Mike Rowe was born Mar. 18, 1962 in Baltimore, Maryland.
The “Dirty Jobs” host turns 57 years old Tuesday. Rowe is famous for his advocacy of blue-collar work and trade schools, having claimed that “the hypocrisy in our educational system is rank, the bias undeniable, the disrespect for our flag ubiquitous.” (RELATED: Mike Rowe: Americans Don’t Value Work Anymore)
Using his platform garnered from his highly-rated Discovery show, Rowe has criticized some forms of more traditional college education and promoted the value of laborious work and the traditional family. Last year, Rowe addressed what he called the “epidemic of fatherlessness,” giving a heartfelt talk on Facebook about why children need fathers.
Mike Rowe attends the Discovery Upfront 2018 at the Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on April 10, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Discovery)
“A couple years ago, when Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt were getting divorced, Jolie was quoted as saying, ‘It never even crossed my mind that my son would need a father,'” Rowe wrote. “I was struck by her comment, and I remember wondering how many other Americans might share her view. At the time, I didn’t think many. But today, I’m convinced the number is significant. I’m also amazed at how quickly fatherhood has fallen out of favor. Can you imagine a celebrity–or anyone for that matter – saying such a thing just twenty years ago?”
Because of his worldview, which many regard as conservative, Rowe has faced his fair share of critics. He has consistently refused to back down. (RELATED: Mike Rowe Points To 9/11 Hero As He Shares His Thoughts About Nike’s Kaepernick Ad Campaign)
When a woman attempted to get Rowe fired last year, Rowe responded with a Facebook post calmly explaining his positions.
“Well hi there, Rebecca. How’s it going?” the post started. “It’s OK to make assumptions based on theories. In fact, it’s critical to progress. But it’s easy these days to confuse theory with fact.”
While Rowe has never been afraid to share his beliefs, he’s never been a flamethrower. Instead, he prefers to take a kind, measured approach.