The Dad Brotocol

Happy Birthday, America! We threw you a party... sorry it sucks. This week we're celebrating America's 250th birthday the only way we know how—with White Russians, weird news, fireworks, monster trucks, patriotic songs, and one very confused Australian joining us from Japan. We debate whether countries should celebrate each other's birthdays, rank America's greatest anthems, discover things that c...

Uncle Chris is in charge. You've been warned. The boys survive a night at a small-town karaoke bar, meet some unforgettable characters, debate Marvel vs. DC, and discover that neither of them remembers nearly as many cartoon theme songs as they thought. Also: Book of Pennies, late-night HBO childhood trauma, and nostril hole cancer.

Dad joins the podcast for stories about haunted houses, lost keys, treasure hunts, fishing disasters, and the kind of family stories that remind us why we show up for each other. Before we were dads, there was Dad.

We tried to record a normal episode. Instead, Mom grabbed a mic. From there it’s part game night, part family hangout, and whatever happens when nobody sticks to the plan. Mom jumps in, has opinions, and somehow takes over the room. Before we were dads, we were bros… now we’re podcasting with Mom.

Episode 57: Lights Out Crash Out A family gathering, a simple problem, and one very long night. What starts as an attempt to get some sleep quickly spirals into confusion, conflicting eyewitness accounts, and allegations that RC may have been crashing out over absolutely nothing. Featuring cousins, chaos, and a mystery that should have been much easier to solve.

This week on The Dad Brotocol, Uncle Chris and Uncle RC accidentally turn on the microphones and stumble into an episode about adult friendship. What starts with a text to an old friend turns into awkward memories, ghosting, late-night phone calls, high school band stories, and one important realization: Nobody teaches you how to be a friend when you’re 42.1

What age did we peak? This week we invent a game to figure out the perfect age for random life experiences and immediately get distracted by road trips, cruises, Hot Wheels, football, and questions that make society stop making sense.

Uncle RC and Uncle Chris finally begin their MCU journey the only way two underprepared dads can: by immediately getting distracted, arguing about nonsense, and somehow spending way too much time discussing whether a missile should realistically have legs. Somewhere in there, we also talk about why Iron Man still works, why Tony Stark is weirdly compelling, and why Uncle Chris goes 0-for-4 during...

This week on The Dad Brotocol , the guys suffer through a terrible joke book, argue through a chaotic round of Who’s Most Likely To , and bring Aubrey on for a family-friendly game of Outburst . Then, after a very serious warning, things go completely off the rails with the “Disturbed Personality Test” version of Disturbed Friends , where everyone tries to defend the least insane answer possible....

RC thinks he just came up with a million dollar idea… and Chris is not convinced. In this episode, we break down Podcasting Without Fear , a classroom project where students build confidence by running their own podcast—interviews, segments, games, and all. It’s public speaking… without the part where everyone is terrified. We put the idea to the test: Chris attempts to interview Aubrey (with mixe...

In this episode, we go all in on Nintendo—where it started, what it is now, and where it might be going next. From old-school memories like Duck Hunt, Tetris, and Game Genie to the chaos of modern Nintendo and the new Mario movie, we cover it all. Along the way, Uncle Chris drops some Nuggets, we debate the best Mario games, and try to figure out why Nintendo still works when nothing they do shoul...

We made it to episode 50! To celebrate, we handed the show over to Uncle Chris… which may have been a mistake. With no plan and no notes, we stumble through bad jokes, life updates, and eventually a game where the kids prove they understand us better than we understand them.

Before we were dads… we were just two brothers hoping our school name would show up on the snow day scroll. In this episode of The Dad Brotocol , RC and Uncle Chris break down the good, the bad, and the truly questionable decisions of snow days growing up in Eastern Washington. From building ice-brick snow forts and sledding through cow pastures to car accidents, bad skiing decisions, and the hars...

This week we test our opening segments in a chaotic tournament to see what belongs on Dad Brotocol. Plus: Uncle Chris gets an AI dating profile and we finally reach card 100 of Who’s Most Likely To.

Before the toys, before the cartoons, before the catchphrases — there were two guys in an apartment with a strange idea and a black-and-white comic. This week we explore the surprisingly gritty origins of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, why they worked, and how they somehow grew up alongside us. We break down the turtles’ personalities, argue about weapons, revisit Secret of the Ooze, and relive...

Happy Valentine’s Day. We talk first crushes, celebrity draft picks, embarrassing Facebook memories, and play “Would You Still Crush On Her If…” Things spiral (as they do), but somehow we land on nostalgia, bromances, and clean laundry. This one’s on you.

This week on Dad Brotocol , we throw the lamest Super Bowl party imaginable and somehow never recover. We argue about whether the Pro Bowl should be legally put down, debate Bill Belichick and Hall of Fame politics, relive the Super Bowls that hooked us as kids, and spiral into ranking NFL dynasties until everyone’s mad. There’s nostalgia, yelling, bad lists, good memories, tired dads, kids in the...

Why don’t our kids listen to our podcast? When we were kids, listening to adults talk felt important. Now? Our kids couldn’t care less. This week, the bros stretch, sweat, and emotionally relive PE — the best, the worst, and the stuff that probably stuck with us a little too long. From parachutes, dodgeball, floor hockey, and legendary PE teachers… to ropes we never climbed, miles we never ran fas...

In this episode, we take a hard nostalgic look at recess —the good, the bad, and the absolute shit. From four square and “the big toy” to concussions, staples, and questionable adult supervision, we break down why recess ruled… and why adults desperately need it back. We also debut: A chaotic (and unnamed) nostalgia segment A full Uncle Chris Update involving layoffs, unions, overtime, and life ch...

The guys of The Dad Brotocol interview podcaster producer Brian Ruppert. Check out his podcast Reviewing History and other projects for TESD. This episode was originally published in December 2024.

In this episode, we take a turn and get serious for a minute. We talk about what it’s like being dads watching our kids grow up—missing who they were, being proud of who they’re becoming, and not always knowing how to hold both at the same time. There’s still laughter, chaos, and classic Dad Brotocol detours, but at the heart of this one is a real conversation about fatherhood, time moving too fas...

It’s the New Year’s episode… which means nothing goes according to plan. Uncle RC waits. Uncle Chris is late. Technology immediately betrays everyone. From a painfully long cold open and a brutally honest 2025 Chris Life Review , to New Year’s resolutions that feel suspiciously low-bar, the guys do what they do best: argue, spiral, and somehow keep recording. Along the way, they debate whether Tra...

It’s Episode 40, which means Uncle Chris is in charge … and things immediately go off the rails. In this Christmas Train Wreck episode of The Dad Brotocol , we attempt to: Talk about NFL players doing “nice things” for Christmas Explain what a Christmas miracle even is Tell the true (and absolutely wild) story of a dead cat that came back on Christmas Eve — complete with a real newspaper article f...

On this episode of The Dad Brotocol , I’m Zoe — your producer — and yes, I’m the one writing this description after listening to RC and Uncle Chris attempt (and fail) to cleanly record a Friday episode. What starts as a reenactment of their actual text messages quickly turns into a live demonstration of why scheduling this show is always chaos, especially when bagels, dogs, jobs, and Christmas pla...

Zoe here! It’s Friday, and the vibes are immaculate. In this laid-back, anything-goes episode, the guys ease into the weekend by waiting on Chris, sharing family life updates, and fully embracing that Friday feeling. The show kicks off with some AI-inspired naming ideas before bouncing through everything from wild NFL upsets to AI-generated trailers. Along the way, they dive into fun facts about F...