I'm beginning to think that Homer Simpson is the most true representation of how men are seen in society. While at maternity class recently some curious activities took place.

First all the men were asked to hold a weight of 6KG, to represent the weight of the baby their wives were carrying. The assumption being that these poor, hopeless men lacking in any empathy or intelligence or compassion, could not possibly understand women's burden unless patronised in this way.

Next we were asked to represent our normal day's activities pre and post baby on a chart that split the day by hours.
Men and women were given separate bags with separate (quite gender stereotyped) activities to fill up the day/chart with. After setting out our day on the chart with the only activities at our disposal, the men were then reprimanded for not appreciating the burden of work the women were responsible for pre and post baby, and asked to give suggestions on how they could help their wives more. These poor hopeless Homers, if not given this instruction, would presumably have spent their time sleeping in, playing golf and going to the pub, leaving their wives to deal with looking after the child and house?

Now sometimes this phenomena evokes images in me of the feminist lost soldier, fighting in the jungle long after the war is won against my father's generation that was kept at arms length from maternity matters. 'We've still got a long way to go' is their usual catch-cry.

But if you look at Marge and Lisa vs.. Homer and Bart, I think there are a lot of women who identify with this depiction of men. I wonder what the effect it will have for boys and girls being brought up with this image of women as the intelligent, compassionate, virtuous creatures, trying their hardest to help the juvenile, self centred, irresponsible and lazy men they must endure.

In a world where women are brought up being told they can have everything and 'you're worth it', men are constantly told they don't measure up.

"First all the men were asked to hold a weight of 6KG, to represent the weight of the baby their wives were carrying."

This is also a disingenuous exercise. Biomechanically this weight is distributed inside the the midsection where there are muscles and skin surrounding and holding it firm, with cushioning against jostling. An inanimate object strapped to your waist (let alone held in your hands) is a misrepresentation. Maximum weight is also reached only toward the end of the pregnancy.

Just what we needed - another "homerphobic" thread ;)

I agree. A very close male friend of mine who is no longer here, used to get so irate at the depiction of men in TV advertisements. He had a real thing about it!

It left me with food for thought, and a keen eye on what he was picking up.

eg: a man watching his wife loading a dishwasher and slowly and repeatedly saying the brand name. Glod! I hate to use the word, BUT:-how 'stereotypical' is that? The fella looks a complete dimwit!

A wife who rolls her eyes at her silly man who goes out to his garage office while passing a male neighbour with toast in his mouth, tripping over toys to get to his car.

Blokes who go looking for the tampons so that they can spill them on the floor playing mouse with the cat.

There are many that would cause strong complaint by women if THEY were depicted as idiots or lame brained sex objects. (I am equally disgusted at an advert depicting a woman hanging out of the boot of a car..............AND the initial responses seeing that as OK). (See Articles thread: Ban this adv?).

Frankly, stereo-typing is a problem for BOTH sexes.
So I am prepared to see it from the male perspective as well.

Ginx,

I think it's because women make the majority of purchases, and women like to see men portrayed as stupid and inferior to women. The blokes ads for beer and such appeal to men who like to see women as sex objects.

There really are heaps of the anti-men adverts. The advert with the women laughing about the guy with a huge beer belly. Would love to see the reaction if that was the other way around.

And I'm tireless in my rallying against the male speeding adverts that attempt to emasculate men and toy with young men's sexuality and body insecurity. I think it's a particularly hateful advert, from the government no less. There would be a public outcry if these tactics were used to deter women from some anti-social behaviour.

But in some way I suppose men have been consistant in not being bothered by the depiction of women in the media, and not really rallying against the depiction of men recently in media. Women on the other hand, don't seem so consistant. They are up in arms about negative depiction of women in adverts, but pretty quite on the negative male ones.

Yes, that's another particularly nasty one Whitty! I was trying to think of these examples. There are plenty of them!

BUT, I remain of the view that we have to stop doing this with either sex. You are right. I know why the ad. agencies are doing it, but they need a clear message that men and women can be depicted as what they are, it is unnecessary to depict either in these stupid ways.

(Interestingly, I am being taken to task on another thread depicting a women's adv., about my feminist views;- re. attitudes to men! I have referred to your thread. I would add that I fully expect men to see the ad. on that thread for what it is. Unless we can stop this 'battle' we are going to get nowhere. The ad. agencies will continue with their current total lack of imagination).