NARAL Calls Caring, Involved Fathers ‘Sexist’?
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.