Explain It to Me Who is the modern American dad?
38 snips
Sep 28, 2025 Phil Macyak, an academic exploring the evolution of fatherhood, reveals how post-WWII media shaped modern dad personas. Journalist Faith Hill discusses the rise of single fathers by choice, highlighting their motivations for seeking parenthood later in life. Zach Rosen, a podcaster and dad, shares his personal transformation in friendships post-parenthood and the social challenges men face. Together, they delve into shifting definitions of masculinity, the dynamics of modern parenting, and how these changes influence men’s lives today.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Postwar TV Shaped Dadhood
- The modern idea of the dad mainly emerged in the late 19th and consolidated after World War II around suburbia and TV sitcoms.
- Television both reflected and shaped fatherhood norms by offering repeatable models for men to emulate.
TV Dads Mark Cultural Shifts
- Phil Macyak walks through TV dads: Ward Cleaver, Archie Bunker, Cliff Huxtable and others as cultural markers.
- Each show reflected changing fatherhood ideals from disciplinarian to supportive co-parent.
Fatherhood Is Caught Between Models
- Contemporary fatherhood faces tension between softer, present-focused dads and a retro patriarchal revival from manosphere figures.
- That conflict makes the dad archetype especially fraught today.
