When dad has to answer “What are you looking at, butthead?”
If you ever need to break your obsession with a movie because your mate doesn’t appreciate a classic, watch it with a kid pushing 4yrs old.
Every year on my birthday it is tradition for us to watch Back to the Future.
I’ve loved the movie since a kid and to call it an obsessions is well… OK yeah it’s an obsession. I know more random facts about the movie than is probably healthy and I’m OK with that (did you know the phone number Jennifer gives Marty changes depending which version you’re watching?).
This year while watching it with my oldest kid the experience took an unexpected turn that might have an impact on what movies we watch and when for the sake of my sanity.
Within the first 5 minutes I heard from the peanut gallery:
“Daddy, is this the movie with the kid on the skateboard who drives really fast and bonks his head?”
“Daddy, why there so many clocks?”
“Daddy, what’s that can of… EWWWWWWWWWW!”
“What he plugging in? I want a guitar!”
“Daddy, who he talking to on phone?”
“Daddy you teach me to ride skateboard?”
“Why’s he go to school?”
You get the idea.
Eventually he eased into the movie and sucked it in like I have for so many years but what I didn’t expect was what came out of his mouth next.
Like most guys my age, Teaspoon has developed the skill to remember key lines from movies and after his little brother whacked him with a pillow, “What are you looking at, butt head!” rolled off his tongue with the greatest of ease.
It’s not uncommon for Teaspoon to know the words to a Max & Ruby, Caillou, Handy Manny, or Mickey Mouse video but apparently his skill has developed into movies I watch.
Someday he’ll be the master of random trivia like his old man and score big wins with Jeopardy but for now I think our programming needs a slight adjustment before I find him watching Blazing Saddles.
