CBS: Hip Dads Are Great Consumers

OK. So I've found the link to the CBS Early Show story relating to their segment this morning on hip dads. Keeping in mind that I haven't seen the video, here's how the web story starts.

Does your husband change diapers? If not, maybe a "manly" diaper bag will put him in the mood!

These days, Early Show contributor Amy Kean explained, there are plenty of products on the market for modern dads, to enable them to be be both hands-on, and hip!

How does this drive me nuts? Let me count the ways:

1. "Does your husband change diapers ..." Guess who the story is aimed at. That's right. Not dads.
2. " ... maybe a 'manly' diaper bag will put him in the mood!" This is just dumb. Men don't refuse to change diapers because they don't like diaper bags. They don't change diapers because there's a (dying) social stereotype that dads don't do diapers. I'm not sure this piece does anything to disabuse that notion.
3. " ... plenty of products ..." Maybe this is just my anti-consumerism coming out, but I'm not sure that having more stuff to buy will make dads hip.

The irony is that I am thrilled that there are diaper bags made for dads now (I own one). I am thrilled that guys like daddytypes.com are out there spreading the gospel about good products (for dads *and* moms). I'm thrilled that fathers are not always an afterthought in the marketing of children's products (usually an afterthought. But not always). But I don't think we can judge the depth of the revolution in fatherhood by the extent of diaper bags available. Looks like a missed opportunity by CBS. Unless, of course, you're in the market for a bag ...