Daddy Issues

Fathers Day is a slap in the face for Fathers.

I had no intention of doing a Father’s Day post. I’m not sure if most guys really understand the irony of celebrating motherhood and fatherhood, but it serves as a reminder of the fem-centric society we live in.

Mom is celebrated, loved, and respected by default by virtue of her femaleness. Dad, if not outright vilified and publicly excoriated, is always reminded that he should be doing better to live up to the servitude that defines fatherhood. The game is fixed, but do more, Daddy; do more.

For children who blame their social ineptitude and psychological hangups on their mother, there is a certain degree of understandability. It’s difficult to blame a mother, since the prevailing impression is that motherhood is a herculean effort and a sacrifice, because fathers are always failures. If Mom fails to some degree, it’s excusable. For a man to blame his life’s ills on Mom, it smacks of latent misogyny. But lay the blame at Dad’s feet and the whole world wails along in tune with you. A mother failing in her charge is negligent, but excusable. A man who fails as a father is always perceived as selfish, evil, and insufficient.