A few weeks ago the New York Times spotted a strange sub-species of male human known to lurk in wealthy suburbs during the daytime hours and even, from time to time, show up at educational institutions where their children were believed to attend. They thought this phenomenon deserved a name, and figured that a nickname from a 1983 movie would do the trick. We found it a bit odd that they felt the need to describe men who care for their own children by the term "Mr. Mom" when the word "father" seemed to cover it.
These men and the journalists who follow them seem to be migrating -- around New York City anyway. In this week’s Village Voice, I spotted this headline: "Actor Diego Luna Babysits, Talks About Gael Garcia Bernal." Sweet, right? The Mexican actor has taken a side job as a nanny? (Oh, right: manny. Somehow I keep forgetting that caregiving terms depend on the caretaker's gender). Or perhaps he is hanging out with his niece? Maybe the waitress at the restaurant asked him to hold her kid for a few minutes? Nope, Diego Luna is talking to a reporter while his own eight-month-old son is hanging out in his lap, eating the menu. Apparently that is "babysitting!" We can only hope the child's mother or nanny (the female kind!) was just taking a quick trip to the loo. Think of the children!
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