7 social media dads who show how cool fatherhood really is.

Doyin Richards
12.21.15

There was time when "dad on Facebook" meant someone logging in once a week to make sure his kids weren't getting into any mischief.

That isn't the case anymore, not by a long shot (although we definitely still keep an eye on our kids).

There are are thousands of amazing dads on social media who are spreading great messages on modern fatherhood, but I want to recognize these seven men for the diverse work they do.

1. The dad who illustrates what parenthood is like using "fowl language."

In the summer of 2013, Brian Gordon created a comic called "Fowl Language" as a way to vent his frustrations about the day-to-day challenges of parenthood (don't worry, most of his comics do not contain any obscenities). I'll go out on a limb by saying you're not going to find a more relatable set of parenting comics anywhere.

Like this one.

An original comic from Brian's Fowl Language website, used with permission.

What's awesome about him?

You gotta love a guy who has the courage to follow his dreams.

"After surviving several rounds of layoffs, it finally ended up being my turn this past June," Brian told me. "With few other options, I decided to pursue my dream job as a full-time cartoonist. After some recent high-profile exposure from sites like Upworthy, I was able to grow my audience to the point where I could begin to provide for my family."

Due to that exposure, Brian received a book deal. Be on the lookout for "Fowl Language: Welcome to Parenting" hitting a book store near you in March 2016. Until then, you can follow his fowl adventures on Facebook and Instagram.

2 and 3. The guys who show the world how to be a dad.

Photo of Charlie and Andy of How to Be a Dad used with permission.

Charlie Capen and Andy Herald are two sleep-deprived dads living in Southern California figuring out this fatherhood thing with their respective families. How to Be a Dad is not so much a "how-to" but a "how-not-to" for dads, moms, soon-to-be dads, and even those with no plans of procreating whatsoever.

What's awesome about them?

In the wake of so many parenting experts and gurus, these guys decided to offer humor and in-the-trenches satire as a counter to all of seriousness and perfectionism. They've been on countless television shows and websites spreading their daddy goodness all over the world.


Be sure to check them out on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

4. The vigilante of fatherhood.

Forget the streets of Gotham City, BatDad does his work at home. Photo from Blake Wilson, used with permission.

Blake Wilson is a father of four who lives in Georgia and is the guy behind BatDad. Basically, picture Batman as a dad with an incredible sense of humor.

What's awesome about him?

The dude is absolutely hilarious, and I'm not the only one who thinks that. Blake has millions of followers on Facebook and Vine. If you're in need of a laugh, just check out his work. You will not be disappointed.

5. The man who wants every father to be an "all in" dad.

Photo of Josh Levs used with permission.

After 20 years of reporting for NPR and CNN, Josh Levs, a father of three, focuses his new book "All In" on dispelling myths about today’s dads and moms and explaining the necessity of new policies such as paid family leave.

What's awesome about him?

Josh is truly a pioneer. He tells his own story of taking on a policy at CNN's parent company Time Warner that prevented him from being able to care for his newborn preemie daughter and sick wife.

As a result of his legal action and the publicity surrounding them, the company revolutionized its policy, making it much better for dads and moms. The change made the company better and stronger, which will open the doors for other companies to follow suit.

Learn more about him and his work by following him on Twitter.

6. The activist dad.

Photo of Whit Honea used with permission.

Whit Honea is the author of "The Parents’ Phrase Book," the co-founder of Dads 4 Change, and the social media director for the annual Dad 2.0 Summit. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and two sons.

What's awesome about him?

Whit is also a pioneer. Dads 4 Change uses its social channels to provide a platform for families to share and connect with the causes and charitable organizations that they're passionate about as well as a space to celebrate the craft of storytelling via the personal narratives that shape and inspire their activism.

It’s about dads using their voice, be it writing, video, or other, to promote their actions and vice versa, all of which leads us so much closer to the common goal of making a happier world for everyone.

7. The dad who will teach you how to do your daughter's 'do.

Phil and his daughter Emma, used with permission.

In case you missed it, Phil Morgese is a single dad who's a whiz when it comes to styling his daughter's hair.

Here's a quick sample of his work.

Emma showing off one of her daddy's creations. Photo from Phil Morgese, used with permission.

Now he wants to help other dads learn, too.

He encourages men to visit his Daddy Daughter Hair Factory Facebook page, where he hopes dads will feel comfortable to ask questions, seek support, and receive advice. He's also in the process of creating an online course so he can pass on his learnings virtually to parents who need help.

What's awesome about him?

All of his classes are completely free.

"If I charged for the class, it would be viewed as a business instead of a service to the community," Phil said. "I want to serve the community and do my small part to make the world a better place."

This is just a small sample of the great dads who use their influence to improve the world.

It could be a laugh, a tip, or an inspirational stance, but these guys are showing everyone how cool it is to be a dad.

The good news for all of us is that people are listening.

fatherhood dads brian gordon fowl language charlie capen andy herald how to be a dad blake wilson batdad josh levs whit honea dads 4 change dad 2.0 summit phil morgese daddy daughter hair factory
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Florida city forecloses on man's home after fining him $30,000 for not mowing his lawn.

Youtube

Should a man lose his home because the grass in his yard grew higher than 10 inches? The city of Dunedin, Florida seems to think so.

According to the Institute of Justice, which is representing Jim Ficken, he had a very good reason for not mowing his lawn – and tried to rectify the situation as best he could.

In 2014, Jim's mom became ill and he visited her often in South Carolina to help her out. When he was away, his grass grew too long and he was cited by a code office; he cut the grass and wasn't fined.

France has started forcing supermarkets to donate food instead of throwing it away.

But several years later, this one infraction would come back to haunt him after he left to take care of him's mom's affairs after she died. The arrangements he made to have his grass cut fell through (his friend who he asked to help him out passed away unexpectedly) and that set off a chain reaction that may result in him losing his home.

The 69-year-old retiree now faces a $29,833.50 fine plus interest. Watch the video to find out just what Jim is having to deal with.

Mow Your Lawn or Lose Your House! www.youtube.com

florida dunedin lawn mowing jim ficken
Cities

Michelle Obama named 'most admired woman in the world,' because of course she is.

The world can't get enough Michelle.

Jimmy Kimmel Live/YouTube

The world officially loves Michelle Obama.

The former first lady has overtaken the number one spot in a poll of the world's most admired women. Conducted by online research firm YouGov, the study uses international polling tools to survey people in countries around the world about who they most admire.

In the men's category, Bill Gates took the top spot, followed by Barack Obama and Jackie Chan.

In the women's category, Michelle Obama came first, followed by Oprah Winfrey and Angelina Jolie. Obama pushed Jolie out of the number one spot she claimed last year.

Unsurprising, really, because what's not to love about Michelle Obama? She is smart, kind, funny, accomplished, a great dancer, a devoted wife and mother, and an all-around, genuinely good person.

She has remained dignified and strong in the face of rabid masses of so-called Americans who spent eight years and beyond insisting that she's a man disguised as a woman. She's endured non-stop racist memes and terrifying threats to her family. She has received far more than her fair share of cruelty, and always takes the high road. She's the one who coined, "When they go low, we go high," after all.

She came from humble beginnings and remains down to earth despite becoming a familiar face around the world. She's not much older than me, but I still want to be like Michelle Obama when I grow up.

Her memoir, Becoming, may end up being the best-selling memoir of all time, having already sold 10 million copies—a clear sign that people can't get enough Michelle, because there's no such thing as too much Michelle.

Don't like Michelle Obama? Don't care. Those of us who love her will fly our MO flags high and without apology, paying no mind to folks with cold, dead hearts who don't know a gem of a human being when they see one. There is nothing any hater can say or do to make us admire this undeniably admirable woman any less.

When it seems like the world has lost its mind—which is how it feels most days these days—I'm just going to keep coming back to this study as evidence that hope for humanity is not lost.

Here. Enjoy some real-life Michelle on Jimmy Kimmel. (GAH. WHY IS SHE SO CUTE AND AWESOME. I can't even handle it.)

Michelle & Barack Obama are Boring Now www.youtube.com

michelle obama michelle obama birthday obama barack obama
Most Shared

France has started forcing supermarkets to donate food instead of throwing it away.

via EarthFix / Flickr

What will future generations never believe that we tolerated in 2019?

Dolphin and orca captivity, for sure. They'll probably shake their heads at how people died because they couldn't afford healthcare. And, they'll be completely mystified at the amount of food some people waste while others go starving.

According to Biological Diversity, "An estimated 40 percent of the food produced in the United States is wasted every year, costing households, businesses and farms about $218 billion annually."

There are so many things wrong with this.

First of all it's a waste of money for the households who throw out good food. Second, it's a waste of all of the resources that went into growing the food, including the animals who gave their lives for the meal. Third, there's something very wrong with throwing out food when one in eight Americans struggle with hunger.

Supermarkets are just as guilty of this unnecessary waste as consumers. About 10% of all food waste are supermarket products thrown out before they've reached their expiration date.

Three years ago, France took big steps to combat food waste by making a law that bans grocery stores from throwing away edible food.According to the new ordinance, stores can be fined for up to $4,500 for each infraction.

Previously, the French threw out 7.1 million tons of food. Sixty-seven percent of which was tossed by consumers, 15% by restaurants, and 11% by grocery stores.

This has created a network of over 5,000 charities that accept the food from supermarkets and donate them to charity. The law also struck down agreements between supermarkets and manufacturers that prohibited the stores from donating food to charities.

"There was one food manufacturer that was not authorized to donate the sandwiches it made for a particular supermarket brand. But now, we get 30,000 sandwiches a month from them — sandwiches that used to be thrown away," Jacques Bailet, head of the French network of food banks known as Banques Alimentaires, told NPR.

It's expected that similar laws may spread through Europe, but people are a lot less confident at it happening in the United States. The USDA believes that the biggest barrier to such a program would be cost to the charities and or supermarkets.

"The logistics of getting safe, wholesome, edible food from anywhere to people that can use it is really difficult," the organization said according to Gizmodo. "If you're having to set up a really expensive system to recover marginal amounts of food, that's not good for anybody."

Plus, the idea may seem a little too "socialist" for the average American's appetite.

"The French version is quite socialist, but I would say in a great way because you're providing a way where they [supermarkets] have to do the beneficial things not only for the environment, but from an ethical standpoint of getting healthy food to those who need it and minimizing some of the harmful greenhouse gas emissions that come when food ends up in a landfill," Jonathan Bloom, the author of American Wasteland, told NPR.

However, just because something may be socialist doesn't mean it's wrong. The greater wrong is the insane waste of money, damage to the environment, and devastation caused by hunger that can easily be avoided.

Planet

Single dad asks his daughters for fashion advice before a date and strangers on social media responded with some helpful suggestions.

The world is dark and full of terrors, but every once in a while it graces us with something to warm our icy-cold hearts. And that is what we have today, with a single dad who went viral on Twitter after his daughter posted the photos he sent her when trying to pick out and outfit for his date. You love to see it.




After seeing these heartwarming pics, people on Twitter started suggesting this adorable man date their moms. It was essentially a mom and date matchmaking frenzy.

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