It seems that a commercial less than two minutes long has caused quite a flurry of opinions from all sides. The people in the world who read my blogs, small though it may be, might be a bit surprised by the perspective I would like to present. Here are three points to consider.
1) This is a beginning. It’s time that the issue of overgrown boys be addressed. I’m happy to see that it is. It is a small step towards what could be a cultural shift. No, it’s not a thesis or sociological study put forth as a mini-documentary. It’s simply a commercial, folks. They have less than two minutes to address a fact that is bigger than any of the singular issues addressed in the script; men becoming men. It acknowledges that there are those that get it and those that don’t, and those that do need to help those that don’t. Again, it’s a beginning!
2) This is for and from the mainstream culture. Even though there are those of us who understand the basic ontology of the male, most people do not. Thankfully something is being offered from a place that we call life. We can’t put a catechetical lecture out there and expect everyone to understand it. This is from people walking around in our country to people walking around in our country, not from scholars to students or readers.
3) Finally, men are addressing men. Ladies we have to understand that typically we don’t raise men, our husbands do. I once read many years ago that a mother is the greatest influence on a boy until he is about 13 years old. At about that age she loses that influence to his father. Once dad gets home, the boys are his. They go with him to change the oil in the car, chop wood, mow the lawn, play golf, toss a football or baseball, and yes, even play some video games. It’s like the commercial says at the end, “…because the boys watching today will be the men of tomorrow.” They aren’t going to learn to be men by watching mom. (Of course this is more difficult if dad is not in the home. Then it becomes imperative that mom finds healthy masculine influences for her sons.)
Just as nothing is perfect, there are parts of this commercial that won’t sit well with every person who sees it, but it at least it is a start, it is coming from a company that has addressed men for years, and it is men taking the responsibility to make the changes that need to be made. Who knows, maybe this is the beginning of a major shift in our culture. We can certainly hope.
This is just one perspective to consider. You certainly have the prerogative to disagree with everything stated here. Feel free to express your opinion, respectfully please, by commenting.