to boycott the Sainsbury's magazine due to an incredibly patronising campaign?

[BaronessOrczy]

Disregard the question of whether IABU by reading it in the first place

They've started a Dishy Dad's campaign. No real problem with the sentiment behind that.

It's the copy which accompanies it which has caused me to froth, ever so gently, at the mouth.

"Dishy Dads is our brand new campaign to encourage the nation's fathers to start cooking. And, to prove that all men have time to rustle up a meal, we asked three of busiest in the country, David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband, to share the quick, tasty recipes they use when it's their turn in the kitchen. Dads cooking sets a great example to kids and can make a real difference to their lives - just take a look at our quotes from some of the world's most famous chefs, all influenced by their foodie fathers."

So far, so gently patronising. But this is the paragraph which has caused me to consider boycotting the magazine, and, if I don't run out of chocolate get a handle on my annoyance, the supermarket:

"Dads donning the apron a few nights a week makes a big difference to mums, too, who can end up feeling more pressure than pleasure when cooking healthy, crowd pleasing suppers each day. Weekday meals don't have to be gourmet to be good, so come on Dishy Dads - get cooking!'

It's no real surprise that Slimey Dave's recipe is adapted from the River Cafe cookbook, that Nick Clegg's is 'cheap, quick and uncomplicated', and that Ed Miliband is making a mountain out of a molehill with his tuna melt.

It's so bloody self-righteous and patronising. And irritatingly smug. Look, a man with a pan in his hand! And he works too! Well done.

AIBU to be so annoyed by this?

Oh, and the survey part which accompanies this article is in association with Netmums

[BelovedCunt]

i would boycott it purely because it encourages the concept of 'tuna melt' as food

[BelovedCunt]

i bet the other milliband would have done a risotto

[MrsReasonable]

Yes, YABU.

Cooking meals is still, for many people, a gendered activity - perhaps this can have an effect. The copy does read as a bit smug, but why would anyone make a campaign which was dismissive of the very thing it was promoting?

[TidyDancer]

Failing to see the issue really.

[itisnearlysummer]

Well my DH is a great cook. I think I'll keep him away from that article. He's not known for his tolerance of anything that indulges ridiculous stereotypes!

[Alibabaandthe80nappies]

YANBU. I read it earlier and it annoyed me.

I made this face at Ed Milliband thinking making a sandwich is cooking.

[limitedperiodonly]

Arf at Nick Clegg being 'cheap, quick and uncomplicated.' That sounds like a review on Punternet.

[LRDTheFeministDragon]

Yep, that would have me spitting feathers.

And thinking these men must have tiny, tiny knobs if they're so proud of such a basic skill.

[sheepgomeep]

A lot of men can't (or won't ) cook. My dp included.

Anything that encourages more men to cook is a good thing I think.

[sheepgomeep]

My dp is very proud of the 2 dishes that he has recently learnt to cook, thanks. If you had had the shitty awful upbringing that he had which included neglect and abuse, whist suffering from dyslexia and aspergers then i think you would feel proud of auch an achievenment,

Many women cannot cook either

[BaronessOrczy]

It seemed rather glittery and like it was only missing a ticker, Zukie... slightly tongue in cheek, but the campaign is in association with them. If it was an MN campaign I would have mentioned them.

DP took one look at it and went "Sounds like I'm not allowed to play with the Big Knives then"

It's just irritated me beyond all belief, really.

[BaronessOrczy]

Sheep, I'm not getting at men who can't cook for whatever reason, or who are learning to cook, it was the tone of the campaign, and the fact that it was aimed at men as if they would become heroes by putting on an apron at end of the day. Sorry if I've caused any offence, that wasn't my intention.

[LRDTheFeministDragon]

sheep, do you really think this will encourage men to cook? And do you think that they should be encouraged to think they're 'helping' with the women's work?

[halcyondays]

You're right, it is patronising. DH often does more cooking than I do, even though he works and I'm a SAHM, because he likes doing it.

TidyDancer, the issue is that it seems to be based on the assumption that cooking is always the woman's job, even if they both work full time and that dad is doing something wonderful by "helping out" if he cooks the odd meal.

[Ephiny]

It sounds patronising and irritating to me too. I'm in favour of men (and women!) knowing how to cook healthy meals, but can't help thinking these 'campaigns' somehow reinforce the stereotype they're supposed to combat, with the assumptions they make.

[Asinine]

I can't boycott it, as I never buy it. It's an advert that you pay for.

[BelovedCunt]

you buy it? why would anyone buy a supermarket magazine?

[Want2bSupermum]

I think there are men out there who are way busier than those three.

DH does the special meals and I do the everyday cooking (in batches). Most families today split the household jobs and many men are doing the cooking. I would let DH do the cooking full time but he couldn't make a filling low calorie dinner if his life depended on it.

[DontCallMePeanut]

I'm suprised Nick Clegg didn't just copy Dave...

[HopeForTheBest]

I've been getting increasingly irritated with the Sainsbury's Magazine (which I actually do like very much) because it's becoming more and more a "woman's mag", and what I'd always liked about it before was that it was based on food and cooking (with bits of other stuff too) but it was never so blatantly written for/to women (in that stereotypical way that other women's magazines are written).

I am, however, in two minds about this campaign. Whatever we would all like to think, I am willing to bet that most of the cooking in families in the UK is indeed done by the mums. So you can ignore that, or you can bring it to attention and perhaps try to change it.
Though I actually don't think a campaign in the SM will have any effect whatsoever on whether dads cook or not (and note: it's not "men" cooking, it's "dads" cooking).

I'm not really adding very much to this discussion, am I? :o

[Alibabaandthe80nappies]

Hopefor - yes I've found that too, but I guess it goes along with them having increasing numbers of non-food products in their stores.

[BitOfFun]

Dishy? I think the nineteen-seventies are missing a copywriter.

[fuzzpigFriday]

Hmm, sounds rather boak-inducing (DISHY? FFS!) but I think anything that persuades anyone at all to start cooking has to be a good thing really.

It's weird to me though, my dad did most of the cooking in my house, and I went on to marry an ex-chef! I can and do cook, but the whole 'little woman stuck in the kitchen while the man can barely boil an egg' idea is a bit baffling.