Alan Thicke, the dad from the ’80s hit sitcom Growing Pains, has put out his second book entitled How to Raise Kids Who Won’t Hate You. Upon reading an excerpt from his book I have discovered two things:

1. He’s not a bad writer, as far as ex-TV dads go.

2. He’s kind of a jerk.

First of all I just want to say I haven’t read the book, just the free excerpt, so I am drawing my opinions from a few paragraphs and an interview he had on the “Today Show.” That being said, I think first impressions speak volumes, and Mr. Thicke’s volume is cranked all the way up and my ears are bleeding. Allow me explain why I am a little annoyed. Before you have read two paragraphs of the excerpt Mr. Thicke has mention not one, but two famous rappers, one of which is a guy that America loves despite being an outspoken member of the notorious street gang, the Crips. I am a fan of both Kanye West and Snoop Dogg, yet somehow I find it offsetting that the TV “father” of that punk kid Kirk Cameron would mention either rapper at the opening of his book. It’s a testament to the mass appeal of Hip-Hop that such a move would be made by such a mainstream white guy, nevertheless it seems quite forced (especially when he quotes Snoop’s famous “for shizzle my nizzle” dialect). Early on he even presents to us a quote from Bernie Mac’s book “Maybe You Never Cry Again.” That’s three black men being referenced (in an effort to make his prose more interesting) before you even reach chapter one! Does he think he’s down because he knows the names of some of our most influential black entertainers?

Perhaps I’m just being mean, or simply reading into stuff. I’ll admit that I am a bit of a hater when it comes to parenting experts, because I am a budding expert that abhors competition. My opinion may also be biased because I think that black children hate their parents for vastly different reasons than other kids do, although I will concede that there are several universal reasons that all kids hate their parents (like curfews for example). Still, the excerpt was funny, and I’ll gladly read the entire book if he sends me a free autographed copy. I’m shameless.