Book Review: Sh*t My Dad Says

From Wit to Twit – Dads Say the Darnest Things

Twitter is becoming more and more entangled in popular culture. Not only are Classics like Romeo & Juliet and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off being relived there, there are now also phenomena that originate on Twitter, but make their way off there, into other media.

Case in point: Sh*t My Dad Says. From Twitter to book to television series; it’s a strange route to take, but none the less, that’s the route the Sh*t My Dad Says phenomenon will end up taking if the series gets off the ground. William Shatner would end up playing Sam Halpern, author Justin’s dad, a smart-yet-crude curmudgeon with a nifty turn of phrase.

How did it all get to this? When Justin had to move back in with his parents because of an unfortunate break-up, he decided to start Twittering things his dad said. Surprisingly quickly, his account went viral and spread all over Twitter. Inspired by this, HarperCollins decided to publish an accompanying book by Justin. It is a character study of his father, from Justin’s perspective, as he grows up. Each chapter describes an interesting ‘father event’ and is followed by a selection of his quotes. The short stories call to mind David Sedaris, but often lack the finesse and a twist. It’s a bit sad to say, but the most entertaining bits are still the quotes. Such as: ‘The dog is not bored. It’s not like he’s waiting for me to give him a f*cking Rubik’s Cube. He’s a goddamned dog.’ Or: ‘I’d say I was gonna miss you, but you’re moving ten minutes away, so instead I’ll just say don’t come over and do your f*cking laundry here.’

Still, if you are a fan of the Twitters and want to know more about the man behind the mouth, you should definitely check out Sh*t My Dad Says.

Sam’s response to all the hype around him is typically blunt and practical: ‘What do I give a f*ck? I don’t care what people think of me. Publish whatever you want.’