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Depressed, repressed, objectified: are men the new women?
Modern men are less fertile, more weight-obsessed and 'non-essential to parenting', so no wonder they are confused about modern masculinity, the Observer reports.
In June, men discovered that their libidos are in freefall, prompting a 40 per cent increase in males seeking counselling for impotence problems. Their existential angst worsened in July, when British men discovered that they have the most unequal paternity rights in Europe.
According to Nicola Brewer, chief executive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, fathers in the UK are seen as 'not essential for parenting'. The same month saw the publication of a medical study that proved the quality of men's sperm declines to such an extent after they hit 45 that the chances of a partner's miscarriage are doubled.
It's not only their internal biology; men are also succumbing to the traditionally female preoccupation of looking good on the outside, too. Sales of male beauty products have leapt 30 per cent over the past decade. Almost 20 per cent more men are having plastic surgery than ever before while, last year, researchers from Harvard discovered that a quarter of anorexia and bulimia sufferers is male. During the fashion shows, male models had their own equivalent of the size-zero debate.
Every week, it seems as if there are new surveys and studies tripping over themselves to paint the grimmest possible picture of modern masculinity. They tell us that men are more neurotic and less fulfilled than ever before; that they are objectified rather than revered; that they are expected to be more in touch with their emotions and yet are criticised for it.
Men appear to be confused about what they are and unsure about who they are meant to be. So with more of them feeling disenfranchised, disillusioned and disempowered, is it feasible to think of men as the new oppressed minority? Might men, in fact, be the new women? And, if so, who is to blame for making them feel marginalised?
Read on at the link to find out...
The question is, are men really in such a mess? Men, are you confused about what you are and who you're supposed to be? Do you feel under pressure to look and act in new and confusing ways? Has the world changed drmatically for you? And women, are the men in your life facing these dilemmas? If so, where do they come from, and what can we do about them? Modern men are less fertile, more weight-obsessed and 'non-essential to parenting', so no wonder they are confused about mod... more -
German Mr. Moms
People have been talking about a baby boom in Germany but what catches the eye is a boom in fatherhood. I've never seen so many men pushing prams - they are everywhere. Literally. Everywhere. People have been talking about a baby boom in Germany but what catches the eye is a boom in fatherhood. I've never seen so many ... more
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Fatherhood Rules
Rory Stamp, the new and slightly confused father of baby Lucie, decides to gives Current viewers his own, unique 10 point guide to fatherhood. Rory Stamp, the new and slightly confused father of baby Lucie, decides to gives Current viewers his own, unique 10 point guide to fat... more
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Pip Squeak A-Go-Go
A wave of rock 'n' roll toddlers are being raised by a new generation of parents.The Devil-Ettes, San Francisco's premier 60s style go-go dance group, Host "Pip Squeak A-Go-Go," a kiddie go-go party with entertainment for the kids and cocktails for the parents. A wave of rock 'n' roll toddlers are being raised by a new generation of parents.The Devil-Ettes, San Francisco's premi... more
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Obama Sharply Assails Absent Black Fathers
CHICAGO — Addressing a packed congregation at one of the city’s largest black churches, Senator Barack Obama on Sunday invoked his own absent father to deliver a sharp message to African-American men, saying, “We need fathers to realize that responsibility does not end at conception.”
“Too many fathers are M.I.A, too many fathers are AWOL, missing from too many lives and too many homes,” Mr. Obama said, to a chorus of approving murmurs from the audience. “They have abandoned their responsibilities, acting like boys instead of men. And the foundations of our families are weaker because of it.”
The speech was striking for its setting, and in how Mr. Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, directly addressed one of the most sensitive topics in the African-American community: whether absent fathers bore responsibility for some of the intractable problems afflicting black Americans. Mr. Obama noted that “more than half of all black children live in single-parent households,” a number that he said had doubled since his own childhood. CHICAGO — Addressing a packed congregation at one of the city’s largest black churches, Senator Barack Obama on Sunday invoked his own... more -
Adventures in Equal Parenting
Excerpts:
That message was one the Vachons had agreed on from the evening they met, though they were clearly still tinkering with the details. They would not be the kind of parents their parents had been — the mother-knows-best mold. Nor the kind their friends were — the “involved” dad married to the stressed-out working mom. Nor even, as Marc put it, “the stay-at-home dad, who is cooed at for his sensitivity but who is as isolated and financially vulnerable as the stay-at-home-mom.”
Instead, they would create their own model, one in which they were parenting partners. Equals and peers. They would work equal hours, spend equal time with their children, take equal responsibility for their home. Neither would be the keeper of the mental to-do lists; neither of their careers would take precedence. Both would be equally likely to plan a birthday party or know that the car needs oil or miss work for a sick child or remember (without prompting) to stop at the store for diapers and milk. They understood that this would mean recalibrating their career ambitions, and probably their income, but what they gained, they believed, would be more valuable than what they lost.
Other couples might have resigned themselves to inequity, redefining it as choice, but Marc and Amy fought back. If they were to avoid skirmishes over their parenting standards and if they were to avoid defaulting to Amy as the expert, they would have to decide what those parenting standards were. Marc explains: “Did we want to work toward a set nap schedule? Yes. Did our daughter’s outfits have to match perfectly? No. Did we need to take the diaper bag when our daughter came with us to the grocery store? Not necessarily.”
There is one pocket of American parenting in which equality is the norm or, at least, the mutually-agreed-upon goal. Same-sex couples cannot default to gender when deciding who does what at home. How these parents make their decisions, therefore, sheds some light on why married men and women act the way they do. They are the exceptions that both prove and challenge the rules.
“Heterosexual couples can learn from gay couples about sharing housework and child care,” says Esther D. Rothblum, a professor in the women’s studies department of San Diego State University whose comparative study of the relationships of 342 couples — lesbian, gay, heterosexual — was published in the journal Developmental Psychology in January. “They are good role models." Excerpts: ... more -
'Deadbeat' dad lives in million pound flat
A divorced dad who told a court he was too poor to help his ex fund their kids was secretly living in a £1million apartment and had a six-figure income.
Simon Sywak, 37, applied to slash his £2,750-a-month family maintenance payments, claiming he had lost his £225,000-a-year City job.He said he was applying to be a bus driver and had moved in with his new partner’s mum.
But a private detective hired by ex-wife Helen, 43, traced him to a gated Singapore residence and found he was a vice president for investment bankers JP Morgan. A divorced dad who told a court he was too poor to help his ex fund their kids was secretly living in a £1million apartment and had a ... more -
Bizarre Love Pentagram: "No Remorse" (Episode 2)
This is a censored version of a final visual edit for episode 2 of my feature length directorial debut "Bizarre Love Pentagram." This scene is a flashback account of a moment in 1984. Shot in my own kitchen and backyard in 2007, we changed everything in the set to resemble a typical home in the Sunset District of the 80's, from the cookware and telephone to the records and typical clothes. We did, however, do some motion graphic compositing to hide the Pokemon artwork (of the 90's). We simply replaced it with a Voltes 5 picture (of the late 70's). The sound is incomplete and the music is not cleared. The censored cussing and blackouts of nudity were necessitated in order to post it places.
This scene is a flashback of a main character, Venom, when he was 12 and his sister, Taj Mahal, 14. This is the day she reveals to him a letter from their excommunicated dad hidden by their mom, Florenzia. He wants them all to come back but their mom, never stating her reason, refused. This day was also a major turning point for Venom when his sister introduces him to Motorhead.
Actors: Anita Argent (Florenzia), Kai Steele Smith (Venom), Tiffany Schmitz (Taj Mahal)
Assistant Camera: Chris Golden
Location Sound: Nathan Fritz
Set/Props: Myself, "Riel", and Tim Schmitz
Styling: Myself and Anita Argent
Compositing: Mark Rollins III
Music: 1) Frank Sinatra "That's Life"; 2) Aimee Mann "Video" (original score coming soon)
*shot with a Panasonic HVX200 and edited with Final Cut Pro HD/After Effects CS3* This is a censored version of a final visual edit for episode 2 of my feature length directorial debut "Bizarre Love Pentagram.&#... more -
Bizarre Love Pentagram: "High Noon" (Episode 4)
This is a completed visual edit of a scene for my feature length directorial debut "Bizarre Love Pentagram." This was shot in Summer 2007 at Mt. Davidson in the heart of San Francisco. Sound is not complete and the music featured is not cleared. I will, however, write my own score for this scene.
The scene follows the epiphany of a confused and young absentee father, Venom, lamenting at the news of his own father's death who he hasn't seen since he was 9 years old. It's his 27th birthday and he received a video camera from his ex-girlfriend, Stella, mother of his child. He opens the camera and finds a recording of his 3 year old son.
Actor/Model: Beau Ballinger
Music: 1) Morningrunner "Oceans"; 2) Maximillian Hecker "Help Me"
*shot with a Panasonic HVX200 and edited with Final Cut Pro HD* This is a completed visual edit of a scene for my feature length directorial debut "Bizarre Love Pentagram." This was shot ... more -
"High Noon" (test shots)
This is a shot list compilation made in the summer of 2007 for my upcoming feature length debut "Bizarre Love Pentagram," created with a $40 dollar mpeg camera I got from a Mission street pawn shop. Actor/Model Beau Ballinger, who worked with me on another short film, "Wake" (Festival de Cannes Underground Shorts 2006) came along to help. This is a shot list compilation made in the summer of 2007 for my upcoming feature length debut "Bizarre Love Pentagram," cr... more
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Footballers Fare Better Than Fathers In Role Model Survey
According to a recent study, one in four children don't consider their fathers a close member of the family. And more boys look up to David Beckham than their own fathers as role models. This is quite a sad statement about the fate of the family in the modern world. But does it have to be this way? Are people quick to blame long working hours on the lack of fathers' involvement in their children's lives? According to a recent study, one in four children don't consider their fathers a close member of the family. And more boys look u... more
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Who's your baby daddy? Find out at your local drugstore...
NY Times Article: Home paternity tests are now available at West Coast drugstores. No joke- The companys slogan: For questions only DNA can answer. NY Times Article: Home paternity tests are now available at West Coast drugstores. No joke- The companys slogan: For questions onl... more
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Papa Loves You!
This dad had the bright idea of recording himself yelling at his son on a webcam, and that kid's friend put it on youtube. The son may still have inferiority issues, but I think this video's hilarious.
I'll never turn the monitor off again. This dad had the bright idea of recording himself yelling at his son on a webcam, and that kid's friend put it on youtube. The s... more -
Married to the Military
People change. Relationships change. War changes everything.
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