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Congratulations!

You have finally landed on the one page on this entire site (and on the entire internet for that matter) that is purely without bullshit... my soapbox page. There are a lot of times during our show that, whether it's because of time constraints and other obligations, I don't always get to address some issues that I feel don't get the attention they deserve. There are even more times when I just don't feel like waiting until the show the next day to get some things off my chest. Thus, I have started the "Rob's Soapbox" page. If you have clicked on this page looking for someone to coddle your fragile sense of self-esteem, or tell you what you want to hear or to reinforce your outdated world view, then exit this page right now and go somewhere else. If you are in search of the last forum for reason and common sense left in the world, then sit back, relax, and enjoy. I make only one promise with this soapbox page... if you read long enough and often enough, you will eventually be offended. So here's my latest soapbox. Listen up, 'cause you just might learn something...

Monday, June 2nd, 2008

HEY DADS, LIGHTEN UP AND LEAD

This is how you know society has neared its’ tipping point; when the last bastion of what is supposed to be our one, reliable symbol of strength, honor, and pride begins to whine, it is then just a matter of time before we crumble.

Aside from all of the feminism, equal rights, empowerment of children, multiculturalism and political correctness it has remained understood that deep, deep down, American men, and perhaps more specifically, American dads are the last line of defense. When the family goes to bed at night, Dad is both expected to be, and seen as, the ultimate protector. That assumption doesn’t mean that the wife is incapable of defending herself, nor does it mean that the family dog or son or daughter or cat can’t play some role in the defense of the family. It does, however mean that as long as Dad is around there is someone to count on, and rely on, as the home’s ultimate security blanket. Dads always have, and always should, bear the burden of providing physical and emotional security.

We are less able or encouraged now to acknowledge this openly and publicly as compared to decades ago. For all the great progress we have made since the age of “Leave it to Beaver,” American men have had to suffer with most of the equal and opposite consequences. As a result, it is now “politically incorrect” to look to the man as the leader of the family because it implies weakness on the part of others (even though the others WANT him to still fulfill his traditional role of protector). As we have advanced to the point where women run companies, children have avenues to escape abusive homes and people of all color and creed serve side by side in all walks of life, men, and dads in particular, have bore the brunt of the repercussions.

Note the term “bore the brunt,” for we as men used to understand the power of our silent strength. Apparently, that is over and the age of whining has caught up to our last great pillar, the American dad.

Before I get ahead of myself, allow me to insure that we are on the same page.

Dads today, and men, to a lesser degree, are portrayed in almost all circles of society through every possible negative stereotype one can muster, from the silly to the sublime:

The list goes on and on and is constantly re-enforced in every arena from TV sitcoms to major motion pictures to dinner table conversations. For a long time, white men complained that they were being unfairly targeted, but the truth is that the bulls-eye is bigger than that; men in general and more specifically, dads, are the never ending punch-line and butt of any joke. Whether it’s Bill Cosby being too stupid to understand what his baby girl Rudy needs or Tim Allen blowing up the house (yet again) while trying to get more power out of the A/C, every dad, everywhere is a god damn idiot. By the way, show me one episode of the “Cosby Show,” or “Home Improvement,” in which Phylicia Rashad’s character or Patricia Richardson’s character EVER did anything remotely close to stupid, insensitive or not maternally perfect.

Our society and culture has been told, subliminally, to hate their fathers for decades now. This is nothing new. Nor is some of it inaccurate, for as I have always argued, most stereotypes exist because they are true. Most men do like sports and have a different definition of “clean” than women do. Many men are obsessed with sports and violence and are equally less prone to find boogers disgusting or spiders scary. These are all stereotypes because they are mostly true, and by the way, they are also necessary to our society and culture. America needs men to have certain violent tendencies so that they can, in overwhelming comparison to women, defend the nation near and far. Families need dads to be less afraid of spiders because in most homes, everyone else scatters from them. Sports provide a competitive balance to a man’s life from the early years and, in a perfect world, give that man the edge he needs to ultimately support his family in a variety of ways.

These are not antiquated, chauvinistic, Cro-Magnon ideas, these are legitimate truths of the world we live in. Sadly, they are all also simultaneously viewed as ignorant and outdated while also being shoved under the rug and defined as “politically incorrect.”

So be it. The credit that most men deserve will never be given to them for one of the things I have been most proud of in relation to my gender has been our ability the past many decades to silently and proudly rise above this stupidity. We, as men, never got together at some giant meeting and collectively decided to behave this way, we just did, instinctively. As Society railed against us, impugned us, mocked us and turned us all into bumbling fools, most of us shrugged it off, accepted it as the role of being the pack leader, and steadfastly moved forward, leading the way as we always have without whining, but rather with strength and acceptance.

There have, of course been exceptions. I grant you that too many men already have whined over the years about their jobs being “stolen” from them by a woman or minority and many dads have felt betrayed by custody battles and the like. For the most part, however, you never saw mass hysteria or bitching on our part. Perhaps because we were too busy tending to our role(s) of leader and provider(s).

Alas, all good things must come to an end. Like, say, America. I am sure you think I constantly overstate things but those types of thoughts simply solidify my position that ignorance is bliss. At least you’re happy.

As Father’s Day bears down upon us, we are inundated with silly cards, stupid commercials and dumb ads that remind us dad exists but is still an idiot. In modern America, it’s always been this way, and we as men have always accepted it for it was our role. Great leaders lead, they don’t whine. Yet, as society continues its’ never ending attempt to turn men literally INTO women, we have gone to great lengths to uncover men across America who are “offended” by the stereotyping of guys as bumbling fools. Story after story, article after article the past few weeks has called for an understanding of men’s delicate sensibilities. What a bunch of pansies. http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5iS0sHdlF-ZFvLkVMafTCKHPfZO1Q

People who are truly confident in who they are and what they do are impervious to words and silly criticism from others. If I tell you that motocross sucks, and you proudly participate in motocross, why does my opinion matter at all to you? What is it in life that you are lacking that you need my approval of your idiotic activity? Go forth proudly and ignore the opinion of strangers. Grow a backbone while you are at it.

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