Ellen DeGeneres

Obviously it’s not always possible to tell when the dad in an ad is a primary caregiver, but there’s been an increase in dad-centric TV commercials this year, with a move away from the doofus archetype of the past. This echoes the trend for more capable, hands-on fathers in movies and TV shows, but some brands have been slow to recognize that this is what viewers want.

Earlier this year, Huggies launched a series of TV spots that showed moms putting their products to the “dad test” —the implication being that if those big dopes could use ‘em, anyone could. The backlash was swift and vocal, with both moms and dads taking to the brand’s Facebook page to complain that the ads played on out of date stereotypes. Huggies was clearly panicked by the strength of the negative response: they yanked one of the ads, emphasized that they featured real couples rather than a fictionalized idea of what fathers are like, and even rushed to a daddy blogging conference to issue an “our bad”.

What’s interesting is that this criticism didn't come from the media or the feminist blogosphere but the intended audience, suggesting a real-world shift in attitudes towards stay-at-home dads (and hands-on fathers in general). But while Huggies’ campaign was unimaginative and hackneyed, it’s understandable: for years, the Homer Simpson-esque clueless papa has been a reliable and uncontroversial target for humor. He still features in many ads, like Kroger’s current Christmas commercial, where a woman informs us that her husband helps out at this time of year by doing his own wrapping (just like a grown-up!) — and then we see said wrapping, and it’s atrocious.

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• Civil rights activist Patricia Stephens Due died at 72 this week. 
• NPR Fresh Air's interview with Meryl Streep covers her latest role as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. 
• Oklahoma Democratic State Senator Constance Johnson offered up a "spilled semen" amendment to the Personhood Bill to "draw attention to the absurdity, duplicity and lack of balance inherent in the policies of this state in regard to women." 
• Racialicious covers the new reality show, Shahs of Sunset, which follows the lives of Iranian-Americans. With the show's producer Ryan Seacrest, it is purpoted to be the "Persian Version" of Jersey Shore. 
• Ellen DeGeneres stands up to One Million Moms who have pressured JC Penny to not use her as a spokeswoman because of her sexual orientation. 
• Nichelle Nichols speaks out about what it was like to be black actress on Star Trek in the '60s. 
• Delta had the first all female African-American flight crew last week. 
• California Proposition 8 was struck down by the three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. 
• End on a Good Note responds to the backlash M.I.A. received from flipping the bird during her Super Bowl halftime performance. 

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Last night, Ellen DeGeneres made her debut as a judge on American Idol and ratings soared. Also this week, her wife Portia de Rossi announced plans for her tell-all memoir and shared her feelings on gay marriage, eating disorders and being out in Hollywood as the cover girl of The Advocate. A lesbian power couple? You bet. The ideal lesbian poster women? More than ever.

Portia and Ellen are hugely influential gay women that are very important to lesbian visibility. Prior to meeting Portia, Ellen was very private and, outside of coming out in the '90s, remained relatively quiet on the subject of gay rights or sexuality in general. After she and Portia announced their nuptial plans, and allowed People magazine to capture the event, they have become outspoken on the topic of LGBT rights and we are only better off for it.