I’m looking forward to Sh*t My Dad Says
If you live under a rock, here’s the scoop – – CBS has picked up a new sitcom that is based upon the Twitter account @ShitMyDadSays. The show will star William Shatner and Ryan Devlin. 
The ‘Shit My Dad Says ‘ account owner, Justin Halpern, started the Twitter account, which features lewd, hysterical comments and one liners said by his dad, after a bad breakup drove the then twenty-something to move back in to his dad’s house. CNN offers the run down and a few clips here (side note: Anyone who wants to comment on Phil Han’s horrible delivery can tweet me @pmaloney – my favorite line was that this was a “Reminder to us all that we never know who might be reading our Twitter page. So make sure it’s pretty good if you want a shot at your own show.”)
There are a ton of things I could bring up about this show:
1. How it makes me sad that they will have to verbalize the first word in the shows title as “Bleep”
2. That the Parents Television Council is condemning the show for curing in the title.
3. The historical significance of the first television show based upon a twitter account.
4. The fact that the only account that @ShitMyDadSays is following is that of LeVar Burton @levarburton
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfGhfI_NwcA]
I felt that this show, pass or fail, is significant in enough ways that it’s mention on this blog was justified.
The premise itself is funny – and familiar. Last year I had to make the hard decision to move my family into my father’s house. I was not familiar with Halpern’s twitter account, but was very familiar with the hysterical ramblings of a loud, cantankerous older man – my dad.
Leading up to the move, I thought often about starting up a blog of the crazy things my dad would shout out – usually at the television – and sharing it with friends and family who knew him. I thought at the time, I’d keep it a secret from him – because I wouldn’t want to compromise the integrity of his ramblings.
To Mr. Halpern’s credit – this is the stuff that makes social media so great. A real life version of what reality television strives for, honest entertainment.
For year’s he’d probably told and retold crazy musings from his dad. His friends that had bravely engaged the man in conversation probably told and retold, and are probably kicking themselves that they didn’t come up with the ShitJustinsDadSays Twitter account first.
Sadly, I did not start the ‘Quoting Mr. Davis blog’, and my dad passed away earlier this year. He would have thought the idea for this show was fantastic, though probably not as fantastic as Jan Michael Vincent or Mega-Shark Vs. Giant Octopus. (c’mon, the cgi megashark jumps out of the water and eats a cgi 747!)
by Pam Maloney
