Foolish Fathers in Swedish Family Film: Involved Fatherhood and Middle-Class Masculinity as Spectacle

This chapter explores fatherhood and adult masculinity in the Swedish children’s film series about Sune (1993–2021). The Sune films showcase a cultural shift towards child-centredness, where men are increasingly expected to be involved, emotionally present, and spend time with their children. However, fathers in the Sune films are depicted as foolish as they try to portray themselves as more involved fathers than they actually are. The foolishness of the fathers also reflects class dynamics, as fatherhood is enacted in terms of attempts to attain upper middle-class status, where fathers present themselves as financially successful. However, these performances lack substance and consistently fail, or are at risk of failing. As a result, adult masculinity in the Sune films becomes a ridiculous spectacle that evokes laughter. The films exemplify how financial challenges in a neoliberal culture are individualised, turning the struggles of meeting the standards of middle-class fatherhood into personal flaws or failures.