When it comes to music, there’s the awesome music we grew up with… and then there’s the crap that “kids these days” listen to. I’m kidding- sort of. Sure, there are some decent current songs, but we all know that the music we grew up with rocked.
If I’m in my car alone, you can bet I’m shrieking (I’d say “singing”, but I’m not sure my sounds qualify) along to anything circa 1995 or prior.
And when my kids are in the car with me… you can bet I’m subjecting them to my music, too. Or torturing them with it, as my 10-year-old daughter puts it.
If I want to walk like an Egyptian, then I’ll do what I damn well please, because I’m the mom. And if I want to sing along with The Bangles about it, too bad, kiddo!
In fact, just this very morning on the drive to school, my 10-year-old was actually angry at me because “you listen to the world music in the world, Mom. It’s so sad.”
(At least I think she said that, but it was hard to hear her as I sang along to Bohemian Rhapsody’s operatic section. Bismillah, baby!)
But apparently I’m not the only parent who feels the need to school my kids on GOOD music. In fact, some celebrities are even getting in on it.
Actor Jerry O’Connell posted a clip of himself on Twitter trying to get his kids to appreciate “good” music, and every parent totally gets it.
First of all, I’m a diehard fan of Jerry’s ever since he played sweet naive Vern in the movie “Stand By Me”, because, hello- I’m an 80s kid! Jerry’s had a consistent career since, appearing in various sitcoms and movies, and even has his own show, Jerry O.
Little Vern grew up nicely, & ended marrying former model Rebecca Romijn. They have twin 9-year-old daughters: Dolly Rebecca Rose & Charlie Tamara Tulip.
While Jerry may be viewed as a successful celebrity actor to the world, to Dolly and Charlie, he’s just DAD.
And like most kids, the girls think their Dad’s taste in music is lame (or whatever cool word kids are using nowadays).
So Jerry decided to educate his girls on what great music really is. And by “educate”, we mean: force them to listen to Prince’s “When Doves Cry” while trapped in his car.

If a picture’s worth a thousand words, then the expression on his daughter’s face is worth about ten thousand words… of pure tween agony.
Now I love me a good Prince song, and that breakout guitar riff at the beginning is enough to get me throwing up some jazz hands. I’m with Jerry on this one; the song is a classic. Fight me.
But clearly Jerry’s daughters are not appreciating the sheer brilliance that was Prince, despite their father’s enthusiasm:

(It appears even the daughter in the backseat is now dying. Maybe literally.)
Like any good dad, Jerry was just trying to educate his daughters on the finer aspects of music appreciation from his generation. But they weren’t having it…
… maybe it was singing along that was too much.
Because Jerry was in.the.moment. He was belting the lyrics out to his heart’s content, and to his daughter’s disgust and horror.
Here’s the clip below, in all it’s beautifully awkward parental glory:
Teach Your Children pic.twitter.com/vrjwCIkWL9
— Jerry O'Connell (@MrJerryOC) October 18, 2019
My favorite part? When he stops mid-lyric to snap,
This is real music!
Oh, it’s getting real in this car- and for Jerry’s girls, the struggle is real.
Although the clip is short, there’s clearly the sense that:
- the doors are locked. There is no escape for these girls.
- the volume is at full-blast, because GO BIG OR GO HOME, JERRY!
- they are used to their dad being weird, & weird parents are the best.
- this isn’t the first time the girls have “listened” to Dad’s music.
BONUS POINTS: When one of his daughters cries:
DAD, turn it down- we’re next to the high school!
DYING.
I’m not sure what I liked more: the wails of protest from his daughters, or the level of passion Jerry put into rocking this… unique rendition of “When Doves Cry”.
Now lest you think Jerry & I are the only parents out there that finds genuine joy in tormenting my kids with the musical classics of yore, his video tweet has already earned over 31.2K retweets and 189.3K likes.
And the comments. Good old reliable Twitter, with the comments:
Oh man… Flashbacks! pic.twitter.com/YmHrLjjx1c
— Yeah, I said it (@aalleyne) October 19, 2019
Our parents did this to us, & we do it to our kids. It’s the circle of life, people.
Wow, those kids are lucky. My father used to have Kenny Rogers playing (loudly) when he took me to school.
— Angry Gardener ?????? (@GardenerAngry) October 20, 2019
See? It could be worse (and louder, too)!
They’re lucky it was Prince. Grandma would have been blasting Jeremiah Was a Bullfrog…
— Nala (@Nala22391304) October 20, 2019
Been there. And Jeremiah may have been a bullfrog, but he was no friend of mine… in front of my friends. *awkward alert*
Well played.
If you don’t teach your kids about 80s music in the home, they’ll jsut learn about it on the streets.
— A Cut Rate Parasite (@MonsieurUgarte) October 19, 2019
“I learned it by watching you, Dad!” Parents that listen to 80’s music will have kids that listen to 80’s music.
Just to show my teenagers how much i loved them when i dropped them off at school id roll down the window shout out each of there names and say i love you, make good choices, say no to drugs and Journey was best with Steve Perry
— Ruth johnson (@Ruthjohnson1966) October 18, 2019
I’m pretty sure Ruth unlocked a whole new level of “embarrass your kids for your own amusement”. And I want to be like Ruth.
What is best in life? To hear the lamentations of the children.
— rzrwiresunrise (@rzrwiresunrise) October 19, 2019
Yep! Doves cry, but so do kids- when their parents play “good” music.
I am 100% this parent.
— ?Charity? (@ImNotCharity) October 19, 2019
Same, girl. SAME.
Parenting done right!!
80s music & Prince > today’s crap ? ? ? pic.twitter.com/4KM4Yrka2P— Andrew Searles (@andrewsearles) October 19, 2019
TRUTH!
? This is what it sounds like…when teens cry. ????
— Joel Johnson (@silkysoul) October 19, 2019
It sounds like a parent win!!!
— Michelle (@Anotherdayago) October 19, 2019
Prince would be proud, Jerry.
And so are the rest of us “old folks” who still appreciate good music, and use every car ride to force our kids to hear it, too!