In what’s being called the “worst anti-gay marriage commercial ever“, an advertisement against same-sex marriage pretty much blows away any notion that fathers are adequate parents.
Two little boys fall down, one mommy rushes over. “Where’s your mommy?” she asks the one who is not her son, who seems lost and lonely.
Up walk two pairs of legs—men’s legs—and the boy looks ashamed and sad.
Sure, this ad is offensive because of its presumption that two gay dads shouldn’t be raising children. But if that’s not offensive enough for you, it goes even further… It’s not the presence of the two dads that is harming the kid, it’s the absence of a mother.
Why? Because these dads presumably can’t get down and hug their kid like the mom did? Because they’re men, they’re these harsh, imposing figures standing over their son, implying that child who is raised by a father—or 2 fathers—will live a cold, hard life.
What do you think of this ad, dads?
About Joanna Schroeder
Well it ties in with the Ideas of some that kids are all born Heterosexual – and they become programmed to be GAY due to exposure to Pink – males who are emotionaly represses … yadah yadah yadah … oh and then they have this Reprogramming Industry which is based upon bad science and bigotry!
But – I’m going to wheel out an “Overwhelming Trope” … yup, the hater of all overwhelmingly abused overwhelming tropes is going to overwhelm!
Given that the children with gay parents are overwhelmingly with Female parents – be that with single parents , lesbian couples or other combinations – given the Overwhelming nature of parental influence coming form WOMEN…. why is it that the Religious Types with funding for adverts are so pre-occupied with men and only men?
The advert is not only silly – it’s sexist, propagates the view that some have that women lack agency and that female children are in some way or other separate from reality and free from social/societal Influence.
Video won’t run for me but I will make this comment anyway, if your assessment is correct (and I believe it is) it fits in line with what I have seen over the years in term of same sex marriage and especially when it comes to raising children. People look at two gays dads as wrong and against ‘nature’ but IMHO, they don’t look at two gay moms in the same ways.
I have seen it said that AIDS/HIV was ignored for a long time because it was a gay mans disease, but I have often wondered how much of that ignoring was because of the gay part and how much was because of the man part.
Ads like this make me sad. Period. That kind of dialogue doesn’t help anyone, especially children. And it pits groups against each other when we should be talking about how to better serve the needs of the kids we are fighting over. We advocate for and counsel a broad range of parents, typically the parent who is the one emotionally connected to their children, and – yes, I am a mother of two young children – I have to say it is NOT always the mother. Gender is not necessarily what makes the difference – it is the health of the parent’s emotions and their ability to focus on what works and doesn’t work for their child to be healthy as well. It is not about their level of income, their religion, what they do for work or what their social preferences are. If you increase conflict and uncertainty for children, that is bad. This ad…is bad.
I’ve already read it across the grain, to show how lame the argument is. It’s halfway to acceptance of gay marriage — if having no mommies is bad, then having TWO mommies must be really great! : – )
Notice the nameless, faceless men in the ad, towering over the sad, helpless child and concerned mother. Women and children are shown with faces and feelings, and gay men are just legs. This is just a hallowed, classic propaganda move, dehumanizing the enemy. Fight the Hun! Buy Liberty Bonds!
That boy needs to get off the pity pot. Every boy at some point wishes he had different parents. That’s a big part of the appeal of the Harry Potter stories.
I’m getting mixed messages here from the media. Men need to accept more responsibility when it comes to being dads, but having too many men doing it is bad. I don’t get it – do we need more dads or not?
I’m getting mixed messages here from the media. Men need to accept more responsibility when it comes to being dads, but having too many men doing it is bad. I don’t get it – do we need more dads or not?
Exactly. This is the type of double talk that is constantly being spit at men. On one hand the president can go to a church on Father’s Day to wail on about how men need to “step up” and take repsonsibility and be fathers but when straight up anti-dad material like this comes along suddenly he’s dead silent. And it’s not limited to media either this even happens with people that supposedly support fathers (and men in general).
(But my money says that if this ad were two girls trying to play a sport and were having a hard time, one being consoled by her dad and the other being left on the ground demoralized with two mothers standing behind her, he’d make it a point to have a statement about it but oh well….)
Look I’m not dad but I am a man and could one day be a dad and I have a dad and my brothers are dads and I know a good number of dads. This ad grinds my nerves.
I can understand your frustration with the message in the ad. I have the feeling that when and if the time comes you will make a great dad. I know a lot of men doing a great job of raising their kids after losing their wives to an accident or illness. and they are doing fine. By the way even girls need their dads. As an old lady I can tell you that is one fact that will not change.
I think that who ever conceived this ad had to be brain dead. What about the children who lose their mothers to an accident or illness? Are they doomed to a life filled with sadness and shame because they have no mother? I see a lot of single dads doing a GREAT job of raising their kids and some moms who are not so good because of bad choices. Having a parent who will love you and protect you to the best of their abilities is the most important thing any child can hope for and sex has nothing to do with it. (By the way the acting in this ad is terrible)
My kids would just shrug at that lady and say, “I don’t have a mommy. I have two daddies.” They’d be the ones looking at her with pity.
Oh Good Lord! In real life, one of the daddies would have run over to pick up their son and check on him. They would not loom ominously in the background. This is a silly commercial and only appeals to silly people with no brains.
This is a silly commercial and only appeals to silly people with no brains.
I’m not sure if the presence of brain’s is relevant. Being franchised and able to vote may be the real motivation for people being treated as brainless and silly! That makes it cynical exploitation of bigotry.
I think ALL dads (straight or gay) should find this ad offensive and outdated. These people really live in some strange universe. YUCK.
My wife, my daughters’ mother is far better equipped to talk to them from a woman’s perspective. She had the experiences they are having; I didn’t. I have never had a period. She can tell them from first hand experience what to expect and how to deal with it. There are lots of things like that where one gender has a distinct advantage over the other.
Sure, she doesn’t “need’ either of us. She could go to the library and Google it, but it’s certainly nicer for her to learn from someone that carried her womb. So, yeah, I believe in motherhood AND fatherhood. Each brings unique experiences to the table.