Quality television.... Not!

I haven't seen it. So I ought not pass judgment but... oh, what the heck... it's only reality tv!

Yeah, I'm talking about NBC's new show "Meet Mister Mom" which debuted last night. As you may have guessed, it would appear to be based on that tired old cliche that dads are idiots when it comes to caring for their own kids. Each episode will follow 2 families. The moms will be sent on vacation, leaving the fathers to manage their "chaotic households" as they compete to win a cash prize. NBC goes on to say that "the results are funny, heartwarming and something every busy family can relate to!" Somehow I doubt it (ok, I am biased... as a stay-at-home dad it's kind of a pet peeve of mine when fathers are portrayed as incapable parents). But hey, you don't have to take my word for it.

Rebel Dad was offended by the whole concept and suggested a boycott of the sponsors. He also linked to reviews of the show by 4 other blogs (none of them positive) in the same post.

Melissa Summers gives a mom's perspective on the show over at Blogging Baby. She seemed non-plussed and commented that the "bumbling father stereotype, can be amusing, but it's certainly not the reality I see in my own life and the lives of my friends." She went on to point out that if you gave her "a llama to care for and a sleepover for five kids and graded me on my ability to stay calm? I'd fail miserably and that has nothing to do with my sex." Hmmm... llamas... yeah, that's reality all right.

Also at Blogging Baby, Jay Allen of the Zero Boss, gives the flip side review. Jay apparently found the show quite nauseating. He went on, in his usual poetic fashion, to say "if this show had a smell, it would reek of moth balls and spray cheese." Yummy, sounds like good tv to me! Like Melissa, Jay also hits on the unrealistic nature of the show, focusing on a dad's task of organizing a slumber party. The dad in question attempted to create an elaborate Hawaiian chicken dish for the kids (huh?) instead of just "ordering six pizzas" like the rest of us would.

Idiot dads, llamas and gourmet slumber parties. Sounds just like my house! ;-)

Not to worry though, Peter Baylies (author of the Stay-at-Home Dad Handbook and the At-Home Dad Newsletter) was able to watch an advance screening of the show a couple weeks ago and commented that "this thing will be off the air after the first 6 week run."