Ep. 572 - Classic TV Dads Tier List: Homer Simpson, Al Bundy & More Ranked by Real Dads!

**Matt Lavelle** (0:00)
Hello, and welcome to episode 572 of the Working Perspectives Podcast, Four Dads, Bye Dads. That's right, we're here again, and today we're ranking TV dads one more time. I'm here, Matt Lavelle, accompanied as always by Bern Pockesee, the most handsome man in town, Liam Reese, and our special guest today, the one and only Tom Lavelle. Today, we're each bringing a dad to the table, and we're gonna rank them. We're not all gonna agree, but we're gonna come up on a final ranking. The rankings we have are as follows. We have S tier, that's the top one for the absolute legends. Then we have A tier for the iconic, B tier for the talented and original, C tier for the average, D tier for not such good dads, and then F tier for the absolute worst. Super excited to get into this, gonna be a lot of fun. Tom, well, you know what? No, let's start off with big daddy, Le Schmigli, Liam Rees. Liam, who is the dad you are bringing to the table today?

**Liam Reese** (1:03)
I am bringing the man himself, Al Bundy.

**Matt Lavelle** (1:08)
Wow.

**Liam Reese** (1:09)
Married with Children.
Legendary shoe salesman. Yeah. Legendary football player, Paul Kai.

**Bern Pockesee** (1:18)
Four touchdowns in a single game.

**Liam Reese** (1:20)
They were down three touchdowns and he scored four touchdowns.

**Matt Lavelle** (1:24)
Okay. So where do we want to start them off at? Liam, you can start it. Tell me where you want to start them off at and then we'll find where you want them to be when we're done. Where do you want them, Liam?

**Liam Reese** (1:35)
I say A, high B, low A, A, yeah.

**Matt Lavelle** (1:41)
We'll put them in A for now. We'll see how it goes because I'll tell you, I'm not totally sure I agree with that. I mean, he is the physical embodiment of what is known as marital burnout, marital, marital, marital, marital burnout. He is the ultimate what not to do as a husband, so to speak. But, you know, he does make a sport out of ignoring and torturing his wife and kids, which we do love. You know what I mean? I mean, Bern, for you, Al is essentially living a divorced lifestyle while still legally married, it seems, right? And the misery is, it's, it's almost you can taste it on your tongue, you know? But yeah, so I don't know, what do you think?
Tom, tell me, do you think Al Bundy is A-tier material?

**Tom Lavelle** (2:31)
Well, here's the thing, I guess I have to know how-

**Liam Reese** (2:35)
Yeah, do I get to make my argument?

**Matt Lavelle** (2:38)
Oh, sorry, Liam, geez, argue away.

**Bern Pockesee** (2:43)
Well, do we want Liam to argue first or are you last? What makes more sense?

**Matt Lavelle** (2:48)
Okay, Liam, all right, fine.

**Liam Reese** (2:49)
Yeah, do I make my closing arguments?

**Matt Lavelle** (2:52)
Liam, tell us why you want him in A-tier, and then we'll tell you why you're wrong, and then you can finish why you're right.

**Bern Pockesee** (2:59)
I think that's fair.

**Liam Reese** (3:00)
Okay.

**Matt Lavelle** (3:01)
Glad you think it's fair, Tim Meadows, cocksmoker.

**Bern Pockesee** (3:04)
Ooh, it's a lady.

**Liam Reese** (3:07)
Okay, so you guys go and then I make my closing arguments.

**Matt Lavelle** (3:10)
No, no, no, you go, Liam, tell us why you want him there, then we'll go, and then you can close.

**Bern Pockesee** (3:15)
You bookend it, you get to the beginning and the end.

**Liam Reese** (3:19)
So everybody's going to point to the jokes, and he's taking shots at Peggy and the kids and everything. But that's all for laughs. He's a funny guy.
Dude, Al Bundy, anytime anyone will mess with any of those three, he will throw down at the drop of a hat.

**Bern Pockesee** (3:42)
That's true.

**Liam Reese** (3:42)
He is incredibly loyal.
Remember, he pushed Bud to study, so that Bud would be the only Bundy to ever graduate from college, and listen, if this isn't a good dad, I don't know what is. He goes to a soul-crushing job every day, true, day in, day out, that he hates to bring home the bacon. He's the only one working in that house. That is a fucking stand-up guy, if you ask me.

**Matt Lavelle** (4:14)
Liam, I'll tell you, that is a massive, massive point in Al Bundy's favor, that he does have to eat so much shit being a fucking lady shoe salesman, and he does it to provide for his family. That's ultimate, that's provider. That is big-time provider. I mean, that adds a lot. But, I mean, also, let's not forget, like, think of the tortured, like, y'all knew those buddies that friends that had hot moms, right? Like, he's got a smoke show for a daughter, and then a fucking cuck twink for a son.