BY STEVE SAFRAN
MANAGING EDITOR
LOST REMOTE
A special treat today for the LR Faithful. John Hodgman, contributor to the Daily Show, “PC” in the “I’m a Mac and I’m a PC” ads and author of “The Areas of My Expertise” sits down with me for a Q&A. Shortly after the interview began, John noticed my painfully slow and typo-laden typing and offered to type himself. I gladly allowed this, and he pushed me aside. What you now witness is Hodgman’s considerably better transcription of my interview. This is probably a journalistic no-no, but keep in mind that “The Daily Show” is something of an oddity as well. One other inside baseball note for the newsies: I wrote this in ENPS, and John observed that they use the same program at “The Daily Show” as well.
Safran: You joke a lot at “The Daily Show” about being “fake news.” But we observe at Lost Remote that you’re really not. I think of fake news as coming from “The Onion.” You’re satirical. You present real news and give commentary on it. You show clips from today and then present ironic, contradictory clips from the past. It’s more satire than “fake,” isn’t it?
HODGMAN: I think that’s an absolutely accurate assessment of what we do that has never occurred to me, either as a fan of or contributor to the show. But I should use the term “we” advisedly because I am still very much an outsider and admirer of the program. I think the traditional sort of hazing period is a couple of years, but it will likely be a century before I get used to the idea of being a part of the program. Also, my mission is less fake news than it is fake human interest and science features, and you know, the standards for accuracy there are already quite low.
Safran: How did you get the gig?
HODGMAN: I went on the show as a guest to promote my book which is called “The Areas of My Expertise” and is now available in paperback for $14. That was back in November of last year, and as soon as I regained consciousness pretty much after that I soon found myself being asked to come back and provide occasionally biweekly-ish expert commentary on issues of the day.
Safran: Jon Stewart – Violent Dictator or Evil Overlord?
HODGMAN: I think if the term “benign despot” ever applied in history, it is to Jon Stewart. He is a man of many strange eccentricities, not least is his collection of military sabres and love of operetta.But because he is a super genius, we must forgive him. He is the very model of a modern late night fake news host.
Safran: If you were a news director, what would you order your staff to do?
HODGMAN: I’m not sure I even know what a news director does. I guess I would ask that we always have enough Diet Dr. Pepper and take it from there. Only good things can flow from a properly hydrated and peppered staff.
Oh. God. No. I’m not a corporate shill, you know. Can we move on from the delicious Dr. Pepper?
Safran: Sure. So, do you get a lot of shit from PC users?
HODGMAN: Everyone is very kind to me, no matter what sort of computer they use. I think the benefit of being the villain of that particular story means that everyone can empathize with my utter failure. But no one has yet bought me a drink. Not even a Dr. Pepper.
Safran: Did you have a hand in writing the scripts for those ads?
HODGMAN: Justin Long and I were certainly encouraged to improvise based on the scripts that were provided, and we did get a few gags in each. But the vast majority of the best stuff comes directly from their scripts and Phil Morrison’s direction. Everyone deserves awards!
Safran: Do you always push aside the interviewers and insist on typing the answers yourself? Or do you only do this with the criminally awful typists?
HODGMAN: It is the only way that I can control my message. You understand how the news media distorts what you say based on its various biases. I need to type it myself if my message is to get out to the world accurately, and that message is BUY MY BOOK.
That is all.