You have probably seen it already, but David recently shared a picture of him and his daughter. It is a beautiful picture which shows the love that they share, from father to daughter. Except it has also got a whole bunch of people criticising it with the mainstream tabloid media ramping up the attention. In the picture, the two of them are kissing on the lips.
I’m going to go out on a limb and say that if you are reading this blog, this is in no way disturbing or unusual to you. However, it would seem that some people out there have really taken umbrage to the fact they are kissing on the lips. Seriously? Personally, I saw the picture and my only thought was, wow, look at the love between them. A wonderful and close relationship between a father and his only daughter. It is a beautiful moment captured in picture.
There have been a few instances of late, where parents, particularly Dads, get criticised for kissing their children, bathing with them, holding them ‘inappropriately’ and it really winds me up.
Why is it weird for a Dad and child to be showing affection for one another? Are these people implying that there is some kind of sordid undertone to the picture? I’m starting to worry about the state of our society if when they see a picture of two people being affectionate towards one another and perceive it to have some sexualised context. Has society been so bombarded by sexualised material that we now see it in everyday, totally innocent images? For years, advertisers have used sex to sell products. Perhaps as a society many people have become so accustomed to that fact that they see the sexualised content even when there isn’t any?
Putting it rather bluntly, if you are one of those that view a picture of a father with their child and see something sordid or think it is disturbing you need to go get your head checked out. In my opinion, it says a lot more about you and the way your mind works than the content of the picture and the subjects’ relationship does. To see a picture like that and automatically jump to some disturbing conclusion can only come from a particularly twisted mind. Seriously, you might want to go and speak to someone about the fact you have a proclivity to see sexual or obscene content when you see a picture that has an adult and a child in it. If anyone is sick in this situation, it is you!
There was another instance recently when an image was shared on social media of a father in the bath tub with his child. I wasspeechless when I saw one of the comments made about the image was, “I hope he is wearing underwear below those bubbles”. Seriously? Are you kidding me? Again, it is a picture of something that is probably a daily occurrence in homes all over the world. It is a picture of a parent sharing a bath tub with their very young child so that they can get washed. Rather than see it for what it is, people make a twisted insinuation that there is something obscene about the father being in a bath tub naked with his child. That is a blatant implication that the father is abusing his child and quite frankly, that is a horrific and nasty accusation to make!
Another recent example in the media was when an airline steward called security to remove a father from a plane upon landing. Why? Because the host felt the father was touching his child appropriately. In reality, the father was cradling his baby child who had fallen asleep. I’ve seen numerous parents hold their baby with the baby’s legs either side of the parents arm with their hand holding them by their nappy. Never once have I thought anything beside the fact the parent is holding their child. Again, if you see anything else, you are twisted!
I can’t help feeling these strange reactions are indicative of societies view on fathers in general.
What if it was a mother kissing her son? Would that still be viewed as ‘weird’?
What if the picture was a mother in the bath tub with her child? Would people still ask if she is wearing underwear?
What if it had been a mother holding her child while it slept? Would the airline stewards still have asked for security to meet them upon landing?
Maybe I am barking up the wrong tree here, but it does seem that these situations really gain traction in the media more so when it involves a father. That in itself is rather insulting. The implication from society here is that fathers are more likely to be perpetrating some kind of abuse than they are just simply being a father. Being affectionate and teaching their child to love, caring for their child or holding them whilst they sleep.
Again, if you automatically jump to such a heinous conclusion it says a hell of a lot more about you than it does the parents in question. Get a bloody good grip on yourself and have a really good think about why your brain goes to that dark place. I strongly suggest you seek help with a counsellor to dismantle why you perceive these images in that way because at the moment, I feel like you are a sick, twisted and vile individual. If I am going to be concerned about my child around anyone, it would be you.
Going back to the Beckham’s picture, I can only imagine the ridiculous outcry had the picture been with Brooklyn, Romeo or Cruz…
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