As far as TV dads go, it's fair to say that no matter where we look, no matter where we go, there will never be another heart or hand to hold onto like Danny Tanner. The same can be said for his portrayer, the late lamented Bob Saget.The world was rocked in early 2022 by Saget’s unexpected death, but just like Full House has lived on for generations, so will Saget's legacy as Danny Tanner. Be it a dweeb, a fanboy, or simply a good father, an episode's credits never rolled before Danny taught us all a life lesson.
Be A Clean Freak
Before Monica Geller, TV's favorite clean freak was the one and only Danny Tanner. He was the original vacuum cleaner vacuumer. Whether it was recruiting the entire house for spring-cleaning or wiping down his cleaning products, one thing for certain is that San Francisco house was the most spotless one on television.
The next time you find yourself with a house cluttered by your family members or a dusty soap bottle by the kitchen sink, take a moment to think WWDTD: What Would Danny Tanner Do? After all, when he taught Michelle, he taught us all that “clean is good, and dirt is bad.”
Be A Hugger
In a world full of high-fives and fist bumps, Danny Tanner taught us all the value of a hug. The self-proclaimed lean, mean, hugging machine would hug a stranger the same way he would hug his family, and he never failed to remind his daughters to hug it out after a disagreement.
Between making up after fights or greeting a loved one who just walked through that door that's always open, not an episode went by that Danny's loving arms didn't show us how to make everyone feel special.
Be A Dweeb
With Jesse as the cool rock star and Joey as the not-so-sharp comedic relief, then you can definitely classify Danny as the household’s dweeb. And you know what? He owned it.
Have you ever ironed your tie with it still around your neck? Fallen asleep at your own telethon? Wore a Dino Flintstone costume to the hospital for the birth of your friends' twins? Danny did, and he did it shamelessly. “But I’m a dweeb having fun,” he famously said, proudly donning that pirate hat at the silliest restaurant in San Francisco.
Be A Meticulous Disney Vacation Planner
Do you find yourself hopping on vacation without a single plan, or arriving at your destination with an itinerary in-hand and a personalized copy for every member of your party? If you think you’re the latter, you may have been influenced by Danny Tanner. When the whole house joins Jesse on his work trip to Walt Disney World, they all pile out of the Grand Floridian led by Danny, who stops them in their tracks with his vacation schedule, and he has a copy for everyone.
Despite everyone except Danny tossing their schedule in the trash on their way to the park, Danny taught us the importance of scheduling your time wisely while at The Most Magical Place on Earth. Try and take a cue from Danny next time you want to parkhop between Magic Kingdom, EPCOT and MGM Studios all in a single day, and with time to spare to be crowned a princess, have a tea party with a table of characters and be honored in the park's parade.
Bee A Good Speller
When Stephanie makes it to the finals of the school's spelling bee, who was right by her side cheering her on? When Michelle wishes she could spell like her older sister, who teaches her the alphabet based on all of his cleaning products?
Between mnemonic devices and connecting syllables to Clorox and Ajax, no matter how wild it seemed, Danny wasn't only teaching his daughters, he was teaching us all how to succeed in spelling. The biggest spelling lesson the girls (and viewers) learned from Danny was his mnemonic device for spelling the word "success." All together now: double the C, double the S, and you will always have success!
Be Extra
With characters like Joey Gladstone and Kimmy Gibbler, Danny certainly may not have been the most extra on Full House, but when he was, he didn’t hold back. Like the time he turned into a rocker and joined Jesse and The Rippers for a living room performance of “My Generation.” Or the time he daydreamed an entire song-and-dance sequence as a way of living out his childhood ambitions of being a high jumper. Then there’s the time he surprised then-girlfriend Vicky with a magical proposal in front of Cinderella’s Castle in Walt Disney World while fireworks erupted that read, “Vicky, will you marry me?”
Maybe you feel too weird daydreaming about musical numbers, or too embarrassed to rock out in the living room, or too shy to express your love and devotion for the person you love in front of an amusement park full of people. It's that extra bit of extra that made Danny...Danny.
Be An Unapologetic Fanboy/Fangirl
Despite being a morning talk show host, best friends with a local comedian and his bro-in-law being literal best friends with The Beach Boys, the only time Danny Tanner seemed to all-out fanboy over a celeb was when he met Annette Funicello. When Danny gets to meet his childhood crush after revealing he once signed his fanmail to her with a spritz of lemon Pledge, he introduces himself with her signature Mickey Mouse Club introduction, then asks if she remembers his letter, to which she recalls that lemony scent of Pledge against the paper.
Sure, it was a different take on the spritz-of-perfume-on-a-letter idea, but Danny's over-the-top introduction and memorable, scented fanmail made him stand out to his favorite celebrity, showing us all what can happen when we unapologetically write our celeb crushes love letters with a bonus aroma (but maybe a little more amorous and a little less Pledge-y).
Be The One Without A Catchphrase
Any Full House fan can list off each and every catchphrase from the show, which means any Full House fan remembers that Danny was seemingly the only main character without one. You might be thinking, “Cut it out, he had to have one!” Nope. Despite his signature “Oh my God” when he walked in on some precarious situation, it was no "Oh my lanta."
But rather than thinking how rude of the writers, let’s have mercy on the catchphrase-less character, because in the end, Danny didn’t need one. When you can offer lovable advice or hilarious responses, there's no catchphrase needed to make you a prominent part of your ensemble. You got it, dude?
Be The Best Best Friend
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Long before DJ and Kimmy and Michelle and Teddy, there was Danny and Joey; a friendship since elementary school that lasts long into the show's reboot Fuller House. Being the true best friend he was, Danny did far more than any other friend to Joey.
Unless you've given your best friend your blessings to date your sister, let an $800 debt slide for 11 years, or let your BFF live in both your alcove and garage rent-free, you're not yet anywhere near Danny's level. Fuller House may have gone through phases attempting to find its audience, but its best moments highlighted the bond between Danny and Joey.
Be A Good Parent
Whether you’re a dad, a mom, an uncle, an aunt, or a Joey, if you consider yourself someone’s parent, you should strive to be like Danny Tanner. No matter what was happening in that full house of his — whether it was a car in the kitchen, a horse in the living room, a TV dropped off the staircase, a daughter sleeping in the bathtub, or another daughter wracking up their phone bill on a jokes hotline — Danny Tanner put his fatherly instincts first.
Yes, he might have raised his voice from time to time, and yes, his daughters usually winded up grounded for each and every antic they caused, but at the end of the day, Danny always had a lesson to teach and a hug to give, because he knew "when children seem the least lovable, it means they need love the most."