2.05.2007

It's Silly and In Poor Taste, But...


...I spent the earlier part of this evening with my sister, her husband, my 18-month old nephew Teddy, and my 11 day old nephew Tommy. When my brother-in-law returned from work, looking every bit the part of the Office Space employee, I was reminded of the early days, 18 months ago, when he always looked like a new dad.
At that time I had found an amusing piece in Details depicting the new-dad-look, comparing it to a gay man. I had always thought of Details as a more progressive magazine, so I assumed it was not meant to be an offensive article, though my relentless search on the web to find the image seen here revealed it was taken by some as being in poor taste.

However

(and on to the point of this assignment)
This is a great example of contrast using a single image of an average looking man, obviously a new dad (as the baby strapped to his chest)...yet a few choice phrases/double entendres raise question to his identity, as the title of the piece says: "Gay or New Dad?"

Since the title is cut off, I have attached the total text of the intro: Gay or New Dad?
One wields a soft pacifier, the other pacifies his bundle of joy with something stiffer. Whether your little man keeps you up all night or vice versa, being someone's daddy requires a firm hand. So keep the baby wipes nearby, because when you're new to rearing, things can get a little messy.


The better piece of comparison is from Baltimore Style Magazine, April 2005. I need to scan in some pieces, but there is an entire section debating whether Baltimore is a Northern or Southern state (an answer has yet to be found). The best quote I found concerning this debate was "Local versifier Ogden Nash hedged his bets, calling Baltimore the 'tip of the South and the toe of the North.'"
When I get the pieces scanned in, I'll be posting them.
Thanks!

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