Contributor: The 'hapless dad' trope is tired and counterproductive
Key takeaways
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- A few weeks ago, a comedy film came out with a tired and unfunny premise: In “The Breadwinner,” a dad stays home to care for his three children while their mom goes to work.
- We are asked to laugh at a man who doesn’t know the way to his own kids’ schools.
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A few weeks ago, a comedy film came out with a tired and unfunny premise: In “The Breadwinner,” a dad stays home to care for his three children while their mom goes to work. Hilarity ensues, right? In 2026, it shouldn’t.
We are asked to laugh at a man who doesn’t know the way to his own kids’ schools. A dad this absent isn’t goofy; he’s a stranger. In the family’s kitchen, a dry-erase board lists the family’s daily activities, prompting the dad character to ask, “How long is the list?” — as if he had just noticed the board for the first time. It didn’t make me laugh. It bothered me. Popular media still tells men that showing up at home is optional.