Media portrays dads as ‘feckless and lazy’
The survey by Netmums found that 92% of respondents said the stereotypes of fathers in cinema, on television, advertising, and elsewhere did not reflect the reality of their role in family life, while just under half said those portrayals — with Homer Simpson and Frank Gallagher from Shameless namechecked — made men look lazy and stupid, while a smaller percentage said they thought it was almost a “subtle form of discrimination”.
Netmums founder Siobhan Freegard said: “It’s never been harder to be a father — but good dads have never been more needed by their families. So it seems perverse we are telling men to step up and be involved, while running them down in the media.”
