Fathers in (Italian) TV Commercials : Between New Intimacy and Hegemonic Masculinity

This article analyses the representations of fathers in Italian TV advertisements. After conducting a content analysis of 55 TV spots, we found that, in line with the existing literature, fathers continue to be represented as playmates and rarely as primary caregivers. Although this resonates with research on Italian fatherhood, the represented men also enact a form of intimate fatherhood that is innovative because it involves a dimension that we label «familiarity» which is based on an emotional bond and a horizontal day-to-day interaction. Because this aspect is peculiar to the father-daughter relationship, we think this has to do with the social construction of and the socialization to masculinity.