Casey’s Literary Rants

Casey Literary RantsIn which I rant about Dads

Because this past Sunday was Father’s Day, I figured I would use this rant to rant about all the amazing Dads out there. But instead of just ranting about them, I’ve created a list of my top 5 favorite Dads.

Hal-malcolm-in-the-middle5. Hal from the T.V. show Malcom in the Middle. To be honest, Hal is probably one of the worst Dads ever. He lets his sons get away with anything and is constantly makes poor decisions (if you’ve watched at least one episode of the show, you know what I mean). For example, in one episode, he pretended to be a devout Christan so he could join a church and have the members help him rebuild his house. He did later confess and apologize because he does have a conscious, though he doesn’t always listen to it. Yet, his antics are hilarious and teach in a “don’t do as I do” sort of way. His classic words of advice to his sons are:

Boys, let me tell you something, the only way I’ve managed to get through my crappy life with any shred of self worth is by living in denial! If I was gonna let myself get beaten by failure I would’ve quit after one kid!

I put him on this list because of his failures. No one is perfect, and Hal’s bumbling idiocy is something everyone can related to (at least at one point in their lifetime.) Plus watching him is just plan funny, and laughter is good for the soul.

Chris Gardner4. Chris Gardner from the movie, The Pursuit of Happiness. You may find that Chris, characterized by Will Smith, is very different from Hal. Thrown into a bad situation with a divorce and economic problems hitting him hard, he man must find a way to support himself and his son through these hard times. He is smart, and obviously cares about his son more than anything else in the world. This movie portrays an all too realistic, life-changing endeavor that made me cry so hard I actually had to pause the movie while I let it all out. It expresses the hardships that come with being a Dad, and the sacrifices one must make for their children.

arthur3. Mr. Weasley from the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling. Oh Mr. Weasley, how I adore you! From the start, it is quite clear that Mr. Weasley is not only a kind, and caring father, but a realistic one at that. He loves his family, and wife, as he clearly expresses throughout the Harry Potter series, and keeps up his good humor despite the large number of strong personalities occupying their tiny house. Mr. Weasley balances out his wife’s strict demeanor, coming across as almost kooky. His odd obsession with muggle (non-magic people) nicknacks/technology, his staunch beliefs in equality, and stepping up to the front lines of battle when the time called for it, all display the diversity of Mr. Weasley’s character and the qualities that make him a great Dad.

Hal from Taken2. Bryan Mills from the movie Taken. If you’ve seen this movie, you know Bryan Mills is the ulitmate kick ass dad out there. After reluctantly letting his 17 year old daughter, Kim, go to Paris and warning her about all the dangers out there, she was abducted by sex slave traders. Instead of saying “I told you so,” (which I so would have done, at least a million times) he flew to Paris and against all odds tracked her down, leaving a plethora of dead bodies and destruction in his wake. And if saving her life wasn’t enough, Bryan never missed a single of one Kim’s birthdays. Even when he had been away on a mission (we never learn exactly what his job was in the movie). Who wouldn’t want a dad who would literally kill to protect you and would defy direct orders just to see you on your birthday? (Although, bringing a boyfriend home for a meet the parents probably wouldn’t end so well.)

And saving the best for first place:

1. My Dad. (Bet you didn’t see that one coming, did you?) Yep, my Dad is the best Dad ever for so many reasons there is absolutely no way I’ll ever be able to list them all. He thinks that running into burning buildings is fun, which is why he became a volunteer firefighter about seven years ago. He’s saved countless lives and put out a multitude of house fires, all without getting anything in return (which, in my eyes, makes him a true hero).  But no matter what’s going on in his life, he’s always there for my sisters and I. And yes, he completely spoils us. He once took my older sister out of school just so they could go to the beach and surf the waves created by a hurricane. He lets my younger sister do pretty much whatever she wants, including going to the beach with her best friend on Father’s Day (though he does get a second Father’s Day in return for that). As for me, I was the first person allowed to ride in his ’93 Ford Mustang convertible and the first person allowed to drive it. (And I get to keep driving it to work/school until I save up enough money to buy my own car.) Sometimes we can veg out in front of the tv and have some quality father/daughter bonding time while watching The Walking Dead, Tremors or other zombie filled horror movies. My Dad is also my rock and my best supporter. He continually tells me to follow my dreams and do what I want to do, not what other people tell me to do. I’ve already started following that advice, both with my part-time job at the public library and with my reviewing “job” here at LE. They’re what I love doing. And to top it all off, my amazing Dad makes the best Chicken Parmesan in the entire world. (Not that I’m biased, or anything…)

Being a Dad is probably one of the hardest job out there. Having to deal with angsty teenage daughters or taking sons (or daughters) to the ER after some crazy stunt – none of that is easy. So this is my shout out/salute/cheers to every Dad out there. Keep on being amazing and one day your children will thank you (and even say “I love you, Dad!”).

About Casey 203 Articles
Casey is the founder of Heart Full of Ink, Director at Reading Until Dawn Con, and a full time cheese addict. She's been ranting and reviewing for Literary Escapism since 2010, and is part of the trio #3Bloggers1Series podcast. When she's not reading, looking for new books, or stalking authors online (waiting for more books), she can be found binge watching Netflix. But really, her life is all about DEM BOOKS!