Camping with the Mediocre Dad

Camping tips, tricks and advice from a fairly average parent and a reformed dad blogger

Menu
  • Home
  • About
  • Camping
  • Family Days Out
  • Sponsorship
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Why celebrate mediocrity?
Menu

Fatherhood²: Father of the Year Shortlist Presents Slim Pickings for us Dads

Posted on May 23, 2014January 7, 2018 by Henry Elliss

simon-cowell-sinittaAs has become an annual tradition (sadly), the “Father of the Year” shortlist has been announced – and once again the rag-tag collection of dads chosen by the public is a laughable selection.

I’ve covered these “Celebrity parent” awards (as they should more accurately call them) before – notably this post from last year: “Fatherhood²: Are Celebrity Parenting Awards an Insult to Regular Parents?” – so by rights I should really be saving my energies for another topic.

But thankfully, this year’s shortlist has sparked a healthy debate about their validity – thanks in no small part to the presence of one Simon Cowell at the top of the list.

Yes, that Simon Cowell – he who got another man’s wife pregnant, prompting them to divorce and hurriedly getting together with the mum to be. He who claims he likes playing with his child but said “I don’t think dads do changing nappies“. What a shining example of fatherhood he is for all of us ‘normy’ dads!

Let’s face it – these things would be a lot more honest if they just called it “Which famous people have become dads recently?” and let the public vote for their favourite. As it is, the presence of Cowell and his other celebrity buddies (including Tom from McFly, Mo Farah, James Cracknell and Ben Fogle) shows the whole thing for the lazy PR opportunity that it actually is.

d752f862To add insult to injury (at least in my opinion), this year’s Sponsor of the competition is comic-book geniuses Marvel – an organisation who created so many of the things I dearly love. What the hell have Marvel got to do with good dads anyway? Name me three Marvel characters who you could sensibly call ‘Good Fathers’ – go on, just try! Not that I don’t LOVE Marvel I hasten to add – which is partly why I’m so disappointed by this partnership.

Ironically, half way through writing this post I got an email from some PR company asking me if I’d promote the contest. I’ll admit I was tempted – especially seeing as there’s a chance to attend the premiere of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ if you take part. But no amount of sweet-talk or bribery could persuade me to say anything positive about this dross – sorry PR person!

So good luck Mr Cowell – I hope this recognition does wonders for your public image. Don’t forget the obligatory ‘OK Magazine’ photoshoot with baby when you win!

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Email
  • WhatsApp
  • Print
  • dad of the year
  • father of the year
  • Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    henweb

    henweb

    Pun-loving, 👨‍👦‍👦 dad-blogging, 📷 photo-taking, 🏰 Lego-making, 🎅🏿 beard-wearing, 👶 child-caring dad of 2. 💍 Husband of 1. 💩 Strategist

    View Full Profile →

    Instagram Gallery

    Obligatory snow shot ❄️ Obligatory snow shot ❄️
    A few photos from my slightly hair-raising morning A few photos from my slightly hair-raising morning walk. Some lovely sunrises, lots of ice on the canal and a couple of rivers and lakes that were quickly merging together, at the expense of the newly-laid track. At least my wellies stayed strong!
    Instagram post 18021846115464989 Instagram post 18021846115464989
    A photo from my Thursday morning walk. One good th A photo from my Thursday morning walk. One good thing to come from this week’s rail strikes (and the subsequent week WFH) was my daily sunrise walks - something I really miss when I have to go into London. Fingers crossed that 2023 allows for a few more of them.
    Merry Christmas, instagram family and friends. Ple Merry Christmas, instagram family and friends. Please enjoy this photo of our beautiful but low-key Christmas decorations, hung in the splendor of our delightful Tudor home.
    Good morning from Somerset #NoFilter Good morning from Somerset #NoFilter
    Load More… Follow on Instagram

    A little ad for some stuff




    Subscribe by RSS

    RSS Feed RSS – Posts

    Recent posts

    • 5 Tips to Make Family Travel Easier December 2, 2022
    • 5 Great Camping Blogs You Should Follow August 18, 2022
    • Summer Holidays in the Mountains? 4 Reasons Why You Should Go for it! June 7, 2022
    • Family Camping for Beginners – A Guide to Buying a New Tent May 31, 2022
    • The Best New Beauty Treatments to Prepare for Summer May 31, 2022

    A bigger ad for some stuff

    Recent Comments

    • Family Camping for Beginners - The Ultimate Guide for first time campers | Camping with the Mediocre Dad on Family Camping for beginners – Food, glorious food
    • Tiana on Fatherhood²: The Ultimate Octonauts Quiz
    • The best camping gadgets for your next trip with the family | The Mediocre Dad on Family Camping for Beginners – The Ultimate Guide for first time campers
    • Dynamite dad blogs | Samuel Windsor on Family Camping for Beginners – The Ultimate Guide for first time campers
    • Family Camping for Beginners - The Ultimate Guide for first time campers | The Mediocre Dad on Family Camping for beginners – Camping with Babies & Toddlers

    My Brimpton Village history website

    My Mastodon profile

    © 2023 Camping with the Mediocre Dad | Powered by Minimalist Blog WordPress Theme
    Find me on Mastodon