Justin Halpern: 'Sh*t My Dad Says' Guy Worries About Media
The former Maxim.com senior writer behind the popular Twitter feed turned best-selling book and TV sitcom fears that many old media brands are "refusing to realize the transition" to the digital world.

By Patrick Phillips
I Want Media, 6/29/10

As Justin Halpern can attest, things move fast in the Internet age. Last August, the then 28-year-old senior writer at Maxim.com (pictured) began a humorous Twitter feed recording the "colorful" musings of his retired 73-year-old father.

Sam Halpern's sarcastic, expletive-laced quotes ("Son, no one gives a sh*t about all the things your cell phone does. You didn't invent it, you just bought it. Anybody can do that") quickly amassed 1 million+ followers.

The part-time project led to a book deal with a HarperCollins imprint and even a CBS sitcom, set to debut this fall, starring William Shatner.

The "Sh*t My Dad Says" book has hit No. 1 on the New York Times' best-seller list. What's your dad say about that?

Justin Halpern: He's actually incredibly happy for me. He's not that impressed by the television show, but very impressed by the New York Times list. He said I "struck some kinda nerve. The book's good, but it's not that good."

Another new book, "The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains," by Nicholas Carr, argues that the Internet is helping to kill off deep reading, making us all dumber. What do you say?

Halpern: I think he is 100 percent correct. I firmly believe that we are not doing ourselves any favors by immersing in the Internet. I owe my entire career to unbelievably short attention spans, but I would be full of crap if I didn't say I think Nicholas is right on the money.

Is "Sh*t My Dad Says" helping to make the world dumber?

Halpern: Well, you know, I guess it all depends on what it provokes in the reader. The short answer is that it probably doesn't help make anyone smarter. If it promotes a dialogue between family members about their own family, then I venture to say that maybe it actually does some good. But that's a big "if," huh?

Do you find it difficult to convey your father's "wisdom" in less than 140 characters?

Halpern: Well, I get to hear the whole conversation, which is usually very, very long.

Have you heard from anyone at Twitter about "Sh*t My Dad Says"?

Halpern: I've heard through other people. I hear they're excited about it, and they've helped a bit to promote the book. They retweeted the tweet announcing the book was on sale. I think it puts them in a tricky spot. You can't exactly openly applaud something that is filled with f-bombs if you're a company.

How involved are you in the "Sh*t My Dad Says" TV show?

Halpern: I'm very involved. I'm a writer on the show, there every day in the writers' room. It's bizarre working on a show about your life. But the kid who played me in the pilot is a billion times better looking than I am, so it's easy to get my distance from it.

Is William Shatner a good choice to portray your dad?

Halpern: He is the closest thing to my dad that's not my dad. I love him to death.

The Parents Television Council is threatening to challenge the broadcast license of CBS affiliates that air the show, due to the suggestion of an expletive in the title. What would your dad say?

Halpern: My dad cannot stand those people. He thinks a parent is judged on their actions, not on their rhetoric. My father was and is terrific, and raised four children who are upstanding members of society.

How will CBS pronounce the name of the show on the air?

Halpern: They'll say: "Bleep My Dad Says."

Part of the appeal of "Sh*t My Dad Says" is the humorous use of expletives. Won't they be missed in the TV show?

Halpern: I'd be lying if I said they won't be missed. But we tried to maintain the aggressive honesty of the page and my father, and made a promise to never use words he wouldn't use. There will be no "poop" or "frick."

You're a former senior writer for Maxim magazine's website. Do you plan to continue to write for magazines?

Halpern: I was a senior writer but I left after the show started. I still have a fondness for magazines and would like to dabble.

Are you optimistic about the future of magazines in the Twitter age?

Halpern: Before this I was working on the Internet as a writer, and I kept seeing large brands refusing to realize the transition media is making.

A brand like Playboy should have a huge online presence, but instead I would venture to say it's probably non-existent. Even using simple SEO strategies would allow them to capitalize on their catalogs of women, but they don't do it. Many old school brands are the exactly same way.

Wow, that was a really nerdy answer to that question.

Are any magazines making a successful transition?

Halpern: To be honest, I think they're all doing a pretty terrible job, other than maybe Sports Illustrated. But the key to their success is piggybacking off of CNN.com. I can't think of one brand that's really figured it out.

Just ask yourself, when was the last time you went to Esquire.com, or GQ.com? I think it's tough because magazines have a certain kind of old school credibility to them and the Internet feels like a place where anyone and everyone tosses up opinions.

Your Twitter feed has spawned a blog, a book and a TV show. What's next?

Halpern: I have no idea. I'm basically the luckiest human being on the planet, and I just want to focus on not blowing this opportunity.

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