Does this father’s attempt at fun send the wrong message to our daughters?
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This post from Fox News came across my Facebook newsfeed and I experienced mixed emotions. I found it to be both amusing and outrageous.
The photo on the left, a typical prom post taken by the girl’s mom. The picture on the right, a photo bomb by her dad, also taken by her mom. The families of both teenagers were all present and they thought it was “hysterical,” the girl’s mom told Fox News. But the caption she added to the photo seemed to have another message.
Curious, I reached out to fellow Good Men Project writers and they had some thoughts on the photo as well that ranged from cute tempered with caution to disgust. Here are some of the comments that were shared.
- One dad agreed it was all in good fun and appreciated the laugh. Another writer noted that while it was funny and cute, the sentiment was not. How would it be perceived if it was a mother/son?
How would it be perceived if it was a mother/son?
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- Are dads always supposed to be modern and enlightened? Some insecurities and flaws are inevitable. It was cute. It wasn’t enlightened, but it isn’t easy watching your daughter grow up and move into the next phase of her life. A sense of humor is a good thing.
- As a dad of two daughters – many proms , homecomings and other stuff – just trust your daughter – and the boys – trust them too.
- I don’t know if it is enlightened – more like trusting your parenting that enables your daughters to make good choices and knowing that they will make good choices. As far as moving through phases of life, I find it inevitable and often I find their choices are surprising. But, this photo is more about what we are teaching our boys.
Stuff like this suggests all men are evil…
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- “Do to my daughter” completely negates her agency. It also makes sex into something awful that happens to her instead of something healthy that she does. It’s true that it’s funny but if it’s in any way serious, the message is really, really awful.
- I think it’s stupid. I have twin four-year-old girls, and yes, I will do my best to protect them from bad men. However, stuff like this suggests all men are evil and will likely cause girls to date “in secret”, which I believe to be worse.
What reaction did this photo evoke for you?
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Photo: Facebook/Schock Photography
Here’s the thing. This is tough. But eventually the dad needs to let go. If these two eventually became serious, and got married – guess what, the boy is going to eventually have sex with your daughter. I know, that’s a hard pill, but it’s reality. And let’s be honest here, that’s what that statement on the photo is meaning to say. If you violate her, I’ll destroy you. Never mind it being consensual. Daughter’s daddy will smash! And let’s face it, that’s the natural reaction from fathers to their daughters. It’s really hard to envision your little girl being… Read more »