Parents have a favorite kid
Summary
Parents absolutely have a favorite kid, and this straphanger thinks we should stop pretending otherwise. He's convinced he's his mom's favorite while his older brother has claimed their dad's affection, which he accepts with surprising calm. "You're their second favorite person in the world," he tells Kareem, arguing that being number two doesn't make you unloved. The guest admits his brother is "cooler, handsomer" and has more parental rizz, but he's slowly winning his mom over by calling her daily to ask about her knee. His closing message to his dad is simple: "I love you. You're my favorite dad." Unless Paul McCartney turns out to be his real father.
Full Transcript
So, what's your take? Do I do it in my head or do I say it out loud? Should I say it out loud? Which one should— You could, I'll do it out loud. Yeah, I'll do it out loud. Got it.
Uh, my take is that parents have a favorite kid. 100% agree. They—they dropped it—we would 100% agree.
Well, I think that they shouldn't have to and we should de-stigmatize parents having to pretend that they like their kids equally 'cuz it's not true. And I think that the more they fight to explain, "I like my kids equally," the more it makes it clear, the less favorite—less happy—'cuz they know— [Laughter]
—the truth. Have siblings? Yeah, I have an older brother. Are you—I'm my mom's favorite, he's my dad's favorite.
Oh, that's nice. It's a little split. I don't believe that, like, if your parents is like the same amount. Like, one of your kids is— You know what I mean? It's like—also, I don't think that it makes you a bad parent that you like another kid less. Like, I think there's a lot of angst with kids where they think, "Oh, my parents don't love me as much as—" But like, you're their second favorite person in the world. It's just that their first favorite person is—
Why do you think your dad likes you less? I mean, why wouldn't he? I think—well, here's the truth. I believe that my brother is cooler, cooler, handsomer. I call my mom like every day, like, "You campaign. I love you. How are you? How's your knee, Ma?" Uh, and so slowly she's, you know, I'm becoming my mom's favorite. But you just can't help it. Some people got—
He's got rizz? Your brother's got rizz? He's got parental rizz. Yeah. I'm—your—I have never met your brother. But you are on the show and he's not.
That's true. But if it was my parents' show, they'd probably have— [Laughter]
—Nat a few times and then me at the very end. They'd be like, "We'll slot you in on this at Sunday at 4:00 a.m." I made his sunglasses fall off. There was no competition. It's clear that he's the better son.
Anything you want to say to your dad? There's nothing really I can say except I love you. Uh, you're my favorite dad. I know I'm not the favorite kid, but you're my favorite dad. Unless, of course, there's another dad who comes out of the woodwork, in which case, you know, if it turns out Paul McCartney was somehow my dad, then sorry, Dad, you're number two.