Cool Japanese Dads
Reuters ran an article yesterday explaining how more and more Japanese fathers were trying to emulate “cool dads” like Johnny Depp, Brad Pitt and David Beckham, by spending more time with their children.
More and more Japanese men are aiming to join the ranks of the “Cool Dads”, in sharp contrast to their own fathers who were known for their “work-till-you-drop” and “leave the kids to the wife” lifestyles.
However, Japanese men may still have many social barriers to break before they can get there, as
A survey by education and lifestyle firm Benesse Corp conducted last year showed that compared to their counterparts in other Asian cities, fathers in Tokyo went home the latest, with the largest percentage returning to their families after 11.00pm.
I guess they’re overlooking the fact that being a multimillionaire superstar probably helps spending more time with the kids.
Posted by Sylvain Bouchard
Most people I know here are good Dads. It’s a bit patronizing, if not racist, of Reuters to imply that grown men in Japan are slavishly trying to emulate Western movie star dads, rather than just giving them credit for being good dads. They provide zero evidence of movie star connection, and go on the word of some hack editor in Japan to supply them with yet another “Look how the Japanese have no minds of their own, and just worship our movie stars.”
Maybe I’m overreacting again.
January 16th, 2007 at 8:13 pmI agree here ghoti that its not clear in the article if they mean to say that people are emulating “cool dad” fashions?
But if they are insinuating that people raise their kids in the image of American celebrities well that is not true at all…
(Mind you, in the US wasn’t there an entire generation raised by the Cosbey Show?)
January 17th, 2007 at 2:40 amI didn’t get that Japanese dads were trying to emulate American celebrities, just that they were trying to spend more time with their kids and than pictures of stay home dads were in the magazines.
What I did get from the article was the words “fashion” and “trend” used frequently. The dads themselves are called “cool dads.” This set off my intense-but-sort-lived-trend alarms. Let’s see how long the cool dads are able to keep this up.
For what it’s worth, most of the men at my company go home at 8 or 9, and almost all of them have kids.
January 17th, 2007 at 6:30 amJapanese dads look to Johnny Depp to be ‘cool’
This is just the headline of the article, Mr. Wake. What’s insulting is to imply that men here are so shallow that being a good dad is a trend, like Kitty phones. The article did set off my trend alarm too, but in a different way. Most “trends” here are manufactured by the media, and never really exist in real life.
January 17th, 2007 at 10:05 amOk, then we’re on the same page, ghoti. Sorry for misunderstanding you.
I think the difference with this trend is that it will require a change in work habits. Unlike spending lots of money on stuff you don’t need, this trend will probably be more long lasting. Once these poor bastards get a taste of leaving the office at 5:00 it’s going to be hard to get them to stay late.
January 17th, 2007 at 4:07 pm