I’m really excited about this upcoming documentary on modern fatherhood called The Evolution of Dad, from filmmaker Dana Glazer.

It’s not even so much that the film features some fellow at-home dads and spends some time talking about the phenomenon, so I can “relate” — it’s that this film really seems to be exploring the very issues of involved fatherhood that are close to my heart and I find myself more and more passionate about all the time.

With a few rare exceptions, dad-as-primary-caregiver portrayals in the media (be it movies, television or commercials) fall into two basic categories:

• The bumbling dad who is forced into caring for the kid due to the loss of a job. This is always, always played for laughs.
• The bumbling dad who is suddenly thrust into a caregiver role through the sudden absence the kid’s mother, through death or abandonment. Here it will sometimes be played as a tragic circumstance, initially, but eventually for laughs as well as the poor guy struggles with diapers and how to feed and clothe a child without getting pee’d on.

“Sitcom Dad”, as he’s known, isn’t a new phenomenon by any means, nor is it limited to at-home dads. Working dads often receive the same bumbling, know-nothing portrayal as well when it comes to doing anything domestic or child-related — with the possible exception of discipline or playing video games. We’re all familiar with the exasperated wife character whose husband is little more than a large child.