Is it normal that my dad insults me?

Tell your mom! It is not normal and it is not okay!!!!! Sister, you gotta learn now not stay in any situation with any man for the promise of anything, especially money! You can get anything you want yourself, and your own strength is what you need.. an unhappy deadbeat isn't going to generate any wealth or positivity! Especially for someone else's benefit! He thinks you are young enough to believe his lies, so prove him wrong and live the happy, independent, jerkoff dad-free life your mom wants you to have... he is exploiting your obedient nature. Turn on him, you don't need him. There are grants and scholarships and you can figure it out!

I feel very sad to hear about this sort of thing, but it does help me to continue to appreciate and have gratitude for my own father, because he's always taught me to stand up for myself. When my dad acts like an asshole I always call him on it, and he usually apologizes almost immediately. My mom and dad certainly do their share of yelling back and forth, but one thing is for sure, my mom has never been afraid of my dad... never!

I guess if I were confronted with someone like your dad he'd be sorry, because I'd let him have it. I think I would certainly make a point of telling him what a bitch he is and that he's not a real man, because he isn't! Real men aren't screaming about how they need to have their pictures taken like little diva bitches.

Study hard and try to get a good job so you can get out on your own. I'm sorry that your father is a punk ass bitch. If you think he would cut you off financially it would be understandable to not tell him to fuck off, but hey if he ever needs a kidney you should probably tell him to drop dead. Seriously, I think men who are abusive are human garbage. Just do your best to succeed in life, and whatever you do don't ever date guys who remind you of your dad. Unfortunately a lot of people tend to end up with someone who reminds them of a parent, even abusive parent, because it's what they grew up with and have become used to, it's familiar. Our parents sort of set a standard for what people are supposed to be in our heads, because they're the first people we know.

I am so sorry this is happening to you. Honestly, your father sounds like he wanted a son, I'm sorry about that. It happens a lot, actually. I'm glad your mother learned better than to stay, but you should definitely talk to her about your relationship with your dad... She'll most likely be a lot more understanding than you think!
Just remember, no one that is mentally healthy goes around hurting other people. Don't let your dad's ugliness ruin you.

It sounds like your father has some pretty serious issues.

Interesting how he basically tells you his life is shit, then criticizes your choices and opinions. If he wasn't your father, but just some miserable, whiny guy who was always bitching about how screwed up the world is and how badly people treat him, would you give much weight to his opinions?

All kids want to think well of their parents. In an ideal world, every parent would be an inspiration to their kids, support them as they found their place in the world, and help them achieve their goals.

Unfortunately, parents are just people and some people are pretty screwed up. Sometimes, that's because of poor choices they made. Sometimes, it's because their parents screwed them up.

Often, parents are crap at the job because they grew up with crap parents. They didn't learn how a good parent treats children when they were kids. Many people recognize this as adults, and they try very hard not to repeat the mistakes with their kids. Some people just aren't bright enough to do this, or they just don't recognize that they had a shit childhood.

It seems your mother and father are separated or divorced. I would guess this is because your mother found your father impossible to live with. At 17, you're old enough to understand a lot about all the complicated stuff that goes on in adult relationships. You seem to be desperately clinging to an idealized version of your father. That's understandable, but maybe you should have a serious, honest talk with your mother about your father. It is possible your mother understands him and his problems a lot more clearly than you do.

As for the college support, his on-again, off-again shit seems very manipulative to me. Frankly, it sounds like he's messing with your head, which a pretty damn screwed up thing for a parent to do to their child. Alternatively, maybe his life is indeed so messed up that he just can't afford it, but he can't bring himself to admit to you that he can't keep his promise because he's basically a failure.

You really need to talk to your mother about this. If your father can't be relied on to financially support you, it would be a very bad idea to go into college uncertain if the money you're depending on will actually appear. Apart from anything else, that sort of worry hovering over your head will make it difficult for you to concentrate on studying.