Father’s Day is around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than by honoring the fictional men who helped raise us? Without further ado, here are my 23 favorite nuggets of wisdom from TV dads:
1.
“When life gives you lemonade, make lemons. Life will be all like, ‘Whaaat?'” —Phil Dunphy, Modern Family
2.
“I am your father. It’s my job to protect you. It’s a job I refuse to quit and at which I can’t afford to fail.” —Uncle Phil, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
3.
“Son, if you really want something in this life, you have to work for it. Now quiet! They’re about to announce the lottery numbers.” —Homer Simpson, The Simpsons
5.
“No matter what you look like on the outside, if you have a good heart, you’re beautiful.” —Danny Tanner, Full House
6.
“Life will change, but that’s alright.” —Uncle Jesse, Full House
7.
“You’re doing great, kid. Really.” —Bandit, Bluey
8.
“It is perfectly normal for a mommy to go to work and a daddy to stay home. Women can do anything.” —Randall Pearson, This Is Us
9.
“You got to own your choices… Choose them fully and don’t look back.” —Jack Pearson, This Is Us
10.
“…the Tri-State Area is great and all, but my daughter’s happiness? That’s my ultimate masterpiece.” —Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz, Phineas and Ferb
11.
“Just let yourself feel what you need to feel, even if it hurts.” —Sandy Cohen, The O.C.
12.
“You can pulp a story but you cannot destroy an idea.” —Captain Benjamin Sisko, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
13.
“Nothing in my life is complete until I’ve shared it with you.” —Hal Wilkerson, Malcolm in the Middle
14.
“If we want to be a better neighborhood, we have to be better neighbors.” —Bob Belcher, Bob’s Burgers
15.
“Being sorry is not the magic word that makes everything right again.” —Andy Taylor, The Andy Griffith Show
16.
“It’s not always easy doing the right thing.” —Keith Mars, Veronica Mars
17.
“There’s some things in life that we can’t prepare for… And if we spend forever trying to prepare for them, then we’re just wasting our time.” —Dan Conner, Roseanne
18.
“Why… go out to relax, when I can relax at home for free?” —Julius, Everybody Hates Chris
19.
“She’s the one who never gets thanked, the unsung hero of all our success. I stand here not only as a result of that love, but in awe of it.” —Louis Huang, Fresh Off the Boat
20.
“There’s nothing old-fashioned about politeness.” —Ward Cleaver, Leave It To Beaver
21.
“Good times become good memories, but bad times become good lessons.” —Uncle Iroh, Avatar: The Last Airbender
22.
“What does matter is the size of your heart and the strength of your character.” —Herman Munster, The Munsters
23.
Finally, “You got to protect the things you worked hard to build.” —Jonathan Kent, Smallville
Do you have a favorite TV dad? What did he say that stuck with you? Tell us in the comments below!
