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Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Parenting Magazine and Their Insensitive Tagline

Emily brought home a Parenting magazine once.

Once.

I knew I was going to be staying home with Erin, and I was pretty defensive about being a stay-at-home dad, and gender equality in parenting, and misperceptions of fathers. So when I read the tagline on the magazine (Parenting Magazine: What matters to moms) I was righteously indignant.

How Dare They?? How dare they assume that parent=mom? I am outraged! I will write letters! I will probably not do anything but boy, I will feel really strongly about this for a short time and then forget about it altogether!

I did get up in arms a couple of times about some stupid comments someone or other made about at-home dads, or about the attitude toward at-home dads that I detected out there in my early days of cruising the internet during Erin's naps. But, as with most things, familiarity, conversation, getting to know people, and patience ended the knee-jerk defensiveness I felt.

It no longer bothers me that Parenting Magazine markets parenting as a mom job. I can laugh and see the tagline for what it is: just a way to sell magazines.

And I can't really be too indignant. It's not as if I don't own a Playboy (Playboy Magazine: What matters to dads) featuring Tricia Helfer, the blond Cylon from Battlestar Galactica. Like Doc Holliday, my hypocrisy goes only so far.

Besides. I think Parenting Magazine doesn't have the market cornered on what matters to moms.

As Emily pointed out, Parents Magazine has a pretty good idea of what matters to moms too. And it's not cupholders built into strollers.

fail owned pwned pictures

(We saw this last night on Fail Blog, like I Can Has Cheezburger but with no cats. Also, in all fairness to Parents Magazine, this cover is a fake. See the creator's website.)

22 comments:

Miss Britt said...

I'm so excited! I only had to look at it twice to get it!

AndreAnna said...

My husband and I pick at these magazines over dinner.

"Ooh look honey. They say you should tell me you appreciate it when I do the laundry"

"Yeah, does it also say where you can stick it?"

"Oh AND sometimes, I'M TIRED TOO!"

These articles often give us humorous dinner conversation fodder.

The implicit marketing that women are the only parents and men are out "bringing home the bacon" has obviously skipped over my demographic: We both work. We both parent. Crazy, eh?

Anonymous said...

I'm onto you Burns.

You linked to Playboy in hopes of having some Bunny notice you and toss her panties at you.

Heh. Well played.

I only buy those parenting magazines to look at the pictures. (Kinda like you with your playboy addiction.) I look at the babies and drool.

Amanda said...

What a phallusy.

Ali said...

ahahaha.
ahahaha.
ahahaha.

okay. i'm done now.

(i'm anti parenting magazines. unless they are giving them out for free. because i'm totally pro free things.)

A.C. said...

OMG, the blonde Cylon is SO HAWT! She's totally the chick I would do, even though I don't do chicks. Every straight woman has one - a chick they would do.

I would totally do Tricia Helfer.

Actually, now I'm not sure if I was excited about Tricia Helfer or the fact that you watch BSG.

I take it back...I wouldn't do Tricia Helfer. But I'd TOTALLY do BSG.

Anonymous said...

Thought you might like this
http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/posters/a76a/
&
http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/posters/a42d/

BSG rocks, parenting magazines do not. Although I do try to love Mothering (yay breasfeeding photo on covers banned in bible belt) but my hubby is "Mothering" just as much as I am. Was "Parenting" taken?

Maria Melee said...

I love that you quoted Tombstone.

Also, neither my husband or I are stay-at-home parents. My son has a stay-at-home-grammy, for which we are endlessly grateful.

We're both annoyed at the Parenting tagline. He likes to browse through the articles and information, and once in a while it's useful and not trite. And it's insulting to both of us that so much of that information is lady-coated. (Wait, that sounds gross.)

TentCamper said...

I stay at home too my brotha!!! I feel the same way at times. As for the pareting mags....I think that they market to women cuz women obviously need more help than us MEN. (moms....dont become TentCampe haters...men kid roungd too)
Playboy and TV guide is all I need.

Meg said...

I hate parenting magazines and I AM a mom. They drive me up the wall.

LOVE Tricia Helfer. Good job you.

Anonymous said...

Yeah I'm not a fan of parenting magazines. But I don't think I'm a fan of penis magazines, either.

PS That took me a very long time to "get." I'm very disappointed with myself.

Will said...

Try slinging boxes at Babies-R-Us sometime and marvel at all the things that aren't marketed to dads.

Now if Playboy had a parenting column, there would be a parenting mag I could get behind. But only when they get Katee Sackhoff and Grace Park in it too.

And you.

Anonymous said...

Just giggling at the thought of you in pink panties in Playboy.

Will made me come over. He knew I needed a giggle.

Mojavi said...

my BIL is a SAHD, and his kids are now 4 and 2. He has found it difficult to join mommy groups because inevitably there will end up being one mom who will flirt a little to much, or they make him feel uncomfortable. So basically he has never re-joined any moms groups.

Now I have to say in the moms defense my BIL is very goodlooking and a catch... so who can blame them, he cooks cool dishes, reads, is a woodworker, and an outdoor guy but I feel sad for him. I sometimes feel like he is in an isolated group.

So I ask you... what is your take on the SAHM's you interact with. How many of them really do hit on you?

for a different kind of girl said...

That frackin' Tricia Helfer. My husband completely forgets I exist when BS is on, but boo hoo for him, guess he has to for the time being.

I've quit reading parenting magazines (and you're right, it's skewed very much toward the moms). Everything I've learned about kids, I learned on the streets. The mean suburban ones.

Anonymous said...

I'm still thinking of you in pink panties flirting with Will.

I'm going to have nightmares tonight.

Backpacking Dad said...

miss britt: hey! at least you got it :}

andreanna: that's the most insane thing I've ever heard. And they let you have kids? Two crazy folks like you?

redneck mommy: waiting for Tricia to call me.

amanda: ow.

ali: what about free rabies?

a.c.: I'm not sure if I should ignore your rejection of Tricia or celebrate your love of BSG.

karen: those are awesome.

mommy melee: You're a daisy if you do.

tentcamper: yeah, moms, don't hate on tentcamper.

madwoman: Yes. Good job me.

anna: You are one of the clever few :}

will: well, now you're just straight up hitting on me, dude :}

redneck mommy: no, Will is imagining me in naughty pictures with Tricia, Grace, and Katie. I'm not sure why he's included me in that photoshoot, but bless him.

mojavi: Uh. None? None of the moms have ever hit on me. I have, however, made out with one.

FADKOG: the magazine cover says "Penis". This whole post was a setup for that cover.

redneck mommy: and I am going to have sweet sweet dreams.

for a different kind of girl said...

I totally caught the 'penis'. Dude, I'm ALWAYS on the lookout for that kind of thing!

Anissa Mayhew said...

If I have a movie made of my life...because, why the hell not?...I pray Boomer plays me and then when my hubs whispers her name in the night I write it off.

Anonymous said...

When I started up my website, I made a conscious effort NOT to make it pink or girly. Parents are my target audience...dads and moms.

Don't get me wrong, I love mom blogs. I just know that parenting is something both moms and dads do.

BTW, I love Number 6 too!

Backpacking Dad said...

FADKOG: You are always on the lookout for penis. Got it.

anissa mayhew: I don't think I could ever get away with whispering "Tricia".

sandie law: I also made a conscious effort to not make this site pink or girly. Nonetheless, it's pretty much just moms who come here :} with the occasional dude floating through to give me hell.

A.C. said...

BD: You should celebrate my love of BSG and also know that I re-evaluated my rejection of Tricia Helfer last night while watching Season 3 Episode 5. I take it back. I'd totally do her.

Rejoice.