1. BatDad’s the absolute coolest and he doesn’t even know it. Blake Wilson, the man behind the mask, told TODAY his superhero persona — a fun approach to teaching his kids manners — makes people smile because “it’s so stupid.”
"I'm just a normal dad with four kids and a wife having fun with them," said the father of four. "We live a very normal life."
2. Michael J. Fox, star of NBC’s upcoming “Michael J. Fox Show,” has become the face of Parkinson’s since he was diagnosed at age 30. He sat down with Willie, whose father also has the disease, to talk about it — and why no one should feel sorry for him.
"Your challenge can just be a new thing that pushes you to a new place,” Fox said. “When I thought about doing this show, it's like, why not? Why can't I? Why can't I?"
3. Willie has said that his father, journalist Bill Geist, was the best dad a kid could have. Still, there were a few parenting tips Geist Sr. failed to share with his son — like how much nudity to expect around the house.
“Sometimes you’ll come home from work to find small naked bodies parading through your house,” Willie wrote in a piece for TODAY.com. “I mean that literally: your young kids will be naked and marching in a parade, instruments, batons, and all. The third or fourth time, you stop even noticing.”
He’s not the only anchor offering up parenting advice today: Jenna Wolfe, mom to little Harper, wrote about her path (less traveled) to motherhood, and Matt, Al and more of the family shared their advice for new parents.
“Prepare for chaos and complete lack of control,” Al said. “There’s nothing that you have done before that can possibly prepare you for parenthood.”
4. Paula Deen’s son, Jamie, stopped by to prepare pastas and desserts (like his decadent salted caramel pecan pie!), and took the opportunity to say that his mom is “doing really fantastic.”
“We’ve gotten tremendous love and support,” he told Matt. “We’ve been through challenges as a family before, and we’re going to be fine.’’
5. It was a love fest for Hoda, Blake and Blake this morning as the country star stopped by the Fourth Hour. (Blake Shelton the man and Blake the Cockapoo, that is… you follow?)
“I love him,” the singer said of his namesake. “I’ve seen so many pictures of him that I feel like I know him.”
And that’s TODAY’s Takeaway!