“My Dad Is a Liar”: A Rhetorical Analysis

“My Dad Is a Liar” is a tear-jerking commercial by an Asian insurance company that illustrates the truism of the uncertainty of life and the threat that poverty and the economy pose to one’s future, especially that of children. It was shot in Thailand, but several other versions were created in other countries in Asia. It is an advertisement that promotes educational insurance for children to help them finish higher education and achieve their dreams in life. The ad is sponsored by MetLife.

The advertisement is about a father-daughter relationship, which creates a deeper and more emotional impact than usual ads do. It has a simple plot wherein the little girl writes a letter about her father, who has been a superhero to the little girl and has done everything just to provide the things needed by his daughter. The little girl notices and praises the sacrifices of her father; however, towards the end, she writes that her father is a liar (Bakutyte).

“How far would you go for your children?” This is the hidden message of the advertisement. It can be observed from the video that a person cannot alter his destiny; however, he can do something in order to create a better one. This is the message of the ad, which illustrates the value of education for children. Moreover, it is shown that the insurance company values the dreams of parents for their children, especially when it comes to providing education and creating a better life. The ad further demonstrates an understanding of how hard it is for parents to provide the things needed by their children and how they make ends meet in order to give their children the assurance of attaining higher education.

Wanting the best for their children is indeed the primary goal of every parent: the best shelter, upbringing, education, and life (Duczeminski). Great parents indeed want their offspring to have an optimum quality of life; hence, they do their best and make sacrifices just to provide for the needs of their children. Strusiewicz further emphasized that being a good parent means instilling good and desirable values in children in order to help them grow into healthy, conscientious, and triumphant individuals.

Indeed, it is true that parents are willing to make sacrifices for their children, and they sometimes mask their struggles from them. Just like in the advertisement, the father concealed all his sacrifices and difficulties from his daughter. In front of his daughter, he never admitted that he was hungry so that he could give the food to her. He never acknowledged the fact that he was tired and still kept going with his tiring work just to earn money for his daughter’s future. He even lied about having money when, in fact, they had nothing, and about having a job when he had actually been applying from one office to another and was not lucky enough to be accepted.

In the advertisement, the little girl writes an essay to her father, acknowledging and praising him and describing him as her superhero, the sweetest daddy in the whole world, the most intelligent, the cleverest, and the kindest (Bakutyte). Nevertheless, the child writes that her father has been lying to her. The child recognizes that her father has been lying about his job, about not being tired or hungry, and about having the money they need (Nudd). The child realizes that all the lies her father has told were definitely for her. This shows that despite the father’s efforts to pretend in front of his daughter, her inquisitive mind notices everything, and she realizes that her father is lying to her so that she can have a better life.

The advertisement shows the sacrifices and challenges of being a parent. It further shows that parenting is indeed a complex process that involves physical, emotional, social, financial, and intellectual aspects. These factors are indeed necessary for making child-rearing effective and successful. Indeed, it is not easy to be a parent. It is a lifelong and endless duty because, as parents, people have to consider not only what is needed by their children while they are young, but also how to make sure that these young individuals will have better lives in the future and develop into better people. Just as in the ad, it can be noted that parenting is indeed affected by various factors such as social class, the economy, culture, and civilization. These factors play significant roles in rearing a child, and this role is constantly challenged by economic factors and the conditions of society.

Works Cited

Duczeminski, Matt. “10 Things Parents Can Do to Make Their Kids Highly Successful.” Lifehack, 22 Apr. 2015, www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/10-things-parents-can-make-their-kids-highly-successful.html.

Nudd, Tim. “Ad of the Day: MetLife’s Doting Dad Is Also a Liar in This Ad with a Heartbreaking Twist.” Adweek, 12 Feb. 2015, www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/ad-day-metlifes-doting-dad-also-liar-ad-heartbreaking-twist-162919/.

Strusiewicz, Cezary Jan. “7 Things ‘Good Parents’ Do (That Screw Kids Up for Life).” Cracked, Nov. 2009.