Teachable Moments, Trauma, and why ”Bean Dad” struck a nerve

We meant to take this week off but then a thing happened. Musician, podcaster and public personality John Roderick struck a collective nerve by telling a story about his daughter, beans, and a can opener. In doing so he became known to many as "Bean Dad". We use this surprise phenomenon, and how and why it resonated negatively for many, to talk about "teachable moments", anxiety, trauma and collective PTSD. It's about Bean Dad, sure, but really it's about us all.

We'll be back with our first proper episode of 2021 next week. Magnolia, y'all!

Why Are Dads is a show in which hosts Sarah Marshall and Alex Steed attempt to understand what the hell it means to be the grown children of dads and other dad-like figures. And, as they do with all difficult subject matter, they do so by looking through a pop culture lens.

You can find us on Twitter, Instagram and Patreon.

You can find producer and music director Carolyn Kendrick's music here. She's also on Twitter.

Our Liz Climo "You Are Good" merch can be found here!