With Father's Day right around the corner, big box stores are advertising gifts for every type of dad.
There's a power drill for fix-It dad, shades for sporty dad and the ever-popular necktie for executive dad.
In real life, however, fathers rarely fall into just one of those retail-based categories. Computer programmer dads like to bike in the summer, while firemen fathers listen to opera on the sly.
Using celebrities as models, Come Alive has created a new list of dad subspecies. Read on to find out which famous father is most like your old man. Gift suggestions are included.
Hands-on dad
Barack Obama
The commander in chief has a full plate, but he makes sure Sasha, 8, and Malia, 10, get plenty of face time with the First Dad. Obama famously delivered on his campaign promise of adopting a puppy playmate for his girls and surprised them with a swingset on the White House grounds.
Still, the youngsters are far from spoiled - they have a bedtime, do chores to earn a weekly allowance of $1 and clean up after their pooch.
Likewise, Obama stays grounded by occasionally ferrying the kids to school. He's a hands-on Dad who likes to share simple pleasures with his daughters. Be it a walk on the beach or a stomach-flipping carnival ride, Obama makes playtime a priority.
Gift suggestion: Breakfast in bed, universal health care
On-the-go dad
Brad Pitt
These days, few paparazzi pictures capture Pitt without at least one of his six children in tow. Since he began dating Angelina Jolie in 2005, the actor has changed his image from Hollywood Hunk to Super Dad.
Pitt now only accepts roles that mesh with his family's schedule, often toting the whole clan to overseas shoots. And like Obama, he does his fair share of the grunt work, changing diapers and dropping the older children off at school.
Although the actor/activist is reluctant to share details about his personal life, Pitt often tells interviewers he's happier than ever as a family man.
"Fatherhood is the best thing I ever did," he said. "It changes your perspective. You can write a book, you can make a movie, you can paint a painting, but having kids is really the most extraordinary thing that I have taken on."
Gift suggestion: Free-trade coffee beans, designer diaper bag
Tough-love dad
Bill Cosby
He's called "America's Dad" for a reason. Cosby's mix of tough love and easy laughs made his '80s sitcom a hit while offering viewers one of the first realistic portrayals of family life on TV.
The Cosby kids weren't perfect, but they knew right from wrong. The sweater-clad patriarch made sure of that with common-sense lessons dispelled in every episode.
But Cosby was more than a disciplinarian. He was as free with his hugs as he was strict with his curfews. The doctor enjoyed tossing around the pigskin with Theo and playing dress-up with Vanessa, but he was always father first, friend second.
Gift suggestion: Multicolored sweater, an embargo on bickering at the dinner table
Role model dad
Mufasa
The King of the Pride Lands was born to rule, and he made sure to pass those traits along to his son, Simba.
Mufasa was a life coach before his time. Although the lion enjoyed showing his heir the wonders of jungle life, he also stressed the importance of developing leadership skills. He pushed his son to constantly better himself, knowing the young cub would thank him in the end.
The patriarch's untimely death drove Simba to flee the pride, but the memory of his father's words of wisdom spurred the feline prince to reclaim his rightful crown. After all, Mufasa is the dad you just can't let down.
Gift suggestion: Stephen R. Covey's "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People," Pride Rock paperweight
Posted in Lifestyles on Thursday, June 18, 2009 12:00 am Updated: 5:56 pm.
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