"BatDad," aka Blake Wilson (which I’m going to assume is a super sweet code name for Bruce Wayne), has been around for our enjoyment since September of 2013 when he began posting videos to Vine. Not long after he began posting, the videos went viral and he was a guest on the Today Show that same year. BatDad was also a guest on Fox News in 2015 and local NBC affiliate 11 Alive in Atlanta aired a segment on him on Feb. 4, 2016.
BatDad began (get it, BatDad began. Anyone?) after strolling through Target with his wife, Jen. He told 11 Alive’s Jaye Watson, “I walked through the aisles in Target, saw the mask, picked it up spur of the moment and just bought it and then when we got out to the car, I just put it on and started making videos.” The $10 Batman mask is proving to be one of the best investments Wilson has made.
What started as a fun hobby while Wilson and his wife worked from home has appeared to turn into a career for him. Currently he has 3.6 million followers on Vine, over four million likes on Facebook (which is actually more likes than “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” currently has on Facebook) along with a T-shirt for fans to buy. Though we all love BatDad, it’s no surprise that Jen is also a fan favorite. Let’s face it, her reactions to BatDad are all of our reactions to our own significant others.
Wilson, Jen and their children have officially added a new addition to their Roswell-based family, a pit bull the family named Sugar. Jen has been fostering dogs for quite some time through different organizations according to her Instagram. Sugar came to the family via You Lucky Dog Rescue in Forsyth County about a year ago. Wilson was wary of pit bulls at first but told Watson, “It didn't take long for my heart to open up for her.” While many assume that Sugar will be the Robin to Wilson’s Bat Dad, I think that title probably still belongs to good old Uncle Rob.
Fans of BatDad not only enjoy his videos but also take note of how he and Jen interact with their children. Viewers are learning from the family in many ways. For one, once the family began fostering and once they adopted a pit bull, fans took note. The decision has brought much awareness to the common idea that all pit bulls are the same and may have helped to change many minds in the process. Many Facebook fans also leave comments crediting the videos with lifting their spirits in times of strife as well as helping them better interact with their own children in what can be such a difficult digital age.
If you’re interested in fostering or adopting a dog you can fill out an application on You Lucky Dog Rescue’s website. The non-profit organization also accepts volunteer applications and takes donations.
What do you think of BatDad’s antics? Have a favorite BatDad video? Post it in the comments!