And Now a Word From Our Sponsors

The only TV I watch nowadays is when I tape sports and zip through it while on the treadmill. Because time is of the essence, I zoom through halftime and my fast forward finger is itchy even between plays. Of course, commercials are never watched.

Except on Super Bowl Sunday. I raced through the game on Monday morning but re-watched it a few mornings later, this time watching the commercials, which were the first I'd seen in months.

Granted, Super Bowl Sunday commercials are supposed to be over the top. But I still found myself seething with righteous indignation, particularly as it related to what was being said about men. Apparently, wives and girlfriends are a drag on our manliness, and what we really want is rugged freedom, epitomized and made possible by the car/beer/gadget du jour.

Look, I understand you need to take this all with a grain of salt: Super Bowl ads are more entertainment and exaggeration than truth in advertising. But the underlying message behind the madness was unmistakable to me. So dads of sons, let's covenant to double down on putting forth the effort, instruction, and prayer to raise our boys right. Would that we do what we can to counteract what the world is telling them about what it means to be a man, as it relates to their attitude towards women, work, possessions, and life. For they've heard plenty of words from our sponsors; what will they hear from us?