Is My Dad Gay If He Likes Mamma Mia?
He says he only watched it because it was on. It has been on four times.
By the Gay-I Research Desk · · 4 min read
The Gay-I Verdict
Gay-I Reading: 58%No, liking Mamma Mia does not make your dad gay. It means he enjoys ABBA songs, Greek islands, and watching other people have a nice summer, which describes most of the population. The Gay-I does start paying closer attention if he has an opinion about the sequel.
This is the most common question the Gay-I receives that is not about linen. A child walks into the living room on a Sunday afternoon and finds Dad watching Mamma Mia. He is not on his phone. He is not asleep. He is mouthing the words to a song he claims he does not know.
We understand the concern. We also want to say up front that this is one of the most normal things a person can do. Our researchers watched the film twice for this report, and one of them has asked to watch it a third time "for accuracy."
How Much Mamma Mia Is Normal for a Dad?
The Gay-I measures Mamma Mia exposure on a five-point scale. Most dads land somewhere in the middle. Very few dads land at zero, because at some point someone in the house put it on and he stayed.
| Signal | Gay-I Strength | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Watched it once because Mom picked | The control group. He said it was "fine" and went to check the garage. | |
| Stops on it while channel surfing | Every dad has a list of movies he stops on. Usually it is war movies. Sometimes it is this. | |
| Taps his foot during "Dancing Queen" | This is involuntary. Science has not found a person who can resist it. | |
| Sings along in the car | Volume matters. Humming is a 2. Harmonizing is a 4. | |
| Owns the soundtrack on physical media | He paid money, in a store, for a CD, after 2008. | |
| Has seen the stage show | He bought the tickets himself. Nobody made him. | |
| Prefers the sequel | See below. This is a complicated position. |
Mamma Mia vs. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
There are two films. Most dads have seen the first one. A smaller and more committed group of dads has seen the second one, and an even smaller group has an opinion about which is better.
A dad who says "the first one is the classic" is a casual fan. A dad who says "the second one has more heart" has thought about it on his own time. A dad who explains the timeline of the second film without being asked has done the reading. The Gay-I does not know what to do with that dad. Neither do we.
- Has seen one film: Normal. Most of America is here.
- Has seen both: He enjoyed the first one enough to come back. That is how sequels work.
- Has seen both in the same day: That was a choice he made on a Saturday.
- Can name the songs that are only in the sequel: The Gay-I flagged this and went quiet for a while.
Singing Along and the Soundtrack in the Car
The car is where a lot of dads reveal their true listening habits. At home he puts on sports radio. In the car, alone, on the way to the hardware store, something else may be happening. If you find an ABBA CD in the minivan CD slot, it was not there by accident. Those slots are not easy to reach.
Our data shows that 71% of dads who own the Mamma Mia soundtrack will deny knowing how it got there. We made that number up, but it feels right. You can cross-reference this with his Spotify Wrapped, which will not lie to you the way he will.
The Pierce Brosnan Singing Question
Every dad who has watched Mamma Mia has an opinion about the singing in the first film, specifically the singing done by a former James Bond. Critics were not kind about it. Dads, on the other hand, tend to come to his defense.
A dad who says "I thought he did fine" is being loyal to a man who once drove an Aston Martin. A dad who says "he was going for something emotional and I respect it" has been moved by the performance. The Gay-I treats both as a sign that Dad has feelings about movies, which we are told is allowed. This section is about the singing only. We have no opinion on anyone in the cast beyond their vocal range.
What To Do With This Information
Nothing. A movie is not a sexuality. Straight dads love Mamma Mia, gay dads love Mamma Mia, and some dads of every kind think it is too loud. Liking a musical tells you he likes a musical. If you want to see where he lands on the broader scale, the Dad Musical Theatre Spectrum has a full breakdown.
If you are still unsure, you can upload a photo of him and let the Gay-I take a look. It will be accurate 50% of the time, every time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it gay if my dad likes Mamma Mia?
No. Mamma Mia is a popular movie with catchy songs, and liking it says nothing about who someone loves. It mostly means he has been in a room where it was playing and did not leave.
Why does my dad know all the words to Mamma Mia?
ABBA songs have been on the radio since before he could drive. He probably knew the words before the movie existed. The movie just gave him a reason to use them.
My dad likes the Mamma Mia sequel better than the original. What does that mean?
It means he has watched both and thought about it. The Gay-I gives this its highest reading, but the Gay-I also once flagged a dad for owning a nice lamp.
Is it normal for a dad to cry during Mamma Mia?
Yes. It is a movie about a parent watching their kid grow up and leave. That is the exact thing dads are scared of. He is not crying about the singing.
Can liking a musical tell you if someone is gay?
No. Taste in movies tells you what someone likes to watch, and that is the whole joke. Nobody's sexuality shows up in their DVD collection.
The joke is on stereotypes, not on anyone's dad. Nothing on this page can tell you anything about a real person's sexuality. If your dad has actually come out, start here instead.
Related Research
Is My Dad Gay If He Likes Musicals? The Dad Musical Theatre Spectrum
Most dads attend one musical per decade under protest. Some dads attend for themselves. We mapped the difference.
What Does My Dad's Spotify Wrapped Say About Him?
Once a year, Dad's listening history becomes public record. Our researchers read it so you don't have to.
Dad's Celebrity Crush Audit: What His Picks Say About Him
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