Thank you, Tide, Thank you

I am a television junkie, so it's no surprise that I have fallen in love with a commercial. Nonetheless, if you have missed this commercial, you should definitely check it out. It's your basic laundry detergent commercial with one distinct difference: the spokes person... or should I say, spokes MAN.

We women have long been known to be the home makers of America. It's not a secret, in fact, it's the very thing that we have been fighting since women's liberation was a concept. This commercial shows the distinct signs of shifting attitudes in America about our roles as men and women and how they are being redefined in the midst of our present economic recession.

Over the years, I have talked about how the recession may actually be a man-cession... you know, where the men lost their jobs but suddenly women were the new men. It may not really have much to do with the fact we women are awesome by nature, but more about the fact that women now earn more degrees than men do. None of this, of course, really matters as long as we are a happy, healthy nation, and I think that is the most beautiful part of all.

The thing is that men no longer have to be ashamed if their aspiration is to be a stay at home dad. I think that the stay at home dad phenomenon is brilliant... if more young boys and girls have dads in their home perhaps it will change the way our society thinks about gender roles. There really are no rules outside of the ones that we create for ourselves.

That is why, as a woman--nay, feminist--I absolutely LOVE this commercial. It shows me how far feminism has come, and how much we have broken the mold as a people. It makes me happy to see men proud to know how to french braid, get out a stain, and just generally being a great dad. Here's to you, fathers of America! Aspiring to be a great parent isn't exclusive to women, and neither is staying at home. We should all know what we're good at and where we want to go... and I want to go to work while my hubby stays at home with the kids.

Can I just say: thank you, Tide, thank you!