Are You Slowly Losing Respect for your Husband? Blame the Commercials.
I was watching a TV show that is primarily geared towards women last night. I won't tell you what it is, so I don't lose my MAN Card. The interesting thing was a Target commercial scrolled across the screen. I usually am a channel surfer, but this commercial caught my eye. It involved a husband and wife in bed and since I am a relationship coach, I had to stop and watch.
The man was trying to explain his actions, so he could get some love, but she wasn't having it. All I could do was shake my head, another "idiot man" commercial.
Now, I turned to my wife and I asked her, "Can you give me at least one commercial where they have a woman look dumb in front of her spouse, or have to beg for anything?" Of course she couldn’t even give me one and that is the point of this blog today.
Commercials are messing up our marriages. The reason? Any product today that involves relationships, has the man looking dumb, weak and incompetent. McDonald's, Bud Light, Dairy Queen (just to name a few) portray that men are incapable of doing simple tasks from cooking, cleaning and just plain taking care of the kids. And these attitudes transfer to our real life relationships.
See the enclosed ad whereby her husband which is her best friend is Mr. Jack Donkey. He has no domestic skills at all. He just messes up the house along with her kids, who are pigs.
So as a husband, why would I initially attempt to do any of these things if that's how I am going to be made to feel by my wife?
So if your husband is not pulling his weight around the house or with the kids ask him, "Is it because of the commercials?"
Michelle Budinick-Dores
10:36 am on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Maybe, just maybe, the commercials are written as a result of how things really are, and not the other way around? Just sayin'......
My hubby is not a Mr. Jack Donkey, he is quite helpful. However, I know quite a few hubbies out there that fit the bill!!
Keith Dent
11:27 pm on Saturday, October 8, 2011
There is a difference between not being helpful and a Jack Donkey, those thoughts can only divide your committment to each other. I have seen when men are thought of in a less desirable light, they tend to retreat and totally do nothing, which only makes things worse.
Mark Handelman
2:34 pm on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Very accurate and on-point here. Rarely have I ever seen a commercial where the woman looks 'stupid' and her male companion or peer looks smart.
The point is, gender stereotypes DO hurt relationships and marriages, because they can influence how we think about, and see ourselves in, relationships.
I also have a problem with beer commercials where everyone drinking is attractive. These ad agencies must not go to a lot of bars in the real world.
Lori W.
8:07 am on Wednesday, October 5, 2011
I can think of a recent commercial where the woman looks stupid (even though her apparent intent was to redicule her spouse for making a poor financial decision without consulting with her first). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elguO9usN4Q
The reality is...people need to understand that many of the things we see in media are not examples of the way life really is, or should be for us!!! Such commercials as this one could be great conversation pieces on how to work out relationship issues. Just my 2 cents.
Keith Dent
11:27 pm on Saturday, October 8, 2011
To true..thanks for your point Mark.
Keith Dent
11:28 pm on Saturday, October 8, 2011
@ Lori W...Did she say sorry?
Lori W.
11:30 pm on Sunday, October 9, 2011
No, she didn't say she was sorry. She came across as a very nagging wife who is verbally abusive to her husband (focusing too much on a man from her past and all the things she doesn't like about her husband). There are a lot of relationship lessons to be learned from that 30 sec. commercial!!!
Allan N. Mulholland
5:27 pm on Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Hello Keith,
Our relationships are constantly under attack from sources that we inadvertently invite into our lives. But as long as we commit to the 3 basic values of any true relationship, we can safeguard against these outside influences. I recently created a short article on this subject. You can view it at http://www.persona-coach.com/persona-coach-quote-of-the-day-your-relationship-index-uses-a-simple-set-of-algorithms-the-more-mutual-trust-and-respect-the-higher-the-ranking/
I welcome your response to my post!
Live & Love Life Without Limits!
Allan N. Mulholland
John Hahn
5:36 pm on Monday, October 10, 2011
Keith, Really, you think a man's relationship is somehow driven by European Robot commercials? It is an amusing commercial.
Why you saw this commercial on an American TV show is puzzling.
You wrote: 'why would I initially attempt to do any of these things if that's how I am going to be made to feel by my wife?' Hmmm, your wife cannot make you feel anything without your agreeing to feel that way. You may not like what a spouse is saying. But relationships develop with honest communications between the partners. Thanks for your amusing thoughts. Watch what you want - name show-names don't worry about your "mancard' As long as your wife/partner loves you all other opinions do not matter.
chelo alfonso
4:44 pm on Sunday, December 2, 2012
I dont watch commercials. In fact the only telly i watch is Indian TV. where both husband and wife are honored, however I have lost respect fro my husband very much in spite of myself. However, his lack of honoring me, his workoholism, his lack of love and affection, hisd dealing with house chores in a dumb way, leaving rotten stuff everywhere, leaving me to deal with the shittiest jobs, his being cold an distant in front of friends an arbitrary in the wzy he approahes me in his own terms...all coated with a calm monotonous way is killing my respect for him...wich is destroying my heart ans soul...
Keith Dent
8:56 am on Monday, December 3, 2012
It's understandable to be frustrated for not being honored by your husband. Have you voiced these things with him? If not, you would need to provide a way for me to contact you, in order to talk further?