Swiffer's Ad Nauseum

Swiffer wants to know: "Is that a mirage, or a man doing housework?"

Saints be praised, it is a man doing housework!  Who knew it was possible for a MAN to HELP around the house?  Oh, where are my smelling salts??

Ugh.

If you know me, you know I hate men-bashing commercials.  And men-bashing tv shows (which, unfortunately, is just about all of them).  And that stupid Carrie Underwood song where she sings about vandalizing her boyfriend's car after he cheats on her.  (Imagine a man singing a song about slashing the tires and bashing in the headlights on his cheating girlfriend's car.  Yep, domestic violence gives you such warm fuzzies, doesn't it?)  Not to mention companies that portray men as such brainless, helpless idiots that they would ingest dog treats when famished (Pepto Bismol, I'm talking to you).

I like Swiffer products, I really do.  But I can't stand the implication that a man doing housework is such a rare event that it would be considered newsworthy.  I realize my husband is a bit cleaner than the average Joe...  All right, all right, I think he would follow the average Joe around with a bottle of Lysol (he actually says things on regular basis like, "The baseboards really need to be cleaned" -- which is good because it means he notices such things.  It is also bad because it means he notices such things).  But, there is not a single husband among the hundreds I've met who has not been willing to help with the upkeep of his own house.  Not one.  So why do we treat it like such an anomaly?

Even in the case of husbands who don't voluntarily leap to use the toilet brush on a regular basis, why can we not stretch our self-focused little minds to consider that going to work every day actually is helping around the house? (You know, by earning the money that keeps the lights on and food on the table?)  Yes, I think we can all agree that men should roll up their sleeves and give their wives a hand at home.  But their wives should ditch the petty score-keeping and appreciate the contributions their husbands are making to the home.

Couples who are true equals recognize that they are a team working toward the common goal of raising a family.  Therefore, it doesn't matter who changes the most diapers or who does the most dishes any more than it matters who earns the most money or turns in the most quarterly reports.  What matters is that both partners are willing to do what is necessary to take care of the family.

Sometimes that means dusting and sometimes it doesn't.  But it always means treating your spouse with respect.

For the record, Swiffer, that's R-E-S-P-E-C-T.

Let's stop and have some.