Leah Ward Sears, former Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court, on the destruction of fatherhood in Western society. This may sound like heresy, but I believe the United States and a host of Western democracies are engaged in an unintended campaign to diminish the importance of marriage and fatherhood. By refusing to do everything we can to stem the rising rate of divorce and unwed childbearing, our country often isolates fathers (and sometimes mothers) from their children and their families.
posted by smoothvirus on Jul 2, 2009 - 127 comments

An alternative look at Fatherhood: a study with bees shows that females mating with random males actually have more genes in common with their sisters than they do with their own daughters. And that makes them more likely to put the good of their colony sisters over their own reproductive legacy. Would that work with humans? Well, there's a society in China where kids don't have Fathers.
posted by eye of newt on Jun 21, 2009 - 36 comments

Who's Your Daddy? Atlantic Monthly staff writer Caitlin Flanagan considers the impact of father-daughter relationships and once again opines about the emotional inner life of adolescent girls. Building off Alec Baldwin's much-publicized voicemail invective to his 11 year-old daughter, Flanagan concludes that apart from the celebrity personages, the Baldwin feud embodied all the classic traits of filial love between men and their little girls: "amorous engagement, maternal jealousy, and paternal protectiveness."
posted by zoomorphic on Apr 20, 2009 - 49 comments

A salute to my Dad and all the good Daddies out there for all the sacrifices you made for us; for making us laugh; for letting us come to work with you to help drive the bus; for looking after us and teaching us things; for never being a phony; for all the awesome things you were and for all the awful things you weren't, well for all that, we have a few words we'd like to say to you.
posted by madamjujujive on Jun 15, 2007 - 50 comments

Orhan Pamuk, "My Father's Suitcase" (The Nobel Lecture, 2006), "The Pamuk Apartments," and "On Trial."
posted by semmi on Dec 27, 2006 - 4 comments

The Key to My Father Author (and high school pal) Harlan Coben writes a terrific remembrance (NYTRR) of his late father. Hat tip to all the good paters out there! [More inside]
posted by billsaysthis on Jun 15, 2003 - 4 comments

Billy Jean's not my lover. Should non-fathers pay child support to someone else's children? More states are saying "no."
posted by kablam on Jun 18, 2002 - 29 comments

The eight worst TV dads, according to EW. Just in time for Father's Day. Tony Soprano is #1, Ozzy #2. Aw, Ozzy is a bit mad, but at least he wants to do right by his kids. I make no excuse for Tony Soprano. He'll buy Meadow whatever she wants, but then again, he offed her boyfriend. Any bad (or good) TV dads to discuss?
posted by GaelFC on Jun 14, 2002 - 27 comments

A Boy And His Dad... "Bread and butter isn't just a food. It's a metaphor ...Whatever it is that resets you.." I don't want a child of my own, but it's nice to experience glimpses of this father & son dynamic duo thang from Henry's Diary so I know what I'm missing. Thanks for the link, Dreama. And yeah, this was briefly mentioned a year ago, but it's overdue for its due. I like to imagine I'm a tough nut to crack, but this just made me melt. "I wish I was the person my son made me feel I could be when I'm in his arms." everybody! 1-2-3! aaawwwww! now that's sweet!
posted by ZachsMind on Jun 27, 2001 - 4 comments