Archive analysis of Father's Day cards by Clintons, the national gift and card retailer, shows the extent to which dads' roles have shifted in the modern home.
Father's Day cards show shift in dads role in modern home
Depictions of dads as aloof, pipe-smoking, newspaper-reading, besuited men 'enthroned' by the fireplace have disappeared from all cards, with the exception of parody cards, and have been replaced by casually-dressed, soft-in-the-middle, sofa-dwelling figures, often likened to Darth Vader and far more likely to be comically inept.
Clintons looked at thousands of depictions of dads on Father's Day cards since the 1950s.
The research found the follow:
1. Dads appear to have put on 10-15 kilos in body weight
2. Dads have dressed down
3. Dads' leisure time preferences have shifted from reading the paper in slippers on an armchair to barbecuing or watching the football on the sofa with a drink
4. Dads have a much stronger emotional connection with their kids are often the subject of affectionate jokes