What's with the "Dumb Daddy" trope?
- kaitlynbivens
- Jul 20, 2022
- 2 min read
Well, it's no secret that it's practically a trope at this point. Smart, voice of reason mother, and though the kid(s) vary in personality, there's, more often than not, a dimwitted, and in some cases, lazy father. What's with this trope? When did it start? These are questions that I myself asked and wanted answers to. In this blog, these questions will be answered as I dig deeper into the "Dumb Daddy" trope.
In my unprofessional opinion, it all started in the late 80s. Through the majority of the 1980s and before, most family sitcoms (situation comedies), followed a very similar theme of a loving family with a voice of reason father, and a caring mother. However, this too was an overused trope in shows like "The Brady Bunch", "Family Ties", "The Cosby Show", "Growing Pains", etc. This all changed in 1987 with a show called "Married... with Children". The series followed Al Bundy, his wife Peggy, and their children Kelly and bud. Regardless that Kelly was a "dimwitted" character and Bud a "smart-aleck", we're going to focus on the parents since the blog's about fathers. Though not particularly a "Dumb Daddy", Al Bundy is a guy who dislikes his family. Peggy is definitely a different take on a sitcom wife, as she is "lazy" and mocks her husband rather than act loving to him. This was certainly new territory for a "family", I use the word lightly in this case, sitcom. This is where family sitcoms turned a corner and no longer had to follow the same happy nuclear family theme. But "Married... with Children" didn't do this alone. They had a little help from a show called "The Simpsons".
"The Simpsons" debut was in 1987 on "The Tracey Ullman Show" showcasing a dysfunctional family. Later in 1989, the shorts were turned into a full-on series. The show followed Homer Simpson, his wife Marge, and children Bart, Lisa, and Maggie. Homer was a dimwitted person and Marge was the voice of reason. This is the first instance of the "Dumb Daddy" trope that I could find.
I can only assume that due to the success of "The Simpsons", others may have "borrowed" from the theme just a little. I believe that "Family Guy" definitely pulled from this because Peter Griffin meets the criteria of the "Dumb Daddy" trope. In modern times there are plenty of shows that use the "Dumb Daddy" trope, however, I believe we may be starting to pull away from this. I've seen more and more shows become more inclusive and unique in their plots. It would be great to get more variety in family sitcoms. This was a brief look into the "Dumb Daddy" trope.
Disclaimer: This blog may be slightly inaccurate due to the use of my opinion and to lack of thorough research because these blogs are just for fun. If you have anything to add, feel free to email me, use the chat option, or just comment below. Remember everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Thanks for reading!
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