Father’s Day show all about positive reinforcement – McFarlane

Creative director of Mack and Mack Innovations Delano McFarlane is promoting Father’s Day as a tool to engage Jamaican men in family life and the broader society.

McFarlane, who produces several events throughout the year, explained that entertainment can serve to educate as well as influence behaviour.

“It is an all of society approach that goes into encouraging women to become mothers. From the toys they are given as girls to the various ways motherhood is packaged and sold in the form of businesses offering discounts on Mother’s Day, to other items like concerts and shows that celebrate moms,” said McFarlane.

“However, fathers are almost completely neglected. Yeah, there are one and few events sprinkled into the social landscape but largely, fatherhood, particularly for black men, is framed in the lens of presumed absence, disappointment and general negativity,” added McFarlane.

According to McFarlane, positive reinforcement is a strategy that could prevent paternal absenteeism (The condition in which a father is physically or emotionally absent from a child’s life).

“My Father’s Day show does not pull in the ticket sales that my Mother’s Day show does. However, I still put on the show because I believe fathers need to be encouraged as well,” McFarlane said.

“The more men see others being embraced and celebrated for their positive behaviours, like taking up the mantle of fatherhood, the more others will see it as a worthwhile journey. Just like motherhood is a journey, it is also one for men,” he added.

McFarlane’s annual Father’s Day showcase will be held tomorrow at the Little Theatre in Kingston.

“Fathers are in for a treat. More than just good music, this year we are bringing out all the bells and whistles to truly make the event memorable,” he said.

“Plus, we have a special father and son pair that we hope the audience will be enamoured with,” he added.

The show, held in collaboration with Stage Records, boasts artistes such as George Nooks, Admiral Bailey, Gem Myers and Peter Metro.