We're going to go out on a light note after so many heavy episodes...mostly because I didn't want to cry in front of my father-in-law Rob Hood!He is a person I genuinely like and enjoy being around and not just because he's my wife's dad. We share a very similar sense of humor. He's a wonderful, self made, hard working provider too. I'm incredibly lucky to have him as a dad.Thank you for listening to this little journey with me. I do feel like the luckiest person in the world that I have such a wonderful family and so many top notch friends.So long and thanks for all the fish.

This is going to be the penultimate episode for awhile at least. I sit down with my wife to review what I learned over the first 24 episodes of talking to my friends about parenting. I would like to return to this show every couple of years and check in with my guests to see where they're at and what's changed. So I hope you'll come back for that. Next week I'll be talking to my silly Father-in-Law Rob Hood and finally solve the mystery of why Allyson and her brother Kevin were able to watch Caddyshack, but not Beavis and Butthead as kids.Thank you again to Rob Bentley for letting me use the song he wrote titled "He's Me" from our old band together Exploded Toad as the theme song for this podcast. Autism Awareness is very important to the Bentley family, so I want to take a second to play the charity Autism Speaks. Please donate if you are able.https://www.autismspeaks.org/

I didn't know comedian and photographer very well before this interview, but she posted something on Facebook that I found really moving about how resourcefulness in her childhood contributed to the artist she is an adult. So I reached out to her to talk about that and the challenges of being a stepmom. I haven't really been putting links to my guests in these show notes, but if you would like to see Kara's amazing photography, check out her website:https://www.alcamophotography.com/

For as long as I've known him, my friend Jay has had a real strength of character where he will be completely honest with you no matter how much it may hurt your feelings. He's stoic. He's hard to crack too, which always made his approval at his job at the Ann Arbor Comedy Showcase the Holy Grail. When we became Facebook friends, I got to see a completely different side of him. I got to see him as a dad with so much love for his daughter. Every weekend they'd go on movie adventures and Jay would post pictures of the two of them side by side, him looking poker faced, unless about to watch a Marvel movie, and her hidden beneath her hoodie. I told Jay last year that one of the things I was most looking forward to with being a dad was getting to have the same tradition that he and his daughter have. He and Copilot aka Kasey aka Slamby aka Bubbles came over to talk about their relationship. I hope you enjoy this conversation.

Eric Haenke told me a wonderful story about a year and a half ago that stuck with me as the ultimate goal I had to strive for as a dad. I wanted him and his wife to share that story on this episode, which they do, in addition to giving me so much more to contemplate and digest.If there's one thing I'm really learning about successful parenting it's that often times it takes a team. The Haenkes are certainly no exception to that.Oh yeah, and we also talk about That Thing You Do, so there's a little movie talk too!

My depression gets the best of me sometimes and I get horribly intrusive thoughts and I worry about losing Benji. My friend JD Marshall had those nightmares become his reality when he lost his daughter Stephanie to Cancer. Somehow JD found the strength to carry on and develop A Mission of Love which helps other families who have kids fighting Cancer. One of the fundraising arms of that is Comedy 4 Cancer, which is how I met him.JD is a kind and selfless man. He's a strong and humble man. I am thankful I know people like him because it reaffirms there is strength and kindness in the world.Obviously with a pandemic right now, there aren't Comedy 4 Cancer fundraisers currently, but the disease is not taking a hiatus unfortunately. If you would like to help other families facing this nightmare you can either by following JD on Facebook and seeing when he links directly to families seeking donations, or by donating to A Mission of Love. Links below:https://amissionoflove.com/https://www.facebook.com/amissionofluv

I have perhaps too strong of a bond to my parents where even when they're not around I always look for parental figures. While I was in Los Angeles, Architect Eric Weeks became like a surrogate dad to me. When I found out how layered of a human he was after seeing him rock out with his band The Red Elevens I knew he was a friendship I'd value for my entire life.We joked around every single day we'd see each other and he kept my spirits up when they could be dour. Along with the silliness though, he'd dispense nuggets of wisdom that I carry with me to this day.He and his wife welcomed me and my wife into their home for a touching goodbye before we moved back to Michigan. We don't talk about movies at all in this episode, but it's one of those that really means a lot to me. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did recording it. Thank you for listening.

Samantha Hale is born and raised in Hollywood. She come from a Hollywood dynasty. Her Great Grandfather Alan Hale Sr. was buddies on screen and off with Errol Flynn. Her Grandfather was Alan Hale Jr., loved around the world to many as the Skipper on Gilligan's Island, the longest running television show in syndication of all time.I wanted to talk to Samantha about her relationship with movies and if they maintain their magical quality even though they're part of the family business. And more importantly, because Samantha is so involved in the LGBTQ+ community, I wanted to pick her brain about inclusiveness represented in film.

I've known my friends Jonathan and Hilary Robertson since 1991. We all worked together long before they were even married. The story of their relationship is quite epic in itself actually. They're married now, living in Pasadena and raising their exceptional daughter Dylan.The Robertsons made living in Los Angeles feel a little bit like home, welcoming me and my wife into their home very often. I love the three of them to death.Dylan is a smart, determined and good kid. Even though I would have MUCH rather talked to Hilary about the secret to their success, I got stuck talking to Jonathan. We joke around A LOT in this episode, but he does tell me about the method the family uses to pick what to watch on movie night.

I've been friends with Joe Apel for a very long time. I actually graduated High School with his older brother Paul.Early on in our friendship Joe was faced with a humongous life decision. He ended up taking a leap of faith that drastically changed the trajectory of his destiny. It brought him his wife and his daughter.I get existential talking to Joe about momentous experiences and get a sneak peek at the show he's currently working on Tig N' Seek debuting on HBO Max tomorrow, July 24th.

Matt Naas is one of the most fun to watch performers in Michigan because you can always tell that he's having a great time. Performing live has taken a little bit of a back seat because now he has a daughter. Matt's creative ventures have become more home bound and he launched Gabber Media where he produces a variety of podcasts out of his home studio.He became a dad at 40 years old, so I was particularly interested in his thoughts about the "old dad" label since I became a dad at 47.Matt and I have a lot of common interests and I'm delighted each and every time I get to talk to him.

I've known Laurel Droz since the last century! She's married to my friend Andy and together they have two delightful kids. Laurel is one of the best writers I've ever read and I knew she's be able to express just what it takes to be a good parent. She also reveals and important lesson taught to her by Jar Jar Binks. This episode is a little long, but Laurel has a lot of great information to share. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

My friend Megan Cottington-Heath may be one of the most compassionate and empathetic people I've ever met. She's a comedian/comedy producer by night and a lawyer by day. She writes eloquently and honestly about the trials and tribulations. I was incredibly excited to talk to her about parenting. This is actually cut down from a 40+ minute conversation we had! She's a wealth of information. I couldn't be more grateful to have her as a friend. I hope you enjoy this conversation too.

My brother broke my podcast last week by showing me that being a good parent doesn't mean forcing the things I love onto my kid. This week, his wife, Danielle Bobbitt helps me get on track and gives me excellent parenting advice.We also talk about Lord of the Rings, Labyrinth, Breakfast Club and more!

My brother Brian is my younger brother, but as adults, he guides me like a big brother would. He and I are polar opposites. Where I enjoy the spotlight, he's kind of shy. He's a diesel mechanic. It's kind of a nice metaphor for how he parents too. You don't really see the engine working, you just kind of take for granted that it does, and it takes hard work and maintenance to keep it running. Brian and his son Jake talk to me about growing up and parenting.Through it all, this podcast finally breaks too. My basic premise of how do I get my kid to like the things I like goes right out the window. I'll regroup next week with an improved direction. A side note, Jake was recently accepted to be a firefighter in the town where he and my brother's family live. I couldn't be more proud of him! Jake, like my brother, is an exceptional man!

Jeff Sanguis of the band Rebel Spies! has been my friend for thirty years. He was always the epitome of cool and being comfortable in your own skin. He's a dad now too and he talks about his experiences raising a daughter. Oh yeah, and he also breaks my podcast!

Dennis hired me for a job about twenty years ago. He was wearing a superhero t-shirt during the interview and I immediately knew that I wanted to not only work for him, but also be his friend. Since that first day, he has become one of the most important people in my life and my family's life. He's the father of two boys and is incredibly active in the youth dance community. I picked his brain about parenting and sharing interests.

DJ Dangler is as an important part of my life as anybody. I didn't think it was possible to learn new life lessons in my 40s, but somehow becoming friends with DJ made me a better person. I love him to death. He was the best man at my wedding, and he's the person I've written many scripts with. He's thoughtful and humble. I hope you enjoy this conversation with him as much as I did.

Comedian and Trivia Master (Trivia with Budds) Ryan Budds spoke with me about his love of spoofs growing up, as well as his daughter's delight with Disney +.

Sam Rager is a wonderful comedian who turns the darkest of topics into really sharp comedy. She's an incredible human being full of compassion and joy, which is why my wife and I asked her and her partner Santiago to be our son's Godparents.Sam joins me this week to talk about the movies her dad introduced her and her sister to, before she flips the script and starts interviewing me! Oh Sam! 

Quintin Hicks is an incredibly versatile performer and creator. He's a Second City veteran and was a semi-regular in the Comedy Central series Detroiters. More importantly he's a dad. He talked to me about some of the experiences he's had introducing his son to art.

My first love is music, but I don't have enough skill at it to get by. The intro song, is my old band Exploded Toad, but honestly, all I did there was surround myself with incredibly talented people like Rob Bentley, Eric Walters, and Jeff Finazzo so they could carry my dead weight. My guest this week is an insanely talented musician who fairly recently began conquering improv comedy too. He's Matt Wixson. I first met him at a storytelling show, and told him afterwards that I wanted to be friends. He's just instantly likable. I was curious if maybe musicals had an impact on him growing up, which led to his talents and artistic endeavors.Matt also has a lot of music available online. It probably isn't all kid appropriate, but it's incredibly catchy! https://mattwixson.bandcamp.com/If you'd like to hear more of my stuff, my simultaneously juvenile, but super adult conspiracy parody podcast The Truthcast is available wherever you found this podcast!Thank you for listening.

My friend Lauren Uchalik is the co-founder of the Motor City Comedy Festival. Her dad Dave is a pretty big local musician too playing in the 80s punk band The Mutants and currently the party band The Polish Muslims. I was curious how growing up with a parent who's an artist may have affected the entertainment Lauren watched as a child.She tells me about how the animated movie All Dog's Go To Heaven backed up what she was learning in Sunday School, and how the campiness of Pee Wee Herman became a family tradition.If you have a story you'd like to share, email me at mike@offthemike.com.Unlike Dave Uchalik, I'm a failed musician. The intro music for this podcast is from my old band Exploded Toad. The song is called "He's Me" that our drummer Rob Bentley wrote about me. Rob is a parent now too and graciously gave me permission to use this song as the intro.

I really enjoy the We Are Movies podcast hosted by my friend Johnny Mocny. There's probably less of an age difference between my brand new son and Johnny than there is between me and Johnny. Johnny is incredibly knowledgeable when it comes to cinema, so I was especially curious how that all began.Johnny offers some great advice about how parody films are an excelled gateway into different genres.If you have a story you'd like to share, please email me at mike@offthemike.com.I also cohost a conspiracy theory parody podcast called The Truthcast. It's adult humor and not really a gateway for anything else really, but it's a lot of fun.

My wife and I are a little over ten years apart. I talked to her about the movies she watched growing up and the movies she's excited to introduce our son to.If  you have a story you'd like to share, please email me at mike@offthemike.com.I also host a fairly adult, although very immature podcast called the Truthcast. It's been called Beavis and Butthead meets The X-Files.

Hi. I'm Mike Bobbitt. I'm an entertainer, but more importantly, I'm a new dad. Movies were very important to me as a kid, and I'm hoping they'll be an important part of my own son's childhood too.Over the course of this podcast project, I'll talk to my friends about movies they grew up with, as well as movies my friends who are parents introduced their own kids to.To kick things off, I sat down with my own mom to talk about my childhood.If you have a story you'd like to share, you can email me at mike@offthemike.comIf you're interested in more of my work, I also cohost a comedy conspiracy theory parody podcast called the Truthcast. That one definitely is not safe for kids though!