Back in the Vine days (oh gosh, I’m old), there was a guy who called himself the “Bat Dad.” He would post videos with his family while wearing a Batman mask and talking in a deep, raspy voice. This unique approach to videomaking and its relatable nature made the “Bat Dad” and his family an internet sensation. He garnered over 3 million followers on Vine by the time the platform was shut down and now has over 6,8 million likes on Facebook and 1,4 million followers on Instagram.
Even though he rarely posts videos anymore, he (or his team) still runs social media for it, posting relatable jokes for parents or anyone who might need a little pick-me-up once in a while. If you could do with your spirits lifted, scroll down to find the best “Bat Dad” has to offer, and don’t forget to upvote the ones that squeezed a smile out of you.
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The real name of “Bat Dad” is Blake Wilson and he’s a parent of 4 children.
"I'm just a normal dad with four kids and a wife having fun with them," he told TODAY in 2013. "We live a very normal life."
Back then, Wilson already had a pretty good idea why his videos were so popular. “It makes people smile because it's so stupid," Wilson said.
His now ex-wife Jen was also a central character in the videos, a sidekick if you will, often getting caught by surprise while doing daily activities. "I feel bad for her," Wilson said. "I know that I can be annoying."
His videos contained the usual parenting shenanigans, spiced up with Wilson’s Batman impersonation. Most of them were shot in the family car while riding to school or at home, where they tried to sell vegetables to kids, make them go to bed on time, or remind them to brush their teeth. The videos were definitely goofy and relatable to anyone who has to juggle children, work, and home.
Hey, when I was seven, I was "Jean from San Francisco." I owned a beauty shop and was divorced with two terribly behaved sons.
He told PBS News in 2014 that his real-life superpowers are scheduling and organization. But he emphasized that he couldn’t do it without the now co-parent Jen.
“You know, to be honest, I can’t really say I have a great superpower — it really takes two,” Wilson said. “I think the superpower, if there is one, is being able to read your partner. Reading what they’re feeling. Being able to recognize the signals and knowing when your partner needs a little more help than normal. That’s huge when you’re raising a family.”
Very loud clapping and cheering heard around the world. That being said, some kids and families really enjoy the tradition. The husband of a friend of mine put it in their utensil drawer and scared the daylight out of her.
If he could offer a helpful tip to other parents, it would be to embrace humor and a positive attitude. “Bottom line is, you gotta be able to laugh at the tough stuff. Yes, you’re gonna get stressed out, yes you’re gonna get upset, but sometimes you’ve got to have humor. You’ve got to be able to laugh at some of the most ridiculous moments your kids put you through.”
Well, from behind it does look like Bert. One question though: Where's Ernie?
Every parent knows that at least half of your daily food intake is toddlers leftovers.
The “Bat Dad” actually posted a quick update on August 3 this year over on Facebook, where he explained a few of their life changes.
The post reads, “I know we don’t make as many Batdad videos as we used to. Things change. Life is different. Twins are 14 now, and they were two when we started! Whenever I do post a video on any social network there are SO MANY COMMENTS about how old Ben is now, and how we were some peoples childhood and how much they enjoyed our videos. That means a lot to us, and I’m so happy we were able to make so many people laugh and feel good!”
Always thought the Tooth Fairy was a weird myth until I became a parent and realized that a dollar is well worth the price to make the little human stop screaming because parts of it are falling off AND we have to go to bed early tonight.
He tells the fans that the 12 years flew by in a whirlwind of navigating middle school, co-parenting, and the twins heading into high school. “Ben’s turning into quite the tennis player. We are on the courts 5 days a week and have been for the past three years. He just played in his first tournament, and I’m super proud of him!” he shares.
“Sienna is doing well also. Loves hanging with her friends and doesn’t want to be all over the internet in videos of her dad being an idiot right now, so I respect that haha. Ben and I will make a Batdad video every once in a while, he still gets a kick out of it, but for the most part I’m just ‘Dad.’”
He also addressed the amicable divorce with Jen which happened about 6 years ago. “And no, it wasn’t because of Batdad as some people love to say. We work together better as friends and co-parent very well. She’s doing good! I get asked a lot so figured I’d just say it here. I’m in a relationship and have a wonderful girlfriend that I’ve been with for almost two years now, Cristina,” he revealed in the post.
You dad-joked before your dad??? The audacity...!!! XD
Overall, Wilson says that life is good. Once in a while, he gets the creative itch to make a video and he and his son Ben would do one. But the older the kids get, the more emotional support they need so he chooses to focus his time more on being just dad, as opposed to “Bat Dad.”
Yeah, that makes sense. It's like serving them food on a completely plain white plate that's "the wrong way round. "
Can confirm this looks Australian. Source: looked outside. Yep, looks legit.
Lastly, he is very thankful to everyone who still cares about their family and their videos. “Believe it or not, I’m a super introverted person who doesn’t like attention. I’ve never been one to share everything I do on social media. I just enjoyed creating these little snippets of this character and sharing them with people who enjoyed it. Don’t worry, I’ll still make them. Enjoy the photo dump, and thank you for sticking around,” he wrote, concluding the update.
With this blood, pact has been sealed. Thou shalt not break the promise of taking us to Disneyland next weekend under severe consequences XP