Guest post by Jessica Huerta, MA
Captain, US Air Force, Ret., UCLA Teaching Fellow, and DCG Dadvisory Team Member
EDITOR'S NOTE: Today's guest post is timely for two reasons. The first is obvious in that it follows last Sunday's Super Bowl, a massive media and commercial event in which several positive daddying moments were on full display before, during, and after the game. The second, unfortunately, is a negative one that may have flown under most people's radar but is no less important to address. While the Google ad discussed in Jessica's commentary below deserves praise for its positive daddying messages and reinforcing the importance of dads as equal, competent parenting partners, so should the corporation that created it be called out for inconsistent actions in other areas of its business, which do not reflect an alleged dedication to equality and inclusion.
Google ran a wonderful, "pro-fatherhood" Super Bowl ad on Sunday. At the same time it had quietly capitulated to political pressure by removing all cultural-related observances from its Google Calendar app, including Black History Month, Indigenous People's Month, Holocaust Remembrance Day, Pride Month, and Hispanic Heritage Month [the company claims it deleted the listings months ago, which, honestly, doesn't make the situation any better]. When the time came to stand up for equality and inclusion, Google punted just like the NFL did when it decided to remove the "End Racism" message from endzones ahead of the big game. Similar pressures persuaded the company this week to inexplicably change the nomenclature for the Gulf of Mexico on its Google Maps app. All this on the heals of last month's report that the tech giant refuses to add fact checks to search results and YouTube videos or use them in ranking or removing content, defying requirements of a law recently passed by the EU.
We have always said that when it comes to kids and families, there are not "two sides of the aisle." But, as editor, I feel it's my duty to provide readers with this needed context. As is often the case these days, a corporation's actions have been inconsistent with its public message. We hope Google soon reverses the decision to delete cultural observances from its calendar app along with all its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and, in the future, it will do more than pay lip service to supporting a stronger, more diverse, and inclusive workforce. Daddy on. - Scott Beller
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Super Bowl commercials often provide a snapshot of cultural shifts, capturing the evolving values of American society. Google’s Super Bowl LIX ad, Dream Job, is a striking example of how fatherhood is being redefined in contemporary media. Once depicted primarily as breadwinners, fathers are now represented as emotionally available, hands-on caregivers whose parenting experiences shape not only their personal lives but also their professional identities.
The ad follows a father using the artificial intelligence (AI) tool Gemini Live to prepare for a job interview (Adweek, Barnett 2025). As he refines his answers with AI assistance, the commercial interweaves flashbacks of his parenting moments, like negotiating bedtime stories, collaborating on Halloween costumes, and supporting his daughter’s growth. These vignettes suggest that fatherhood is no longer just a responsibility but also a source of wisdom and leadership skills that extend beyond the home. The ad conveys that the traits of a good father — patience, adaptability, and collaboration — are also the traits of a valuable employee.
This narrative reflects a shift away from the 19th- and early 20th-century, industrial-era model of fatherhood, where men were expected to be distant financial providers while women managed the home. This separate-spheres ideology, however, was not always the norm.
Before the Industrial Revolution, fathers were deeply involved in raising and educating their children, particularly in agrarian and artisan households where work and family life were intertwined. The expectation that men would be emotionally removed from domestic life is a relatively recent development in historical terms. Today, we are witnessing a return to a more integrated model of fatherhood, one that acknowledges caregiving as a core aspect of masculinity rather than a departure from it.
This high-profile, Super Bowl commercial, with more than 125 million viewers, does more than just reflect change, it sends a message to validate dads. In a culture where men often are expected to define themselves through work and achievement, Dream Job presents fatherhood as a transformative experience that enriches a man’s sense of self.
Parenthood fosters patience, love, and a deeper understanding of connectedness. It helps men grow not just as fathers, but also as full human beings. Google’s ad affirms that caregiving isn’t a limitation, it’s an expansion of what it means to be a man.
Parenthood fosters patience, love, and a deeper understanding of connectedness. It helps men grow not just as fathers, but also as full human beings. Google’s ad affirms that caregiving isn’t a limitation, it’s an expansion of what it means to be a man.
By positioning AI as a tool that helps this father articulate the value of his caregiving experiences, the ad reinforces the legitimacy of fatherhood as a formative and professionalizing role. The message is clear: being a good dad isn’t just about providing financially, it’s about being present, engaged, and emotionally available. This represents a stark departure from past media portrayals of fathers as either disciplinarians or comedic figures struggling with aspects of domestic life, including child care.
Google’s campaign is marketing AI, yes, but it's also reinforcing a cultural transformation among humans. In an era where workplaces are gradually recognizing the importance of work-life balance and parental leave policies, the ad serves as a powerful reminder that fatherhood is not a distraction from professional success but a part of it.
The Dream Job ad isn’t the only place we saw this cultural shift of fatherhood on display on Super Bowl Sunday. Another moving moment came before the game when Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley received a heartfelt message from his daughter, assuring him that, win or lose, she would love him no matter what. This simple yet profound exchange is a testament to his committed parenting, reflecting a fatherhood that is connected, emotionally available, and responsive to children's needs as they grow.
At the end of the game, Eagles coach Nick Siriani lifted his children during his victory celebration, showing millions of viewers that fatherhood is just as much a part of success as professional achievement. In a space dominated by toughness and competition, these moments reinforced another powerful message:
Being a champion isn’t just about what happens on the field — it’s about who you are and what you do beyond it.
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Watch Barkley’s daughter’s message HERE and see the post-game celebration with Siriani HERE. And we'll never forget Jalen Hurts' long, tearful embrace with his dad after the game underscoring two important aspects of daddying that Daddying Film Festival & Forum (D3F) Founder Allan Shedlin often notes: it's "lifelong" and "crying is a strength."
Daddy on.
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Jessica Huerta and her husband, Eddie, are parents to two school-aged children. Jessica is a sociologist trained from the University of California, Los Angeles, a retired Captain from the United States Air Force, and a Pat Tillman Foundation Scholar. Jessica’s work has focused on widening ideas of what women and men can do. She has published work on identifying how journalists discuss women’s expanded roles in combat. She led a team of military photojournalists to highlight excellence in various occupational roles while incorporating the rich diversity of the armed forces regarding race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender, and sexuality. She takes pride in her team’s creative choices to craft informational videos about women’s expanded freedom to be their authentic selves and service members’ perspectives of their roles as fathers. Currently, Jessica has focused on fatherhood representations in multi-media. Particularly, she is interested in how dads who wear babies are depicted in social media, advertising, and TV/films. She aspires to showcase that dads are not a monolith; instead, dads come in all shapes and sizes, and colors, and smiles, tearful cries, and laughter. Jessica is a strong advocate for fathers’ desires to be more involved with children while pushing for enhanced workplace policies that accommodate the wellbeing of employees who are also caregivers.
