'Pittsburgh Dad' Becoming YouTube Sensation
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - "Run the ball! You should be passing the ball all day! Run the football!"
The contradictory lines are shouted from a living room couch, in the "Steelers" episode of "Pittsburgh Dad."
The series has gone viral on YouTube. "Pittsburgh Dad" is taped on a quiet street in Pleasant Hills. Star "dad" Curt Wootton applies a fake mustache, as producer Chris Pekstra prepares the camera gear.
"Put it on. Now you got Pittsburgh Dad," Curt says, as he dons oversize glasses. Then he goes right into character. "You got too many kids up in that yard! Where did all you kids come from anyhow?"
Burgers on a grill are props for an upcoming Fourth of July spot.
"Aww you kids. Here's a game for you. Clean up all those pop cans and whoever wins gets to eat."
"Pittsburgh Dad" began with a skit they uploaded to YouTube in October.
"His bet was 50 views," Chris Pekstra recalls. "My bet was 100 views. And now we're up to nearly 6 million views."
The stunning success of "Pittsburgh Dad" persuaded the actor to move back home after eight years in Hollywood.
It's 100 percent Pittsburgh all the way. Production takes place at Chris's mother-in-law's place, which led his father-in-law to scratch his head.
"My father-in-law went to my wife," Chris says, "and said 'Are those guys making fun of me? Are those videos making fun of me?' And I said 'No, that's every Pittsburgh dad.'"
Actually, Curt Wootton models after his own dad.
"He loves it. He's the first one to post it on Facebook every week. And he claims that he doesn't act this way. But I've got 21 years that says that he does."
You can watch the "Pittsburgh Dad" videos on YouTube here!
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