A few years ago, broadcaster Piers Morgan tweeted a paparazzi photo of actor Daniel Craig wearing a baby carrier, with the caption, "Oh 007.. not you as well?!!! #emasculatedBond."
This general notion of fatherhood being emasculating seems to be a part of certain sections of our society, particularly among certain men.
Below are a few more examples that I would like to draw your attention to.
When researching for my YouTube reaction video to Elliott Hulse, I watched a clip of his from 2020, entitled When Your Woman Disrespects You, where he says there is a photo of him online pushing a cart with his four kids in it. Hulse immediately follows this up with a qualification, saying it is acceptable because he looks "jacked and tan... like an alpha male."
A few years before Morgan's tweet, professional baseball infielder Daniel Murphy took paternity leave to be at the birth of his son. Radio host Mike Francesa shamed Murphy for this, saying, "You can hire a nurse. What are you gonna do, sit there and look at your wife in the hospital bed for two days?"
In 2019, a nationwide study commissioned by polling firm Ginger Research on behalf of Ergobaby surveyed 1000 British men who had started a family within the last two years. 38% of the men who responded to the survey said they have been made to feel less “manly” by others for being a “hands on dad."
This shaming of fatherhood and parenting, implying that it is emasculating, barely concealing homohysteria, needs to be pushed back against. It’s not effeminate to carry your own children around. It’s not feminine to change diapers. It’s not "gay" to parent.
To all the fathers out there, I hope you enjoy fatherhood. Don't let other men's insecurity and fragility surrounding their own masculinity impact your relationship with your kids.