THE MEDIA SEES A GODLY HUSBAND AS … A MORON

March 8, 2013 - Miscellaneous

We’ve all seen the ads at one time or another—the beautiful, brilliant wife talking on the phone, typing on the computer, or performing some other meaningful task.

At the proper moment, in walks the dorky, clumsy, mousy husband–clearly without a clue.

The wife breaks off the telephone conversation or glances up from the computer to correct, admonish, or simply browbeat her husband for whatever reason. He may be reaching into the fridge for a yogurt, or trying to put gas into an electric car, or attempting to repair something around the house in the most exaggeratedly clumsy manner.

In any event, he cowers at her words, slinking away as she takes center-stage showing everyone that she … woman, wife and mom is smart and savvy, and that he … man, husband and father–is a moron.

Is this how we feel in our society? Do we believe that men have become the dullest, most worthless and hopeless members of our species? Or perhaps it is just another insidious attack on families and marriages occurring across our land–or even our globe.

I like a good joke as much as the next guy—but is that really what this is? In the past few years, men have been portrayed as stupid, deadbeats, incapable, clumsy, and most of all worthless—completely without value. The indication is that their wives and families tolerate them—but barely.

Some advertisers go beyond the wife belittling her husband to include the kids as well—all of whom are smarter than Dad.

God has given men a responsibility in this world to lead and care for others—to protect their neighbors, wives, children and friends. They are to be leaders in all walks of life but especially in their homes, and are expected to provide for their families and place them above themselves.

In Ephesians 5:25, the Lord calls men to love their wives as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for Her. This is a powerful and awesome command. We see in Ephesians 5:33 that men are also to be respected by their wives as they lead their families in accordance with God’s Word.

1 Timothy 3:4 tells us that children are to respect and obey their fathers as they manage their families. This sounds nothing like many of the ads on television and even Christian radio.

I know that some may say that I need to chill and stop taking everything so seriously, but that is what most of us have been doing for years and it’s only getting worse. Perhaps it’s time to take a stand on these issues, and let the media know they are no longer to degrade our families and marriages—our fathers and husbands.

I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I’m not going to cower if my wife sees me getting a yogurt out of the fridge—in fact, she would have insisted on getting it for me. I have never been worried that I might not be able to fix the faucet—she would have been thrilled and proud that I tried. I was never concerned that she might ridicule me behind my back—that would never have crossed her mind.

It may be time for men and women of God to say NO to advertisers who portray men in a demeaning manner. We might need to say NO to the pizza place that belittles men, or the home improvement company that indicates husbands will just cause more trouble than good around the house.

Question: Have you become tired of the way your husband is portrayed by mainstream Media? What can we do about it?