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

The logic is flawed. Blacksmithing skills were not widespread. Only a few people dedicated their time to that. While DIY'ing is somewhat of a skill born out of necessity mediocrely mastered by the masses. Also millenial dads, and moms may I add, have youtube, if we want to, we can do pretty much anything. Much better than the generations before us even. So. Meh.

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

"The times are changing, you need a degree in computer science and classes in coding and database building." *becomes degreed IT professional* "Wow you're a terrible mechanic. By the way can you show me again how to clear my cookies?"

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

Why did the boomers not teach their millennial kids then?

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

Boomers taught their Gen X kids, and were possibly grandparents to Millennials

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

It is because boomers did not teach them. They were given everything then they f****d-up, so their opinion does not matter.

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Requiem
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2 years ago

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NO Millennials didnt want to learn, I can work on cars and build things because I was taught. Yes Millennials were given everything, my generation is the last to get the Belt at school or at home.

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Kisses4Katie
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would say that comes from boomers not teaching their kids how to fix anything

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

thats a large leap, millennials are the grandchildren and great grandchildren of Boomers

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Ryan-James O'Driscoll
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

More children and grandchildren, but nevermind. I'm comfortably in the middle of millennial demographic, my mother had me young and she was born just barely into gen X. So a hell of a lot of millennials have boomer parents.

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

I think still only blacksmiths were blacksmiths in 9th century. Not everyone has a forge and ore and coal

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

I can't tell what that pic shows, but 40 years ago, Popular Mechanics had a full page subscription ad showing a guy about to drill the device mounting threads out of a plastered-in electrical box.

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

Who was supposed to be teaching the millennials those skills? Oh yeah, baby boomers.

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

Hold the flashlight! Not like that I don't see anything. Hmmm why is my boys DYI is sooo weak

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Suraj A R
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2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Boomers,Millenials and Gen Z, all have become addicted to social media or content from the internet. Regardless of circumstances, there are too many distraction since a few years for any one to stay focused. Excluding the one's who have a naturally tendency to be productive, the situation would be the same for any generation if they had to live in the present Era.

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

That might be true... But... If I want to fit a new counter top in my kitchen... I'm not going to ask a 9th century saxon blacksmith... Or a Millennial... Being a Baby Boomer I'll do the job myself...

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

My Blacksmith is about 30 and does a great job. All the Blacksmith's my age have had to retire because of back problems!

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

If inter-generational hatred were electricity these comments would power a small city.

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

He might have a point though. Why is this guy trying to screw his wrist to the floor?

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Chloe *Leah* Pheonix
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Baby boomers say its rude to stare but give a death glare to someone wearing earrings for 3 hours

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

Maybe baby boomers should have teach their kids that skills instead of creating economy that exploits poorer nations so it's easier for their kids to buy s**t from discounters for pennies

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

The way my house turned out, maybe us hiring contractors isn't the burn Boomers think it is. I'm talking k**b and tube wiring from the 30's.

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Steven Cook
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People: What's the most useless thing you learned in HS..? Me: How to rebuild a carburetor

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Kr-8YzEe zùt
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Apologies.....are we so in need of an enemy we have to make our grandparents one?...every generation has been sold countless lies by government/big business, what they sell has always been portrayed to better our way of life, when all it's done has created wealth for them and greed and confusion for us.

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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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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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