TV stay-at-home dads: 7th Heaven does it wrong
Categories: Media
I have never been a big watcher of 7th Heaven - my dad
worked as a Baptist minister for several years when I was growing up, so I already lived it. But many of our readers
are, and both Nicole and Rebeldad have pointed out that a father on the show is transitioning to life as a stay-at-home
dad. The dad is question is Kevin, husband to Lucy - she's assistant pastor at her father's church. He had worked as a
police officer, but was shot at, and decided to hang up his badge.
He doesn't exactly do it smart. As Nicole says, "he quits his job, neglects to tell his wife, and proceeds to stay at home with their daughter, Savannah. The actor who plays Kevin is a shoo-in for the special Emmy for "most wooden acting on an Aaron Spelling show since Catherine Oxenburg in Dynasty.""
He’s not the only TV stay-at-home dad out there (rebeldad was wondering) - Lynette’s husband Tom from Desperate Housewives is staying home this season. Of course, they’re throwing all kinds of stereotypical obstacles in his way - he can’t do housework like his wife, and the kids are creating imaginary nannies to deal with the loss of mommy (and she’s only been back at work a week). But that’s a tale for TV Squad.
The problem on 7th Heaven, Nicole points out, is that it’s too easy for him. He has a trust fund, he can afford to just up and stay at home (which would be nigh impossible with only the salary of an assistant pastor to live on). And just as with every TV situation in the universe, it gets less realistic from there. I’ll let Nicole tell it:
”He says at the beginning of the episode that he’s dressed as a cartoon character for a party of one of the children he knows from his Mommy and Me class. He then proceeds to take his daughter on a fun-filled afternoon of spying on his wife while she tries to counsel a pregnant girl. Where is the party? Doesn’t his nine-month-old daughter need a nap or have a schedule? Who cares! It’s wacky Camden-spying-on-each-other time. Why would a “family” show try to portray a stay-at-home dad in a positive light when it can show him being completely careless with no consequences for his actions — not a mother frantically calling him to wonder where he and his rat costume are, not even a fussy baby!”
We’re still waiting for a realistic, non-stereotypical depiction of dads staying home with the kids on TV. At least we have the blogs to give it to us the way it really is - without the drama, the dumb dads-only slip-ups, the lack of respect for kids’ schedules. And enough with the dumb Mommy and Me classes already! Dads just don’t go to them.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ST 12-18-2005 @ 6:50PM
Amen to that.
Watched the episode this week, as 7th Heaven and Camden spawn are my escapist entertainment. Could not believe the way Kevin dragged the baby around the campus, spying on his wife, on Simon, on the pregnant chick (everyone kept saying she was visibly pregnant...umm...what???) Savannah (nice porn star name for a preacher's kid) did not make a sound! Did not cry, despite not being fed or changed. Apparently doesn't need to nap or even be entertained. How do I get one of these for our next one?
Completely beyond belief. And by the way, if I was a baby, forced to stare at Kevin's very very scary attempts at smiling, I think I would be scarred for life.
Reply
ST 12-18-2005 @ 6:50PM
Amen to that.
Watched the episode this week, as 7th Heaven and Camden spawn are my escapist entertainment. Could not believe the way Kevin dragged the baby around the campus, spying on his wife, on Simon, on the pregnant chick (everyone kept saying she was visibly pregnant...umm...what???) Savannah (nice porn star name for a preacher's kid) did not make a sound! Did not cry, despite not being fed or changed. Apparently doesn't need to nap or even be entertained. How do I get one of these for our next one?
Completely beyond belief. And by the way, if I was a baby, forced to stare at Kevin's very very scary attempts at smiling, I think I would be scarred for life.
Reply
ST 12-18-2005 @ 6:50PM
Amen to that.
Watched the episode this week, as 7th Heaven and Camden spawn are my escapist entertainment. Could not believe the way Kevin dragged the baby around the campus, spying on his wife, on Simon, on the pregnant chick (everyone kept saying she was visibly pregnant...umm...what???) Savannah (nice porn star name for a preacher's kid) did not make a sound! Did not cry, despite not being fed or changed. Apparently doesn't need to nap or even be entertained. How do I get one of these for our next one?
Completely beyond belief. And by the way, if I was a baby, forced to stare at Kevin's very very scary attempts at smiling, I think I would be scarred for life.
Reply
Allison 12-18-2005 @ 6:50PM
Well, in defense of their portrayal of stay at home dads, the moms on the show do the same things! I think how they portray parenting is poor. I don't think they are showing that Kevin is any worse than Lucy would be at being the one staying at home.
Yes, Kevin is a bad actor.
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Nicole 12-18-2005 @ 6:50PM
True, he's not any better behaved than Lucy, but he's always portrayed as the 'rational' one in the relationship. (Again, I say 'portrayed' because he can't act, so I have to infer all this stuff from how the other actors treat him.)
I would've liked to see more of the fathers from the Mommy and Me class try to punch him. Because if he *were* allowed to attend a M-n-M class, you *know* the fathers would not like to see some studmuffin talking about poop with their wives.
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