'Jacked' dad scares daughter's boyfriend and a professor called it out for what it is — a major red flag

Being protective of children is completely okay, as most parents are like that. However, some parents take it to a point where it may actually hamper their kids’ own lives. Recently, a proud father went viral for claiming to have “terrified” his 13-year-old daughter’s boyfriend. Calling out the "girl dad," a college professor named Neil Shyminsky—who goes by @professorneil on TikTok—stepped in to share his perspective on the controversial parenting idea, describing it as nothing short of “toxic masculinity.”

While criticizing the dad's misguided advice to other parents, the educator from Cambrian College, Canada, emphasized the importance of ensuring the safety of those around the father's children. The back-and-forth video begins with the bare-chested 'girl dad' discussing how he met his daughter’s boyfriend. “He's respectful—shook my hand, looked me in the eye, called me by my last name, all that good stuff,” said the man, who seemed to have just had a cardio session.

“But as a girl dad, it's definitely hard knowing that the little baby you once held in your arms suddenly has a boyfriend who's starting to take your place,” the unidentified father continued. This comment from the pumped-up 'girl dad' seemed to irk the professor. “What now?” Shyminsky asked in shock, noting that the sentiment expressed by the girl dad felt “deeply uncomfortable.

Shyminsky remarked, “I'm truly trying to figure out how he could replace you, but all of the answers I can come up with are deeply uncomfortable.” He further questioned the super proud parent for wanting the 13-year-old boy to be “terrified.” “This little boy is probably like 5'4. There are enough red flags here that I suspect your (girl dad's) idea of cordial is probably quietly intimidating,” the professor said.

According to Shyminsky, any adult man would probably seem huge compared to the teen boy. “This is where you and I differ a little bit as girl dads. Because I'm generally much larger than the people around me, I measure success by who feels safe in my presence, not by how many small children I terrify,” the educator lamented to the girl dad. In the less-than-three-minute video, the dad in question justified his 15 years of training sessions for this very reason.

“Girl dads, trust me. Start lifting weights. You don't want your daughter's future boyfriend to be more jacked than you are,” the man uttered in the original clip. Shyminsky found the rhetoric extremely "childish" and unhealthy for the man's daughter herself. Instead, the professor advocated for a safe dating world. “A boy who respects your daughter only because he fears that you could hurt him is not anyone that we want getting anywhere near our daughters,” explained Shyminsky.

Following this, the educator shed light on “toxic masculinity” by referring to the girl dad again. “If he's expected to respect and listen to you because your muscles are larger than his, how should your daughter treat him when his muscles are likely larger than hers?” he asked. The educator concluded by drawing parallels between toxic behavior benefiting those in favorable positions in society rather than the rest of the people who may eventually suffer from it.

The video has inspired sharp reactions on social media and people shared their views in the comments. @ergosum909 wrote, “It has never been about her daughter but all about him.” @offba1ance questioned, “Okay, but how would he react if the boy's parent intimidated his daughter in the same way?” Another girl dad, @descentintomadness, commented, “On both ends, I want my kids’ friends to feel comfortable in my home. If any other parent tries to pull this stunt, they'll have to answer to me.”

You can follow Neil Shyminsky (@professorneil) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.