Not a bro Dad

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What’s the Dc version? I don’t know anyone like this. At all.

Honestly, it doesn't exist. It's a SoCal white people, upper middle-class thing where they are living off the modest blue collar (yet successful) investments of the prior generation. It's bizarre. They definitely don't have the social graces or intellectual curiosity of the well educated East Coast trust fund tribe. There isn't that kind of huge, multi-generational wealth in SoCal until only very recently.

Someone above mentioned Utah being similar to the OC Bro Dads. Orange County is actually the 2nd largest concentration of Mormons outside Utah. Some, but not all, of the bro dads I know are Mormon (or lapsed). My guess is that the Bro Dad cultural styles were picked up by Mormons visiting SoCal and brought back to Utah. This makes sense as Utah has become a huge adventure sports destination, so many of the brands also translate well for the Utah lifestyle.

So will the kids of bro dad be able to keep up the same lifestyle 30 years from now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm from Southern California (Orange County area) and there's definitely a type of Bro Dad here. Basically, they dress like high school surfer boys but they are in their late 30s and have two kids.

Typical SoCal Bro Dad:
-Drives a lifted 4x4 pick-up truck with a Monster Energy sticker on the back window, blasting Sublime or System of a Down
-Always sporting a Hurley baseball cap with a flat rim
-A plaid Billabong button up shirt and dark colored pants are what he wears to "dress up" for holiday cards
-Vans sneakers
-Owns a few pairs of Dickies shorts
-"Vacations" consist of going to Glamis for off-roading, camping at Pismo Beach, or heading to Big Bear to snowboard on 6 inches of man-made snow in the freestyle park
-Constantly bitches about "how crowded SoCal has become" and un-ironically throws out a bit of casual racism by blaming "the Mexicans"

I've yet to find similar Bro Dads anywhere else in the U.S. It's a bizarre combination of privilege, Peter Pan syndrome, being culturally stuck in the late 1990s.

I love this! I'm also from OC and you summed it up perfectly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To me, the east coast version of a bro dad seems to be one that was absolutely in a frat in college, is really into the athletic prowess/success of their sons (having them sign to play D1 sports in college - or better yet, at a service academy - is their dream), is really into their man cave/sports time/cracking open a beer with the guys, and probably has the physique of someone who simultaneously works out and drinks a lot of beer. They also probably drive a pick up truck or nice SUV.

OP here. Wow, I'm really surprised how much love this thread got! Personally, this is my NOVA bro dad irritation. Add back slaps and jerky mc jerkface attitude at any and all work meetings. Not that this is any more or less valid than any other bro dad types.

[Anonymous]

Bro dads are fun and healthy.

[Anonymous]

Do bro dads tend to be fake? Like they're always in a good mood? If so, I know exactly what you're talking about. So tiring. Some people just try too hard and it's exhausting being around them.

[Anonymous]

I'm a bro dad.

I have always dressed surfy.. Oneill, grayers, descendent of thieves, penguin,quick silver, tailorbird, new school ...

Grew up in Potomac but every summer at the beach ( I was a beach lifeguard and still surf). I knew Darren Star in HS and he based Beverly Hills 90210 on Churchill so I think Potomac had kind of a California feel at the time. I remember our quarterback senior year transferred in from LA and all my friends surfed or skateboarded.

I like the clothes.

[Anonymous]

I prefer to hang out with mechanics in their garages. They're far more interesting, and you can't beat the smell of a garage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm from Southern California (Orange County area) and there's definitely a type of Bro Dad here. Basically, they dress like high school surfer boys but they are in their late 30s and have two kids.

Typical SoCal Bro Dad:
-Drives a lifted 4x4 pick-up truck with a Monster Energy sticker on the back window, blasting Sublime or System of a Down
-Always sporting a Hurley baseball cap with a flat rim
-A plaid Billabong button up shirt and dark colored pants are what he wears to "dress up" for holiday cards
-Vans sneakers
-Owns a few pairs of Dickies shorts
-"Vacations" consist of going to Glamis for off-roading, camping at Pismo Beach, or heading to Big Bear to snowboard on 6 inches of man-made snow in the freestyle park
-Constantly bitches about "how crowded SoCal has become" and un-ironically throws out a bit of casual racism by blaming "the Mexicans"

I've yet to find similar Bro Dads anywhere else in the U.S. It's a bizarre combination of privilege, Peter Pan syndrome, being culturally stuck in the late 1990s.

I'm also in OC and I'm hysterically laughing! Yes all this exactly! It's crazy how many of them there are. So many in Huntington Beach especially

Haha I immediately thought this post screams Huntingon Beach!

[Anonymous]

My WWII dad calls my son “buddy”, and so did my Jewish FIL and DH and none are “bros” by any stretch, and DS’s name isn’t Buddy either.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do bro dads tend to be fake? Like they're always in a good mood? If so, I know exactly what you're talking about. So tiring. Some people just try too hard and it's exhausting being around them.

OP - maybe there are lite and heavy versions of bro dad. I certainly think so.e bro dads are just fine. I was thinking more originally of the ones who not only come off as fake, but also as a dick, and you're not really sure why they are like that. That weird male passive aggression. ugh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do bro dads tend to be fake? Like they're always in a good mood? If so, I know exactly what you're talking about. So tiring. Some people just try too hard and it's exhausting being around them.

I'm the bro dad above.

I almost always wake up in a good mood. Eventually a rough day or situation will wear me down but the next morning I wake up optimistic. It's genetic it's not like I'm trying. My default mood is optimistic for no reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I, too, would like to know what a bro dad is?

Signed, father to 15 yo and 13yo dds.

Your kids are dentists? Wow impressive

[Anonymous]

Maybe the dudes that are vaguely sexist with their resigned wives (kids are her jobs, not his) and can't imagine not spending 80% of social conversations talking about the awesome football plays? Am I close?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm from Southern California (Orange County area) and there's definitely a type of Bro Dad here. Basically, they dress like high school surfer boys but they are in their late 30s and have two kids.

Typical SoCal Bro Dad:
-Drives a lifted 4x4 pick-up truck with a Monster Energy sticker on the back window, blasting Sublime or System of a Down
-Always sporting a Hurley baseball cap with a flat rim
-A plaid Billabong button up shirt and dark colored pants are what he wears to "dress up" for holiday cards
-Vans sneakers
-Owns a few pairs of Dickies shorts
-"Vacations" consist of going to Glamis for off-roading, camping at Pismo Beach, or heading to Big Bear to snowboard on 6 inches of man-made snow in the freestyle park
-Constantly bitches about "how crowded SoCal has become" and un-ironically throws out a bit of casual racism by blaming "the Mexicans"

I've yet to find similar Bro Dads anywhere else in the U.S. It's a bizarre combination of privilege, Peter Pan syndrome, being culturally stuck in the late 1990s.

This right here is what nightmares are made of! Omg

Fascinating. What do these people do for a living? What are their wives and houses like?

Lots of them work in small and mid-sized family-owned businesses, especially in the construction trades. They hire lots of "the Mexicans" to do the hard labor while they/their fathers count the money. A lot of them f#cked around for a few years after high school, went to CC or CalState school part-time and got a "business" degree, and are taking over the reins of the modestly lucrative companies built by their dads.

Forget Hollywood or Silicon Beach, real estate is truly the lifeblood of Southern California. Everyone has someone in their family who is a licensed contractor, house flipper, mortgage originator, RE agent, landlord, or plumbing/electrician working on new developments.

Otherwise, a lot of the "bro dads" work for action sports companies - surf wear, outdoor gear, etc. A lot of the famous surf companies have their headquarters in Orange County. Basically working on lifestyle brands.

[Anonymous]

They sound nice and also fun.