Are men stupid?

I know that isn’t a terribly nice or ladylike thing to ask but I believe it has some merit, despite it’s negative connotation. If you have ever watched television, the answer to that question is unfortunately a resounding, Yes! I came to this particular realization after a stomach bug had me 18 hours a day in front of a television. It started with Malcolm in the middle, a clever little show that showcases the uglier side of life, marriage, children, and all of the other messy things that go along with it. Hal, the lead male role in the show is played by Bryan Cranston, an exceptionally well trained and competent actor. In the show, he plays a dimwitted moron whose only attainable goals in life are to figure skate and be a good father to his four young boys. I noticed that no matter what happened in an episode the character Hal always needed to be saved from some demise of his own making, the one to save him time and time again from his stupid, self-imposed drama?

His wife, Lois.

That isn’t the only example, you can see it in almost every sitcom on television today. King of Queens is one particular show that follows this distinct pattern all the way down to the bumbling moron husband frought with childish issues and an attitude of helplessness. The male role always in need of being rescued by his well-off put-together business-woman-wife. A wife that makes more money than him, is of higher intellect, and is WAY out of his league in the hottness department. Everybody loves Raymond is the same, the smart and attractive wife counts herself lucky if her husband actually manages to put on pants by himself. How about According to Jim, the sitcom of backstabbing family members and a man too dumb to care for himself, all the while his wife is a charming, petite, ex model, who can cook, clean and change the flat tire without ever dropping the baby on her hip. I understand that sitcoms are television and that it’s all in jest, but realistically I seem to be finding a common thread among so many different mediums. Where has the alpha male gone, the sexy husband with the ability to cook a meal as well as tack up dry wall, and god willing, change a diaper from time to time? Why is television promoting the ignorance and laziness of men, while portraying them as idiots in need of constant assistance? So tell me, is this where we are going as a society? Have we become so comfortable in our roles of life as to allow the dumbing down of an entire section of people?
Is the dumbing down of the male role model something that was intentional on the parts of media moguls, or is it simply art imitating life? (art imitating life imitating art?)

© 2009, AntiSoccermom. All rights reserved to the original author unless stated otherwise.

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