Wise_N_Nerdy: Where Fatherhood Meets Fandom — Live w/ Josh Cooper (Uploads of Fun) Dragon Con 2025
Description
A live, dice-driven episode of Wise_N_Nerdy where fatherhood truly meets fandom. Charles, Joe, and special guest Josh Cooper (Uploads of Fun) kick off with bad dad jokes, rule on a contentious Parliament of Papas case (Disney vs. Comic-Con), and trade stories about rewatching childhood movies as parents—TV edits, innuendo, and all. Audience mic stories bring the heat, from TMNT’s rooftop to Robocop’s cartoon tie-ins. The crew closes with practical strategies for overcoming sheltered upbringings: context, conversation, and teaching courage instead of fear.
Bad Dad Jokes (rolled a 6)
Icebreakers from stage and audience (dragons + fast food; “Poof! You’re a drink.”).
Ongoing bit: “There is no such thing as a good dad joke.”
Parliament of Papas (rolled a 4)
Reddit case: “Am I the buttface for going to Comic-Con after my wife took our kid (and her ex) to Disney without me—using our miles?”
Panel reaction: finances + co-parenting ≠ unilateral decisions; ex attending without current spouse is a relational red flag.
Consensus: wife = primary buttface; husband needs boundaries; bigger issue is relationship health.
Daddy, Tell Me a Story (rolled a 2) — Rewatching childhood movies as parents
Examples: Caddyshack, Revenge of the Nerds, Three Fugitives, Firestarter, TMNT (1990 rooftop scene), Blankman, Transformers: The Movie (’86 toy-reset trauma), Robocop (how was this a cartoon?), The Ringer, Monty Python: Meaning of Life.
Themes: TV edits vs. theatrical cuts; using IMDb Parents Guide; explaining dated humor; navigating innuendo in “family” animation; when to pause/skip with kids.
How do I overcome my sheltered upbringing? (segued after gift moment)
Hosts/guest share growing up Pentecostal/Southern Baptist/Mormon variations: satanic panic era (D&D, Magic cards), filtered DVD players, language rules.
Parenting approaches now: teach context and timing for language; “if you don’t know what it means, don’t say it”; consent to discuss anything; “If it’s on TV, it’s not real.”
Tools for fear/nightmares: teach lucid-dream control (look at your hand; give yourself a bazooka), anchor objects (a huggable TARDIS), model calm vs. catastrophizing.
Live mic stories: rewatch shocks (Harry Potter attitudes, Severance tension without nudity, Blue Eye Samurai content surprise, 2001: A Space Odyssey at age six, Jaws jump scare), “that channel” confessions, schoolyard language, and representing disability positively in The Ringer.
Parenting wisdom from audience: treat kids as autonomous humans; teach agency, not fear.
Family-friendly doesn’t mean sterile—context, conversation, and consent beat blanket bans.
Rewatches are opportunities: talk era, edits, and what’s changed culturally.
Co-parenting logistics require transparency, not unilateral “surprises.”
Teach courage over fear; give kids cognitive tools to manage scary media and language.
“Everything I do is family-friendly—as long as you’re my family.” —Charles
“Teach time and place. Context turns ‘forbidden’ into teachable.” —Josh
“The second you posted to Reddit, you knew the answer—this is a relationship problem.” —Panel
“If it’s on TV, it’s not real. And we can talk about anything.” —Charles