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The Fatherly Podcast Episode 21: A Few Laughs Short of a Funny

By Fatherly

November 29, 2018

It is a truth universally acknowledged that fathers want to make their kids laugh and that, when they fail to do so, they wind up feeling like feces. The Fatherly Podcast host Joshua David Stein has been struggling with this. His boys love him, sure, but they also seem to think he's terminally uncool and relentlessly unfunny. Cut to the core, Joshua spends the latest episode of the podcast looking for answers and strategies.

First, Joshua speaks to USC comedy professor, film director, and master of funny Barnet Kellman about what makes kids laugh and how to get those giggles without undermining paternal authority or scaring anyone. Also, Gene Wilder. Kellman directed Wilder and, well, who doesn’t want to hear stories about how cool that guy was? No one, that’s who. Joshua winds up learning a valuable lesson about what it meets to subvert expectations when dealing with an audience of children.

Still not satisfied and looking to expand his repertoire, Joshua calls Allan Kronzek author of Grandpa Magic and talks about how to learn and deploy simple magic tricks. Joshua attempts to blow his kids' minds and winds up bloodied and near tears. At least lessons were learned!

This story originally appeared in Fatherly

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