Dadvertising: The Rise of Involved Fatherhood in Contemporary American Advertising

Abstract: There has been an increase in the number of ads featuring stay-at-home and involved fathers in the recent past. Using hybrid masculinity theory, feminist theory, and postfeminist theory as a framework, the current study examines the nuances of advertisements featuring involved fathers and stay-at-home dads by employing feminist rhetorical criticism as a method. While both hybrid masculinity theory and feminist theory suggest there is much more work to do to achieve gender equality, postfeminist ideology holds that feminism's work is done. Overall, our findings suggest that ads featuring stay-at-home and involved dads are representing feminist goals of gender equality in some ways, and yet are problematic in other ways. This inherent contradiction is reflective of both hybrid masculinity, feminism, and postfeminism: fathers are represented more often doing housework and childcare, but advertisers are also supplementing these portrayals with hegemonic masculine traits such as strength, toughness, and athleticism.