The Dad Thread

[drew]

For the first 3ish years of each of my kids life, the kids shows were limited to a couple of the PBS staples, Super Why, Sid the Science Kid, and few others.

Then the kids each went thru a Peppa Pig phase. I actually didn't mind that show, and the kids picked up some temporary accents on a couple words which was hilarious.

Also a fan of Teen Titans Go - that one made me giggle.

Now they just zombie-out on You Tube shorts or whatever their version of tik tok is called.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by drew

For the first 3ish years of each of my kids life, the kids shows were limited to a couple of the PBS staples, Super Why, Sid the Science Kid, and few others.

Then the kids each went thru a Peppa Pig phase. I actually didn't mind that show, and the kids picked up some temporary accents on a couple words which was hilarious.

Also a fan of Teen Titans Go - that one made me giggle.

Now they just zombie-out on You Tube shorts or whatever their version of tik tok is called.

Peppa was big in my house too... my daughter is 7 and still watches it sometimes.

Between my son's early childhood fondness for Peppa (which I always appreciated, there is a strong subtle wit in that show typical of the British that you seldom see in childrens' shows) and his current enthusiasm for FIFA 22 and televised soccer, he can do a killer British accent

I will say, with streaming services and the plethora of kid content, my kids are definitely watching more high-quality, kid appropriate content than I did when I was a child. By the time I was 9 I was watching various evening sitcoms, and inappropriate rated R movies that my kids have never seen the likes of.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

I don't miss the days of "Wonderpets", "Four Square" (and the insufferable 'Captain Hup'...Captain Hupette was better), "Into the Night Garden", and "This is Emily Yeung"/"This is Daniel Cook").

Captain Hup. Look at this dweeb.


Heppity heppity heppity hop

Hoopla hoopla hoo hoo

Heppity heppity heppity hop

Hoopla heply ho

Heppity heppity heppity hop

Hoopla hoopla hoo hoo

Heppity heppity heppity hop

Hoopla heply ho

Hoopla heply ho

Hoopla heply ho... (dancers leave the shot)

Not familiar with those but you would loooove Blippi.

• Video Link

It was recently discovered that he made gross out Jackass style videos a decade or so ago that are very child unfriendly. Including one where he took a shit on his friend.

Then there's the best and brightest from Kyrgyzstan:
• Video Link

If I never see another D Billions video again I will die happy.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by harls

I think I liked 4 Square because of the tight suits on the hupettes.

Broke up the monotony of Daniel Cook, the tumblyboos of Night Garden, Max and Ruby, Toopy and Binoo, and my most favorite of all.. CAILLOU.

Thankfully my son never liked Caillou.

[O-tacular]

Speaking of Peppa Pig I cannot watch that without giggling:

[esquire]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

Not familiar with those but you would loooove Blippi.

• Video Link

It was recently discovered that he made gross out Jackass style videos a decade or so ago that are very child unfriendly. Including one where he took a shit on his friend.

When my son was younger, Blippi was just a random youtuber but I see he has blown up into a major kid-entertainment celebrity who tours and sells products in major stores.

I can only imagine how much these big-time kid-oriented youtubers earn... have you seen the $100 million complex in Texas that Dude Perfect is building?

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by esquire

When my son was younger, Blippi was just a random youtuber but I see he has blown up into a major kid-entertainment celebrity who tours and sells products in major stores.

I can only imagine how much these big-time kid-oriented youtubers earn... have you seen the $100 million complex in Texas that Dude Perfect is building?

Not familiar with Dude Perfect. It's insane what some of the YouTube people make. Wasn't that douche Aaron Paul a kids Youtuber before he became an attention whore UFC contender? Wasn't his channel shutdown after livestreaming a dead body in Japan's suicide forest?

[Nashe]

Originally Posted by esquire

Is that... supposed to look like a crashed jet? Cuz it looks like a crashed jet.

[Hawrylyshyn]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

Not familiar with Dude Perfect. It's insane what some of the YouTube people make. Wasn't that douche Aaron Paul a kids Youtuber before he became an attention whore UFC contender? Wasn't his channel shutdown after livestreaming a dead body in Japan's suicide forest?

I chuckled at this, so close yet so far from getting it right.
- Jake Paul**
- Initially a Disney actor, then Youtuber
- Not UFC contender, but a "want to be boxer". All he ever fought were celebrities (other Youtubers, retired basketball player, guys way older or way smaller). He finally fought a professional (but bad) boxer that matched age/size and he lost
- It was actually his brother Logan that did that. I have no idea how he was allowed back (actually, pretty sure Jake went out looting during the BLM riots and went live with that too...)


But yes, him (and his brother) are HUGE douches.

[esquire]

^ The Dude Perfect guys are not like that... they are trick shot artists, they're funny guys. No douchiness

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ The Dude Perfect guys are not like that... they are trick shot artists, they're funny guys. No douchiness

Oh I didn't mean to imply that. I don't know anything about them. Thought of that Paul guy cause he was the first one to make it huge that I recall. Blippi is also quite wealthy.

[O-tacular]

Originally Posted by Hawrylyshyn

I chuckled at this, so close yet so far from getting it right.
- Jake Paul**
- Initially a Disney actor, then Youtuber
- Not UFC contender, but a "want to be boxer". All he ever fought were celebrities (other Youtubers, retired basketball player, guys way older or way smaller). He finally fought a professional (but bad) boxer that matched age/size and he lost
- It was actually his brother Logan that did that. I have no idea how he was allowed back (actually, pretty sure Jake went out looting during the BLM riots and went live with that too...)


But yes, him (and his brother) are HUGE douches.

Thanks for the correction. You know a lot about them.

[Hawrylyshyn]

Originally Posted by O-tacular

Thanks for the correction. You know a lot about them.

Yup, I know more than I wish I did. I'm a big boxing fan, and unfortunately this clown brings in money so his fights frequently brought up and promoted.

My old roommates were also fans of their Youtube channels and it was often playing on the common room TV.

[Acajack]

I am not going through a midlife crisis and am certainly not depressive, but as I slowly approach my mid-50s, retirement and the day that my kids truly fly on their own, I am getting a bit reflective and nostalgic. Thinking of what I've done and haven't done in my life.

One conclusion I've come to is that if I didn't have my kids, there is a good chance I'd be depressive these days.

Because even if I didn't have them, the chances are still pretty slim that I'd have way more money, properties in exotic places, and that I'd be living an amazing Peter Ustinov boulevardier existence. I really doubt that I'd be the VP of the Montreal Canadiens, or the en vogue owner of the coolest chain of hipster cafés in town. I'd probably have the same wife (which is fine), live in the same area, with similar types of friends - though more of them would no doubt be childless.

Essentially the same guy - just without my kids.

[hipster duck]

Originally Posted by Acajack

I am not going through a midlife crisis and am certainly not depressive, but as I slowly approach my mid-50s, retirement and the day that my kids truly fly on their own, I am getting a bit reflective and nostalgic. Thinking of what I've done and haven't done in my life.

One conclusion I've come to is that if I didn't have my kids, there is a good chance I'd be depressive these days.

Because even if I didn't have them, the chances are still pretty slim that I'd have way more money, properties in exotic places, and that I'd be living an amazing Peter Ustinov boulevardier existence. I really doubt that I'd be the VP of the Montreal Canadiens, or the en vogue owner of the coolest chain of hipster cafés in town. I'd probably have the same wife (which is fine), live in the same area, with similar types of friends - though more of them would no doubt be childless.

Essentially the same guy - just without my kids.

Chris Rock is making waves for all the wrong reasons right now, but back during the height of the pandemic the NY Times had a good interview with him where he observed that, at the end of your life, the people who take care of you and are by your bedside are your spouse (if they're still alive) and your kids. He ends off saying "Enjoy them while you have them. But if you think your friends are your long-term solution to loneliness, you’re an idiot."

[esquire]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

Chris Rock is making waves for all the wrong reasons right now, but back during the height of the pandemic the NY Times had a good interview with him where he observed that, at the end of your life, the people who take care of you and are by your bedside are your spouse (if they're still alive) and your kids. He ends off saying "Enjoy them while you have them. But if you think your friends are your long-term solution to loneliness, you’re an idiot."

That's fair. But it's also a bit harsh. Some people are not single and/or childless by choice.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by esquire

That's fair. But it's also a bit harsh. Some people are not single and/or childless by choice.

There is also a YMMV angle to this that can't be denied (some people die surrounded by friends, some people are ignored by their kids) but for a huge chunk of the population, yes it probably plays out like Chris Rock said.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

Chris Rock is making waves for all the wrong reasons right now, but back during the height of the pandemic the NY Times had a good interview with him where he observed that, at the end of your life, the people who take care of you and are by your bedside are your spouse (if they're still alive) and your kids. He ends off saying "Enjoy them while you have them. But if you think your friends are your long-term solution to loneliness, you’re an idiot."

I agree with Chris Rock.

My father was insanely popular as a young man. He led the student union for years at Sir George Williams (Concordia) University. He was extremely extroverted, self-deprecating, and endearing, and he had a ton of friends. For much of his life he kept in touch with his friends, even as he moved around (eventually to the West Coast and Okanagan Valley, where he met plenty of new friends). When he was diagnosed terminal with cancer, he did have some phone chats with friends, but none came to visit him. He died with me and one of my two brothers by his side, in a hospital in the Okanagan. A month later, we had a burial ceremony in the town where he grew up (Danville, Quebec). Family came, including his three sons, grandchildren (my two kids), ex-wife (my mom, and her current husband), my wife, my wife's parents, my wife's brother and his wife, my dad's sister and her husband, and one of my best friends and his sons. None of my father's living friends showed up (despite me having been in telephone contact with about five of them, with three saying they would come).

Only (some) family sticks around at the end.

[O-tacular]

I watched the Chris Rock special last night. Wasn't as bad or offensive as I heard it made out to be. I mean it's Chris Rock. He talked about fatherhood and revealed how he got his otherwise spoiled daughter expelled from a private school when he was being pressured to lawyer up and let her get away with drinking on a trip to Portugal. Had some relatable and funny commentary on the frustration of raising young kids (one of whom was a biter) and the times where he loved his kids but didn't like them.

Also funny to hear him talk about white men trying to overthrow themselves as the government on Jan 06th. The Will Smith segment was a tiny footnote at the end.

[harls]

Originally Posted by esquire

I never found Caillou all that annoying?!

I loathe Caillou. Even my kids asked me why he was so annoying.