If you watched the Superbowl yesterday, you likely saw the following commercial. The commercial, which advertises the merits of the 2016 Hyundai Genesis Car Finder, features a protective father stalking his daughter and her boyfriend on their first date.
As a daughter who has admittedly rolled her eyes on occasion at the protective measures taken by her father, viewing the commercial brought quite a chuckle.
But apparently not everyone was amused as I was. According to Politico, NARAL quickly expressed its disapproval on Twitter, labeling the ad as “sexist.”
But is it really sexist (i.e. bad) for a father to watch over, protect, and show care and concern for his daughter? Not necessarily. According to research, daughters who have involved and supportive fathers have been found to have:
- Lower tendency toward sexual activity in the teen years
- Less occurrence of teen pregnancy
- Fewer eating disorders
- Decreased depression
- More success in college and career
- Better marriages
- Higher self-esteem
- Greater life satisfaction
All of these positive benefits lead me to wonder why we demean caring, watchful fathers as “sexist.” Given this research, doesn’t it seem more “sexist” and anti-women for dads to back off and ignore their daughters?
Perhaps we need more “YOU’RE MESSING WITH THE WRONG DADDY” fathers after all.
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