Today I Talked to Potentially 1.5 Million People
Today I ventured off campus down to the Warner Theater in Erie. I went to see
Michael Feldman's Whad'Ya Know? radio program. For those of you who haven't
heard the show (and are too lazy to click the link), it's a comedy/quiz show on
PRI.
Before I made my way down from Mercyhurst, cutting through the wonderful Lake
Erie wind, I had given some thought as to what I would say if Michael talked to me
when he ventured into the audience. A lot of his humor comes from just talking to
normal people in the audience and trying to find idiosyncrasies in their personalities.
Playing the encounter out in my head I thought it might be nice to throw in
an E2 reference. (Plus I could reap the rewards of the XP windfall I would
recieve.)
So anyway I get down in my seat, which was very good -- ten rows back on the
aisle and look around. Not many college age kids, I guess I was living outside my
demographic.
The show starts and Feldman interviews a local politician - a real asshole who was
polite just for the show. Then the band plays and he searches through index cards
people filled out. People are encouraged to write a question on a card they want to
ask Michael. Usually the more mundane the question, the better the chances he'll
comment on it. On mine I wrote: I heard you were an English major in college, and
I am one now, so what can I do with an English degree? Or, can I have a job?
As he walks down the aisle, the aisle my seat is on, he pauses and asks a 10 year
old kid whose parent had gone to the bathroom if he had driven here himself. He
converses with the kid further, turns around and takes two steps, positioning himself
in front of me.
I don't know what it was, but he grabs my arm and begins asking questions. As I
stand up I notice the academic dean of my college is sitting several rows away.
Don't say anything too stupid.
I honestly forget what exactly he said to me. It was one of those situations where
you are so dumbfounded that the situation you imagined had come true you are
caught off guard. I do remember him accusing me of pining for his job. "Not until
I'm dead," he said to me. But he offered me Jim's (his version of Ed McMahon) job,
so long as I killed him. The last bit of wisdom he offered to me was in regard to me
being an English major. He said, "My advice to you, double major."
It wasn't until an hour after the show ended that I remembered that I didn't mention
E2. I kicked myself, but as time goes by further culture jamming situations are sure
to present themselves. Of course if you want to shower me in XP now that's fine.
For those of you how want to hear me in action: http://www.notmuch.com/Show/Archive.pl?s_id=65