Ryan Reynolds Turns Pumpkin Patch Outing Into Comedy Gold

Ryan Reynolds has once again proven why he’s Hollywood’s reigning king of dad humor. On October 4, 2024, the Deadpool & Wolverine star shared a riotous parenting anecdote on Instagram, describing his daughters’ request to visit a pumpkin patch as a trip to “where joy goes to die.” The story, delivered with his trademark sarcasm, quickly went viral, resonating with parents who know all too well the chaos of seasonal family outings.

The Instagram Story: A Chaotic Pumpkin Patch Request

In the post, Reynolds, 47, recounted a conversation with one of his daughters—James, 9, Inez, 7, or Betty, 4, whom he shares with wife Blake Lively. “Of course I wanna take you and your sister to the pumpkin patch,” he wrote, before clarifying with mock horror, “No, my love, I never said the pumpkin patch is where joy goes to die because that would be—sorry, what now?”

The comedy escalated when his daughter asked to bring along classmates—all coincidentally named Brandon. Reynolds groaned: “You want to bring little Brandon from school? The one who can’t modulate the volume of his voice? Or the other Brandon who always has a communicable disease and once wiped his nose on your hair?”

When a third Brandon entered the mix, Reynolds declared in exaggerated exasperation: “All three!? There’s a THIRD Brandon? Halle-f–king-BOOYA! And they said it couldn’t be done!” He capped the story with a classic Reynolds twist, joking about finding backup supervision: “I’m gonna see if another parent can join in case I need to head home and feed the cat—and yes I’m aware and I will GET a f–king cat.”

Humor Meets Parenting Philosophy

The tongue-in-cheek tale struck a chord precisely because it tapped into a universal parental truth: children’s plans often create logistical nightmares. As SheKnows noted, “Tromping through muddy fields to find the perfect pumpkin… is not exactly fun,” especially when accompanied by a trio of excitable Brandons.

For Reynolds, the humor reflects his larger approach to parenting. On a podcast earlier this year, he acknowledged that life with four children—including his youngest, Olin, 19 months—is gloriously messy. “We have four kids. Nothing’s going to be tidy ever again,” he said. Yet he added that the fleeting chaos of childhood is something he cherishes deeply: “That is a fleeting thing. Not an infinite resource.”

Reynolds often contrasts his “soft” and supportive parenting style with the tougher upbringing he experienced, once joking to People that his own childhood resembled an “improvised militia.” Today, he says, “I don’t yell.” The pumpkin patch saga captured this balance—a loving dad willing to endure chaos for the sake of his kids, all while poking fun at himself.

Viral Reactions

The post immediately lit up social media. E! Online called it “a hilarious case for why taking kids to the pumpkin patch is ‘where joy goes to die,’” while fans on X labeled it “peak dad humor.” A Reddit thread on r/Parenting praised Reynolds’ honesty: “This is why I love Ryan. He’s not pretending parenting is all Instagram perfection.”

Others connected the story to Reynolds’ comedic persona, with Hello! Magazine noting, “His signature sarcasm is why we keep coming back for more.” Fans also pointed to his and Lively’s family-first Halloween traditions—like hand-made costumes—as proof of their hands-on parenting approach.

A Tradition of Playful Parenting

The pumpkin patch anecdote joins a long list of Reynolds’ irreverent parenting posts. Past highlights include joking about taking his baby to Burning Man or calling Lively a “human shield” during diaper duty. While Lively clarified in a 2017 Glamour interview that such tales are tongue-in-cheek fabrications, fans embrace them as part of the couple’s playful brand of parenthood.

At its core, Reynolds’ pumpkin patch story is more than a comedy sketch—it’s a reminder that even superhero actors wrestle with the everyday trials of parenting. Whether managing three rambunctious Brandons or simply braving a muddy field for the perfect pumpkin, Reynolds proves that laughter is the best survival tool for family life.

Would you like me to frame this more as a celebrity lifestyle feature (with playful tone and emphasis on his marriage and family life) or as a viral culture piece highlighting how his humor resonates with parents online?