Diaper Do

There is a spiritual aspect to changing a diaper — not unlike washing dishes — according to Coldplay's Chris Martin (hubby of actress Gwyneth Paltrow for whom he wrote Fix You as comfort for her lost father).

And there is a co-parenting aspect — dad's can't breast feed so they have to take care of the other end — practiced by Marc Anthony, aka Mr. J.Lo.

But, most of all, if you can forget that the change ususally occurs in a context of sleep deprivation — or at least hoping to get back to the game so as not to miss anything — aspect of a dad on diaper duty, there is at least a moment of humor in the bond between father (even fake father) and child:

Daddy Ciné

One daddy movie is here and another on the way ... maybe.

Sixty Six, the tale of a boy, his dad and a bar mitzvah (and the whole of England gripped by the success of their soccer world cup team), is swimming against the stream of independently released movies. Dad, of course and apparently overly predictably, saves the day.

Thomas Madden, scriptor of Father's Day Ghost Story — the still-in-screenplay son, at least for pitching purposes, from the union of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" and Bill Cosby's idealization of fatherhood — has received recognition as the "August Writer of the Month" from the Literary Agent Showcase (a pay for notice web site for various writers getting at least some notice thanks to Madden, a PR pro).

Throw Dad a Life Preserver

There's a dad fantasy — not a problem if the father is divorced or otherwise single — that the child he loves will comes to his rescue, relationship wise.

But children have their own lives. so don't count on Liv Tyler, interested in a potential Broadway musical career, or Amy Winehouse, reportedly reliving her childhood in lyrics and song, to take even a moment out of their lives for poor old pops Steven and Mitch.

It wouldn't be that hard. It would probably only take a few moments to sign their dads up with the British reality show "Date My Dad." But can pops expect even that?

Not likely. So, it's good to know that Mitch will get his own radio show and Steven, hopefully recovered from his latest stint in rehab, can continue his rather peripatetic dating dance on his own.

Contextual Love

The main thing, of course, is the love of father for child. There is even evidence that a father's love is more important than the adorative feelings of the distaff parent.

But this isn't why fathers are better.

It's just a note that love alone — as wonderful as it is — may not be quite enough. Or, perhaps, sometimes, maybe, fathers should also consider the way in which they give their love in order to make it matter even more.

Just-brought-to-justice fugitive father Clark Rockefeller (or whoever he turns out to be) was considered by many a loving, stay-at-home-dad, there are other choices he should have made to stay close to daughter Snooks, aka Reigh Storrow Mills Boss [Rockefeller]. Taking the money ($1 million in alimony) and running (with his kid) will only result in losing more time with her.

Also, raising his child in a loving, if odd, environment is the red-eyed pop. Michiganer Steve Walsh has a two-year-old and unusual obsession, re-re-redecorating his face. It should be noted that however unusual his choices as a dad, he is prepared for the future. Asked what he would do when his son wanted to follow in his father's piercings (and silicone implants, tatooed eyeball, etc.) he said, it will be "...Awesome, I'm so looking forward to that day, but I don't think it's going to happen. I think he's going to rebel." So, his son will probably end up a disappointment, a Big Three (or possibly Four) accountant.

Oddly, neither ending up as an accountant nor as porn performer or rap star or suburban parent will be rebelling against daddy Luther Campbell. The one-time outraging rapper is now just another settled pop — if you don't hold the porn business empire building plans or unusual parenting arrangements against him. He coaches a neighborhood football team, he struggles with how and when to intervene is his teen's life and he wants his kids to still think he's cool. So he got a reality show, Luke's Parental Advisory.

Unfortuantely for Luther, you can't escape being a dad so while he would be making a much more favorable impression on his kids if his show were appearing on MTV, he is instead on the Ford Taurus (a "dad's car if there ever was one) of music stations, VH-1.

Love is always love, but context does matter.

Love and War Song

It takes a bit of time to get to the point of squeezing a tear from the eye, but eventually, this week's Objet d'eBay does. The 1969 release, the Grammy-winning"Color Him Father" by The Winstons (a one-hit wonder band with a bit more back story) is a soulful ballad of love for a man by his son.

The father is a paragon of virtue, but about midway through, the lyrics offer the twist that opens the faucet:

My real old man he got killed in the war
And she knows she and seven kids couldn't of got very far
She said she thought that she could never love again
And then there he stood with that big wide grin
He married my mother and he took us in
And now we belong to the man with that big wide grin

Then it was a dad lost to Vietnam, now Iraq. Another day, another war. But ever a time for a song expressing the need for a man to be a father.

A Fool and His Father

Why can't a father get some credit when he raises a fool? Not your normal question, but today isn't your normal day. August 2 is the feast day (unless you go by the new calendar, in which case it is August 15) and 540th (or, maybe the 541st) birthday of Basil the Fool, son of Jacob.

But does Jacob get a cathedral? A feast day? Even a last name? Nothing, not even something catchy, but depreciative like "Jacob the jerk." He raised a saint, for God's sake. Shouldn't the papa get some props?

Nope, fathers of fools are condemned to sorrow.

Even Ivan the Fool's pop, who turns out to be happy his son has married a frog, doesn't get much. After all, once the folk tale father agrees to be happy about his son's union, he loses his whole czardom.

It's not fair. After all, it's not like the father is the fool.

With Your Own Eyes

For some, reading is nothing. Seeing is believing:

Kitty acupuncturist:



CHorse Chiropractor:


Alternative medical treatments aren't like pulling a rabbit out of water (er, a hat).

The More Humorous Unconscious

"Dying is easy, comedy is hard," goes the old saw. Thus the burden of Mike Myers.

His most recent film, The Love Guru, was horribly received and, most unfortunately, publicly labeled by Myers as a creation that began as a tribute to his father that began with his death from Alzheimer's.



And now he has announced a similar threat to his Austin Powers franchise. Although each of the previous three Powers films have fiddled and jiggered a father-son dynamic, AP4 is being envisioned as an homage to his dad, with a "a father and son theme loosely based on his own life."

But it was better when the comedy flowed more naturally, less self-consciously. Because, while Myers has never been a father, it was clear he was able to pull the funny from having had a father:



Now that he has publicly declared his goal to be both funny and honor his father, the pressure may be too much.