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Most men can be fathers, but it takes special effort to be called a dad. And a rad dad? Well, that's just a next-level accomplishment in the dad community.

Instagram page Rad Dad posts memes about stereotypical upper-middle-class American dads, e.g. Middle-aged dad who refreshes himself with a can of cold beer after mowing the lawn in his New Balance sneakers. The fact that they are described as rad and not cool or lit adds to the homage for today's middle-aged dads, as it is '80s slang, the decade when many of them were youngsters. Bored Panda selected the pinnacle Rad Dad TM memes from the page for you to chuckle at.

More info: Instagram | middleclassfancy

The page has merchandise: their designs of t-shirts, marble grey sweaters, and caps masterfully capture the style of rad dads and since they are illustrated with stuff like grills and embroidered New Balance sneakers, the whole apparel becomes super meta. Middle Class Fancy, the company that sells the merch, has its own meme page we recently wrote about. Middle Class Fancy and Rad Dad content sometimes overlap, as many of these dads do cookouts in their back yards, suggesting they are middle class.

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Ryan Deschanel
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2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It totally sounds like the plot of a bad movie that could exist.

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Older dads of today might have noticed that not only is their youth slang back in right now, but fashion too. It seems that gen Z and alpha kids have found and brought back their dads' clothes from the eighties and nineties in secondhand stores, got bowl or mullet hairstyles, and started vlogging. Or flooded the streets, creating flashbacks into their youth for these rad dads. Just try to imagine a 55-year-old today teaching their son how to keep their mullet pristine or what bomber jacket goes with which basketball shoes.

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Interestingly, the style of rad dads is not tied to a specific decade or generation so strictly. It appears that many dads just develop the same sense of casualwear style as they turn middle aged and these trends haven't changed much for over two decades now, much like middle-aged women cutting their hair short.

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Vicky Z
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In a parallel universe a seal dad is wishing happy birthday to his kid too (right)

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Scagsy
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That, ladies and gentlemen, is what a Legend looks like. (Yes, with a capital 'L' - he's that good).

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With anything English slang, the authoritative source of explanation is user contribution-driven Urban Dictionary. Here is the top explanation of a "Rad dad": "1. any dad who spends quality time with his kid as much as possible. 2. dads who surf, skate, snowboard or any extreme activity and teach their kids. 3. dads with long hair, mohawks or body piercings and dont give a shite what anybody else thinks."

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Requiem
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Im a people watcher and have done loss prevention and can see two people at different ends of a store and know whos together and who isnt.

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What makes dads rad for you? Do these stereotypes apply to dads in your culture? What elements of dad culture have you adopted? Is it starting to take double chin selfies with a great view of salt and pepper nose hair? Growing a beer belly over the quarantine's baby boom? Share in the comments below, let's make it a safe space for rad dads.

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Manndy Fisher
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Buhahaha, the literal translation from other languages is always brilliant!

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Scagsy
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When they close the bar back up they are literally causing a fence.

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iblowsheep
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

yeah but by that age it;s more likely they have done something to deserve the torture.

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Kevin Erdős–Bacon
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No, don't argue about who's going home - revel in being on the same wavelength!

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Manndy Fisher
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You forgot left in random places glasses with vodka so kid would think it was a water

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Kaleb
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yup me and my brother would spit it out and like nothing grab a towel to clean it up and say I got one with dads water in it

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Stephen Steve Stephenson III
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I seriously thought this was me, but since my name is not Michael I’m 90% it’s my cousin.

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Watching
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We've all been to this party. And it was pretty freaking lit.

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Fabian Meresse
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And then going back home with DUI parents with no fastened seatbelts, on that rusty car that would badly bend if hiting a pole at 15 mph

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Scott Rackley
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

lol, Mom didn't DUI but that Oldsmobile wouldn't lose a fight with a damned pole

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similarly
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I grew up in the 70s. I remember my Grandpa blowing cigarette smoke into a medicine bottle, capping it and giving it to me. I thought the smoke in the bottle looked so cool. When I was maybe 4 years old, my Mom gathered the four kids around (oldest would have been about 10) and offered to let us smoke a cigarette ... supposedly so we wouldn't grow up to smoke later. Didn't work. Half of us smoked later. I remember when I had a bout of insomnia at 10 or 11, I think, an Uncle told me alcohol would fix that, and spent the evening giving me watered down cocktails. Didn't work. I remember even at age 3-4, my Dad would let me have a sip of his beer. I can't remember how many times I rode in the back of a pickup. That's illegal now. A lot less rules back then.

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Scott Rackley
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was teething (1971-72) Mom would rub paregoric on my gums, bc that's what her mother did. Paregoric is tincture of opium and you could buy it OTC from the local pharmacist!

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Willie Beard
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's a cigar cigarettes still s cigarettes? . Cause that looks kind of like the ones like Cheyenne's

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CincyReds
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think the cigar is actually Moore's Cigarettes. They were brown like that, and if you didn't puff on it, the cig would go out, I know this because my dad smoked theses because he would always fall asleep with a lit cigarettes, they helped not burn down the this house, and this was in the 80's

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Carman Davis
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Whoever wrote this must be young lol bc that is not a cigar lolol back in the early '80's cigarettes looked like this lolol so that is an actual cancer stick.

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Mark Waugaman
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We're survivors for sure! Born in the 60s, clueless in the 70s, and unaware of the so called dangers in the 80s! No bike helmets? Southern comfort on teething gums? It's like having an iPhone 13 with no case.

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AndersM
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I miss stuff like that. Could have been me in th 80s. And off the the car holiday with parents smoking all the way to Harz Mountains.

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Finola Cat
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

👏🏻You should have been around as a kid in the 1970s 😂

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Ben Garfath
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There should be fire somewhere, as I recall...(not on the candles)

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Ozymandias73
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I still have a very old pic of myself when I was maybe 2 or 3 taking a sip of one of my uncle's beers. Taught me to not drink them for sure! It was gross then, gross now! LOL

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Karen Clark
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's an early 60's pic.....they were way cooler in the 80's......😉

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Tee Witt
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Cigar not next to his face, cigar not cigarette, ashtray disgusting so we agree on 1 point.

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Kelli Lindsay
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's a cigar next to his face. My aunt smoked these for years. They are filtered cigars.

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BasedWang
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

thats a straight up blunt.... I swear thats a Diet Rite in back aaaaaand this ashtray is on my basement table currently

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Mewton’s Third Paw
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It’s not a blunt. Look at the ash on it. It’s light, like a cigarette. Because that’s just one of those brown cigarettes like Nat Sherman. At best it’s a Black and Mild.

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California Jones
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Been there. 🙄 Then he told me I was being lazy, I just needed to focus, and eventually I was just useless. Wonder why I have a panic attack when I see equations, and failed algebra...?

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Monic Krugell
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

and then phone their wives about everything that they actually needed in their bags for the day

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Jessica Rabbit
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This made me laugh really hard. My husband and I have always liked to BBQ, but once he turned 35 we got a smoker and have been into it since hahaha

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Manndy Fisher
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And now if you will be lucky to get house like this you won't be able to afford family or shoes..

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Monic Krugell
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

lol - I could feel the uncomforted need for someone to wake up, but the want for them to stay asleep.....

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Scagsy
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Almost true. You have to include cops and firemen. Maybe even a builder.

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iblowsheep
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

HOLY S**T. I do not want to know how much money that dude spent that day.

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