is not even part of my actual life.

There's so much glass half empty mentality in the media these days. Who needs it.

Many folks have been switching off to mainstream media since the internet and whilst l cannot quote a source, apparently men are leading the charge for the exits.

On the whole gender stereotyping thing... its dissappointing that many women have basically thrown in the towel in their pursuit of making things better. l think it was Mae West who said "when a women acts like a man, why can't she act like a good man?". So true.

Finally, the comment of a previous poster that men dont really care about the negative potrayal is accurate. Its part of the downside of being a man in a mans word (take it like a man, dont complain, dont explain, dont apologise type stuff)

cont...

...continued

Paradoxically, learning to deal with this stuff and growing a thick skin is actually beneficial... "what doesnt kill you makes you stronger."

Eventually you figure out that people's perceptions of you are all irrelevant... the only thing that matters is what you think of yourself. Most of "society's" expectations and wot not are a load of bunk. l look at the younger males around me and they seem to get a glimpse into that from a pretty young age, eventhough it often takes them a lot longer to really appreciate it.

Whilst its tedious seeing the negative potrayals, its largely passe (been going on since the dawn of time) and easy to laugh off. l dont buy into the notion that these media stereotypes are going to have a lasting (even transient) negative impact on males. Fellas adapt, very quickly... we have too, that's our lot in life. No one is gonna be all campassionate and considerate of a man's wounded self image, so you develop independant coping mechanims... like crying into a beer (for about 10mins) or four with the boys , larfing it off and going fishing to forget the troubles. Fresh air, a clear stream, wind in the trees, birds singing, a couple of beers beats a month of Sunday afternoons emoting over coffee and cakes or visiting retail therapists.