Shit My Dad Says
Shit My Dad Says is a Twitter feed started by Justin Halpern, who, at the time, was a semi-employed comedy writer.[1] It consists of quotations made by Halpern's father, Sam, regarding various subjects.[2] Halpern started the account on August 3, 2009, soon after moving from Los Angeles back to his parents' house in San Diego. He intended it only as a storage site for his father's salty comments, but a friend posted a link to it. Comedian Rob Corddry then tweeted the link, and that really "jump-started it" according to Halpern.[3] In less than a month, the page was mentioned by The Daily Show, a popular San Francisco blog called Laughing Squid, and actress Kristen Bell.[4] As of February 2024[update], the feed has 2.1 million followers. The account has largely been inactive since 2014, with only two tweets since then and none after 2017.
Adaptations
[edit]Book
[edit]In September 2009, Halpern found an agent and started sifting through book deals.[4] He signed an agreement with HarperCollins in October 2009.[2] The book based on the feed, titled Sh*t My Dad Says, was co-written with Halpern's longtime writing partner Patrick Schumacker,[5] and was released on May 4, 2010.[6] During its first week, the book reached #8 on The New York Times Best Seller list for hardcover nonfiction.[1][7] For six weeks after its release, the book was #1 on the bestseller list.[8]
Television series
[edit]In November 2009, CBS announced that it was developing a television sitcom based on the Twitter feed, which would star William Shatner.[2][9] The series, officially titled $#*! My Dad Says (spoken as Bleep My Dad Says), was green-lighted by CBS in May 2010 and began airing on CBS on Thursday nights.[10]
On May 15, 2011, CBS announced that it had canceled $#*! My Dad Says,[11] despite winning the People's Choice Award for Best New Comedy.
References
[edit]- ^ a b Schuessler, Jennifer (2010-05-13). "Inside the List". New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
- ^ a b c Hart, Hugh (2009-11-10). "Shit My Dad Says: Twitter Got Me a Sitcom Deal". Wired News. Condé Nast Digital. Retrieved 2009-11-15.
- ^ Webley, Kayla (May 21, 2010). "Justin Halpern, Author of Sh*t My Dad Says". Time. Archived from the original on May 23, 2010. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
- ^ a b Milian, Mark (September 2, 2009). "When Moving In with Your Parents Can Land You a Book Deal". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 18, 2010.
- ^ Riemer, Emily (November 12, 2009). ""Shit My Dad Says" Creator Justin Halpern Talks Book Deal, TV Show". Paste. Archived from the original on October 10, 2016. Retrieved June 28, 2010.
- ^ Halpern, Justin (4 May 2010). Sh*t My Dad Says – Hardcover. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0061992704.
- ^ "Best Sellers: Hardcover Nonfiction". New York Times. May 13, 2010. Archived from the original on May 19, 2010. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
- ^ "Best Sellers: Hardcover Nonfiction". New York Times. June 11, 2010. Archived from the original on June 17, 2010. Retrieved June 16, 2010.
- ^ "Twitter To TV: 'Shit My Dad Says' User Gets CBS Comedy Deal (PHOTOS, NSFW)". The Huffington Post. November 10, 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-15.
- ^ "CBS Announces 2010–2011 Primetime Schedule". The Futon Critic. May 19, 2010. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
- ^ TV by the Numbers