“A 3-year-old doesn’t have a license to act like an a**hole.” Not everyone is lucky enough to have a parent who has the ability to spew out little nuggets of wisdom like this at the drop of a hat. The kind of parent who just doesn’t give a damn about who is around or who might be offended, but who still loves their family more than anything in the world.
Justin Halpern, whether he realized or not, pretty much won the genealogical jackpot when he was born to just such a parent. A man who, years down the road (aka now, when Halpern is forced to move back in with his parents at the age of 28) would provide him with the daily musings that would become his widely followed Twitter account, shitmydadsays, and a book that would spawn a television series starring William Shatner. “Sh*t My Dad Says,” released earlier this year, is the literary counterpart to Halpern’s tweets that has been flying off bookshelves and inciting riotous laughter in all those who partake.
A retrospective of sorts, the book was pieced together by Halpern with the help of his family and friends. Through his own childhood memories, and with their help, he has created a narrative of his relationship with his father, highlighting the most ridiculous and hilarious moments. Each chapter ends with a sprinkling of his dad’s wise words — often profane — on every topic from the proper way to water a garden to his accidental ingestion of dog treats.
Just browsing through some of the senior Halpern’s quotes makes it difficult to put the book down. The author’s dad is brutally honest and unknowingly funny — and perhaps a bit brilliant, too. He gets to the point and uses the F-bomb as much as possible, and everyone knows that when used properly, those are two ingredients for success when it comes to comedy.
But behind the bravado and humor, it’s obvious that Halpern’s dad really loves his family. His choice words of advice may be a little on the harsh side at times, but there’s no doubt he is driven by an overwhelming desire to take care of his kids. The final chapter of the book focuses on the patriarch’s softer side, but not without including a little bit of his biting wit, just for good measure.
“Sh*t My Dad Says” is the story of a real-life character who could be described as Archie Bunker (minus the bigotry) meets Frank Barone. And it’s guaranteed to grant the reader a view from a very new perspective, in addition to causing uncontrollable fits of laughter. Besides, anything William Shatner is willing to be a part of has to be good.
Rating: W W W W W
