At the risk of sounding like a crazy men’s rights advocate, I think media has a responsibility to normalize positive fatherhood on screen. The media we consume shapes us in innumerable ways and the low bar set by on-screen fathers in the 80s and 90s is happily going the way of the dodo. Even so, depictions of positive fatherhood can be found in the most unlikely of places. Batman Begins might not seem like an obvious place, but maybe it should be. Season 2, Episode 19, The Eggbaby shows us a glimpse of what could be.
First, Batman Begins is a prime place for positive fatherhood. It is a kids’ show designed to sell toys, but it’s a kids’ show with a male target audience. We all know how clever and observant children can be. Why shouldn’t we try to imbue these types of shows with models of empathy and caring that we want young boys to emulate as they grow? But these models have to be done well; lessons shoehorned into shows earn deserved ridicule. The scene in The Eggbaby is well done because I think it is an unintentional example of positive fatherhood.
The episode revolves around Terry and his classmates needing to care for a computerized egg for their Family Studies final project. It’s presented as a funny episode because Terry as Batman needs to carry and protect the egg as he flies through Gotham trying to stop some jewelry thieves. The one scene that struck me was when Terry and his fellow “father” classmates were sitting outside their high school and chatting. I think the scene was supposed to be played for laughs because it was the 90s. “Hur hur, look at these dudes caring for their eggs like real kids.” Some sort of dumb humor based on flipping gender roles. This may be why the scene feels natural. I could be simply badmouthing the 90s and the writers were trying to be progressive. Even if not, there is still value here.
The scene shows four high school boys cradling their eggs like babies and talking about their struggles and triumphs with their “babies.” The stereotypical jock character bonds surprisingly quickly with his baby while his female partner (as progressive as this may be, only hetero parents in the 90s) does his homework. The joke is how they’re going for an older, traditional relationship, a breadwinner and stay at home parent.. The nerd is a little overbearing and acts nervous and fussy when his partner asks to hold the baby. Terry is annoyed at the end of the scene his partner blows off her responsibility and saddles him with the baby for another night. It sounds a bit stupid when written out, but the scene is charming because the guys are talking about their kids and helping each other. It may just be a computerized egg, but they all feel comfortable sharing their emotions with each other.
It may not seem like much, but the fact that I thought it was cool that fathers were sitting with other fathers talking about being fathers shows how uncommon that trope is in media. This is the sort of positive fatherhood we need more in fiction and real life. This is the sort of positive male relationships I want to cultivate. It isn’t easy for me because I grew up with media that rarely depicted this sort of stuff. I saw plenty of loving and caring fathers on television and in movies. However, these fathers almost always do this with their families. I can’t think of any examples that show men talking about their kids. Even if there are examples, I would be willing to bet most examples depict A) men talking about their kids’ accomplishments or B) good-natured whining about the trials of fatherhood.
I really would like to see more examples of fathers just talking about their kids. I don’t want it set up as drama or humor or anything other than a normal conversation that two guys might have. The Bechdel Test is a great shorthand to measure the portrayal of women on screen. Maybe there should be somethings similar to measure the portrayal of men trying to help each other become better fathers.
The Keasy Depot 