I organize a group of dads here in Maryland that get together for playgroups twice a week.  By “organize,” I mean I send out an email and by “get together,” I mean stand around drinking coffee while the kids cavort on a playground.  We usually talk about manly things like movies, home improvement projects, and the best way to get poop stains out of a pair of chinos.

Because all of this is so fascinating, we have been the subject of several interviews over the last few years.  I think at least three Father’s Day stories have been done on us.  I guess it’s not too surprising.  I always envision the editors sitting around a room saying:

“Hey!  What can we do for Father’s Day this year?”

“I don’t know, fathers are mainly losers.  Haven’t you seen Everybody Loves Raymond?”

“Well, does anyone know any fathers that aren’t losers?”

(silence)

“Hey what about those Mr. Mom Dads that stay at home with the kids like a woman?”

“Yeah!  I think I read an article about that last Father’s Day”

“Do you think they’re losers too?”

"Oh, probably.  But they’re more newsworthy losers.”

Or at least I imagine that’s how it probably goes.

Over the years, we’ve also had a couple of TV segments done on our playgroup.  They are almost always positive and usually pretty similar to one another.  They tend to start off the same way:

(cut to scene of a child being pushed on the swing – cue voiceover)

“John is here at the park with his son.  But John doesn’t have the day off from work.  This is his job.  John is a stay at home Dad.

The most interesting interview we’ve had is with a Japanese camera crew which was recording a segment for “Good Morning Japan,” which is apparently just like Good Morning America, but in Japan and without Diane Sawyer.   They were attracted to this story, because as unusual as a stay at home dad may be in America, it is apparently downright freakish in Japan.  The film crew was very nice, but based on their line of questions we were concerned that the tagline of the segment would be something like:
 
“Lazy American Fathers Don’t Even Work!  Hang out at Parks and Make Crappy Cars.”
 
The segment ended up being very nice.  Or at least I think it did.  I received a copy, along with a translation, but who knows what was really being said.

It opened with a close up of a child on a swing:

“This is a traditional American playground.  Children are laughing and playing..” (pull camera back to show whole playground)

“But where are the mothers?”

I continue to imagine that I am a minor celebrity in Japan and that if I ever travel there, I will be mobbed by people wanting to ask me about my alternative lifestyle.  That, or I am universally belittled as a freak.  Hard to say.

So, when I was contacted by WBAL about a short segment on the emerging trend of father’s staying home with their kids, I wasn’t too worried.  I knew what to expect.

The very nice news people arrived at the park, took some footage of kids on the swings, asked the questions I assumed they would ask ("How did you decide to become a stay at home dad?") and then shot a lot of footage of us Dads standing around talking while the kids fed the ducks.  All very picturesque.

I think it went very well, with the possible exception of a couple of off-color jokes being told while we still had a body mike on us.  (In particular there was a several minute series of jokes about how we would treat our kids if they were ugly instead of the gorgeous creatures they are.  You know, someone tossing out inanities like: “my boy was so ugly, the only way we could get the dog to play with him was to tie a porkchop around his neck.”   Followed with the observation, “Hey, are you still wearing that mike?”  Yep.  We’re a classy bunch.)
 
I will be sure to inform you when the segment hits the airwaves (my money is on father’s day).  I’ll try not to let the fame and glamour go to my head.  It is pretty awe inspiring to be featured on a 5:00 news segment.  But don’t worry, you can always say you knew me when.