Where have all the cool dads gone?

My post the other day about the "I love my wife" t-shirt got me thinking about television and how dads are portrayed these days. When I was a small lad growing up in the beautiful metropolis of Portsmouth, OH, I remember watching sitcoms where the dads were cool. They were role models. They were men that you wanted emulate when you became a father. Today's TV dads are buffoons and often the butt of the joke. What happened? When did dad go from being king of the castle to the court jester? As I said before, I blame the Simpsons.

I used to watch shows like Bonanza, Father Knows Best, The Cosby Show, Leave It to Beaver, the Brady Bunch, the Courtship of Eddie's Father, Good Times, My Three Sons, Andy Griffith, Happy Days, and others. Most had men that were in charge and not seen as idiots. The dads were cool, they knew their children and were interested in their lives. And when the child got out of line or broke the rules, the dad would step in and take care of the situation.

Now, men are often portrayed as incompetent, and ignorant of what is going on around them. Rarely do we see fathers disciplining their children on tv anymore. If we do, the whole episode revolves around the father's inability to effectively discipline his children. Don't get me wrong, I like a good sitcom as much as the next guy. I just wonder what happened to all the cool dads. Sadly, the only father currently on television I know of that has a grasp on his children's lives is (gulp) Robbie Ray Stewart (portrayed by Billy Ray Cyrus) on Hannah Montana. (If you know of another one, PLEASE send me a note!)

Seriously, though, were there any "cooler" fathers on TV than Andy Taylor or Heathcliff Huxtable? These shows were also open and honest in their character portrayal. We frequently saw the angst of Andy as he disciplined his son. When one of the Huxables knew they had messed up and did not want to tell their parents because they were afraid of disappointing them. Yet, when Heathcliff and Claire found out, yes, they disciplined their children, but they also did it with love and respect.

Where are these fathers on TV today? When did Hollywood lose touch with reality? I know many men and fathers who are very strong fathers and the head of their household. Yes, there are some dads that have lost touch with their wives and children. However, not all fathers are the idiots that we see on TV and in movies. I believe it is time for Hollywood to get a clue and bring back the role models.

The word of God encourages fathers to be the best they can be. Colossians 3:21 says,"Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged." And Ephesians 6:4 adds, "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Men, be the best father and husband you can be. Your God demands it.