Media tackles fading gender roles – AKA man-gagement and Mr. Mom

Two articles on shifting/fading gender roles in the United States: one is about engagement rings for men (‘man-gagement,’ get it?) and the other about stay-at-home dads and breadwinner moms. I found the substance of both really interesting – the engagement ring article is from a music blog, so it approaches the topic from a more anecdotal point of view than a scientific one, as related to the engaged musician. But it does talk about Brazilian and Argentinian traditions of engagement rings for men, which is something that came as a pleasant surprise to me. The article on parenting roles is more serious, citing statistics and experts.

But what spoils the party for me a little bit is the semi-humorous, men-are-the-new-women spin that both articles put on the topics they are discussing. “Man-gagement,” are you serious? I understand the entertainment purpose of that article, but couldn’t they cover this ‘news story’ the way women’s engagement ring sightings are usually reported (“LOOK AT THAT ROCK!”) or whatever. Similarly, I wonder if the Marie Claire article on stay-at-home dads and the corresponding “Today” program could have avoided the whole “Mr. Mom” and “trophy husband” references. Then again, perhaps reporting this as evolving gender roles as opposed to switching gender roles is too much to ask for.

*videos come with a transcript tab*