Will Ferrell has gone viral for saying that he does not pay for things for his kids, stating that they should “earn it.” The comedic actor was speaking on the Harland Highway Podcast, where he claimed that his three kids have to work hard to get things they need. He also joked about giving his kids the worst flights to take on their family vacations.
What Will Ferrell said about his kids
While speaking on the podcast, Will Ferrell maintained a straight face as he talked about his philosophy on raising his children. He stated, “I won’t pay for stuff for my kids. They gotta earn it.” He also joked about how, while he flies in first-class, his kids fly on a completely different airline, stating that they take overnight flights on Spirit Airlines with extra layovers to “teach them the value of a buck.”
The actor also took his shtick to an even further level by likening parenting his sons, including Magnus, Mattias, and Axel, to “running a prison.” He also said he sometimes walks into dinner wearing nothing but his underwear to “remind everybody who is in charge.”
For those familiar with Ferrell’s shtick, though, it seemed less like an honest parenting confession than an appearance by one of Ferrell’s signature characters coming to life. Indeed, Ferrell’s appearance on the podcast was full of over-the-top jokes, with Williams suggesting Ferrell could save money by putting his children in cargo hold crates during flights. Ferrell quickly fell in line with this.
The idea of Ferrell refusing to pay for his children also seems at odds with Ferrell’s real-life persona. Ferrell has long advocated for Cancer for College, which helps pay for school.
He has also long joked about being a terrible parent in promoting films such as “The House.” Ferrell, in other words, was simply being Ferrell—turning parenting into yet another farcical comedy routine.
