Based on a conversation this weekend, I have been thinking about our society’s depiction of men.  It seems to me that in the past men were portrayed as the leaders and heroes.  They were the ones that both male and female aspired in some ways to be like.  They were respected and had authority.  Father figures were in control and competent.  They were reliable and trustworthy. 

    However, now we seem to be in the “Homer Simpson” generation.  Men are dumb and stupid.  They are selfish and short-sighted.  Women are constantly shown whining about their men.  Complaining that they can’t get their husbands to work, that they don’t help with the kids, that they can’t fix anything.  The women are the anchor of the family now, the men are nothing more than large children.  Women save the day in our movies now, women are the successful ones.  And this is certainly echoed in real life as well.  Tulane has more females than males attending college.  So going beyond the media we indeed have seem a generation of men now who either can’t or won’t lead and often drop out of college and other endeavors. 

    Why the shift?  Certainly gender roles have changed…and in many ways for the best.  Equality is a vital concept, but what equality is established by making men to be so dumb?  Then we come to a chicken and egg concept.  Which came first, media’s depiction of dumb men, or the dumb men themselves.  The most likely is answer is a co-evolution of the two. 

    Quite frankly it makes me sick!  I can’t stand to hear wives sit around and talk about how much of a failure their husband is.  They cut him down and advertise his faults for all to see.  No wonder he gives up.  Why would anyone want to fight to overcome their shortcomings when their number one fan and partner is shouting from the rooftop what an idiot they are and how unromantic they are and how unthoughtful they are?  That sure doesn’t motivate me.

    I wish I could say that I myself am free from this temptation, but God has to continue to work on my critical nature in others as well.  In fact Matt DeGier’s observation that the things that most aggravate me are probably the things I’m most guilty of has been true many times.  But my point here specifically is to make a plea for all wives, sons, daughters…etc. to stop cutting their father down in public.  I understand we men aren’t perfect and we have indeed let people down and failed them in ways that no apology can cover.  However, either leave us completely or help and encourage us.  Don’t be the tormenting gum on our shoe that we can never be rid of and that slows us down. 

    Please also understand that sharing your stresses and troubles with others is a needed and healthy habit.  However, more often than not it seems like we are too ready to share how awful others are and not how incredible they are.  What if we boasted about our loved ones more than we lamented about them.  What if when we got together with people of the same sex, we spoke highly of our spouses instead of having a venting party. 

    Thoughts, comments, derogatory remarks?