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Opinion

Why I love the @manwhohasitall Twitter account

"The account flips sexism on its head and takes the often patronizing advice doled out to women and directs it at men."

stay-at-home-mom Photo: iStockphoto

The hunt for the woman who actually “has it all” is ongoing, but, fear not, at least there’s already a @manwhohasitall out there. The anonymous Twitter and Tumblr author, who claims to be a father of three, shares advice with other stressed-out dads, all while highlighting the ridiculousness of society’s obsession with constantly feeding advice to women. The Twitter bio reads “Top tips for men juggling a successful career and fatherhood.” Yes, it’s a joke. The account flips sexism on its head and takes the often-patronizing advice doled out to women and directs it at men. The man (or woman) behind this account is gaining followers faster than you can say “work-life balance is a myth.

Check out some of these satiric tweets:

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It’s hard to read the tweets without laughing out loud. But sadly, the reason they are so funny and strike a nerve is because they’re all true. The author’s strange mix of advice to “hydrate” and “meditate away the guilt” (mixed in with Suzy Homemaker tips) wouldn’t sound strange in the pages of many women’s magazines, but when it’s geared toward men, we see it for what it really is: ridiculous.

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Women are expected to be on an eternal quest to “have it all” in a society that demands so much from them. We’re expected to fulfill multiple roles while trying to look perfect, raise brilliant kids, have stimulating careers and live in dream homes decorated with Mason jars and twine. Women are supposed to “lean in” and feel guilty when they want some “me time,” while men manage to thwart these expectations. But what if working fathers were treated the same way as their female counterparts?

We’re so used to the double standard of women being asked, publicly and privately, how they manage to “do it all” that we sometimes forget the unfairness of the question. Men don’t have it all, and neither do women. But @manwhohasitall has my full attention because, at least as the author points out, with tongue planted firmly in cheek, we still have a long way to go before men and women are treated equally by today’s standards.

Emma Waverman is a writer, blogger and mom to three kids. She has many opinions, some of them fit to print. Read more of her articles here and follow her on Twitter @emmawaverman.

This article was originally published on Oct 29, 2015

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