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John Hodgman on the death of publishing and being a Mac trapped in a PC's body
I'm fully prepared to complete every sentence I utter about John Hodgman in the future with the qualifier "is a delight." Author, comedian, professional voice actor, celebrity spokesperson -- Hodgman keeps the sort of schedule that would make even the most hardened globe-trotting blogger ball up into the fetal position. When we finally nailed him down for an interview on the Engadget Show last month, we asked him to meet us at the General Society for Mechanics and Tradesmen in midtown Manhattan. It's a place not far from Times Square that our producer Ben discovered while shooting a segment about the annual meeting of the Corduroy Appreciation Club, a group of menswear enthusiasts who meet each year on 11 / 11 -- the date most closely resembling corduroy. It's a strange and beautiful old space that dates back to the early 19th century, as a resource for apprentices of a society that can, in turn, be traced back to 1785. It seems to serve a different purpose now, a couple of older gentlemen shuffling in and out of the library during the three hours we spend there, each staying quiet, seated alone at a small table, reading novels and history books from off the shelves. For today, however, it'll serve as John Hodgman's own private library, the tongue-in-cheek backdrop for his long-awaited Engadget Show interview. Ben and I go back and forth a bit, prior to his arrival, debating whether or not he'll embrace the silly premise. He agrees immediately after traveling in from Brooklyn, offering up a single, key caveat: it's actually the annex to his own private library. The cameras roll and without missing a beat, he slips into his deranged millionaire persona, a character that has popped up a bit over the past few years, as Hodgman has wrapped up his trilogy of "complete world knowledge," the last entry of which, "That is All," was released in paperback and audiobook forms this week. "This," the mustachioed author explains, "is the end of world knowledge." It's a journey that began in 2005, with the publication of "The Areas of My Expertise," an almanac of sorts compiling the comedian's knowledge of "matters historical, matters literary, matters cryptozoological and hobo matters," to name but a small cross-section. Hodgman was a self-described former professional literary agent at the time, first making a splash amongst the literati some five years prior with the publication of the column "Ask a Former Professional Literary Agent" for uber-hip San Francisco publisher McSweeney's.
Apple ad spoofs with PC as the protagonist
This one has been climbing up the bloggeist for a few weeks, and it's a fine apertif for the start of the holiday weekend. Copywriter Laurie McGuinness, moonlighting as a commercial parody director, made a series of four Mac/PC ad spoofs in early 2007, with PC as the businesslike, successful protagonist and Mac as the geeky, freelance hand-to-mouth sidekick. (Is it just me, or does the guy playing PC look like a thinner, less crazy version of John Dvorak?)All four ads are viewable on McGuinness' site or on YouTube, and they're mostly moderately funny; one exception is the 'Music' spot, which suggests that iPod users are selfish goobers who don't like to share music. Poor form!If you've got a favorite Mac/PC ad parody, let me know in the comments and I'll highlight the top choices in a weekend post.Thanks, Beth!
New Get a Mac Ads
Apple has posted some new Get a Mac ads. "Flashback" (above) has Mac and PC as kids doing then just about what they do now. And "Computer Cart" lampoons Windows' cryptic error messages. The last of this set ("Security") has been out for a while. Fun stuff!Thanks, Josh!
Found Footage: I'm a PC on the Daily Show
John Hodgman, the fellow who plays the PC in Apple's recent commercial blitz, is a regular Daily Show guest. This clip features Hodgman discussing Net Neutrality by way of pretending that he is a computer of some sort. I wonder what kind of computer he would be. Watch the video and find out.
New Apple ads mean spirited?
Seth Stevenson, writing for Slate, makes a good point about the new Apple ads: John Hodgman (the actor portraying the PC) gets all the good lines. He's the funny, likable one. The Mac (played by Justin Long) is kind of annoying and not the least bit funny.Sadly, I don't think Apple counted on Hodgman's rise in popularity before they shot these commercials, but does that mean the ads don't work? Since I am clearly already a Mac user I can't really judge if they work or not. I know there are a few switchers out there that read TUAW, so tell me: do these commercials make you want to buy a Mac?
