Mr. Media Interviews by Bob Andelman

Today's Guest: A.J. Jacobs, author, The Guinea Pig Diaries, The Year of Living Biblically ] Order from Amazon.com by clicking the book cover above I’m a little worried about A.J. Jacobs. His latest book, The Guinea Pig Diaries: My Life as an Experiment, takes the social tests he put himself through in previous books such as The Know-It-All—in which he read the entire encyclopedia—and The Year of Living Biblically—in which he followed every single rule of the Bible—and reveals a funny, introspective man who may be in danger of becoming a caricature of himself. The Guinea Pig Diaries compiles some of his most brilliant experiments for Esquire magazine, where he is an editor at large, and adds in several new trials. It’s all good, meaty reading, but I’m starting to wince more than laugh at A.J.’s escapades. A.J. Jacobs Where is the line for a man who once outsourced his life to India but more recently spent a month being whipped—figuratively, I think—by his wife? And how much is too much information for readers about a writer’s personal life? A.J. JACOBS podcast excerpt: "I found this device on the Internet that I never knew existed: a chastity belt for men. If she's going to be in control of my life, it would be interesting if she could also control my private parts. So I did order one of those for her and I did strap it on for a couple days..." Don’t get me wrong. I’m a big fan of A.J.’s work—and have been for a long time. If I could have another writer’s career, I’d admit to wanting his. But I do wonder, honestly, if it might not be time for him to point that giant, sensitive brain of his in a different creative direction for a while. I’m curious to see if he agrees. A.J. Jacobs Website • Facebook • Twitter • Esquire • Order The Guinea Pig Diaries from Amazon.com Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life As A Stand-up in the 1980s Comedy Boom by Ritch Shydner. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!     The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: A.J. Jacobs, Esquire magazine writer, contributing editor, author, Drop Dead Healthy, The Year of Living Biblically, The Know-It-All Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience of middle-aged Al Bundys who hope we spend the entire interview talking about what it’s like to be in the same room with Sofia Vergara… in the NEW new media capital of the world… St. Petersburg, Florida!   Drop Dead Healthy by A.J. Jacobs. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above! If I were the president of one of the broadcast networks, I’d take another look at signing up A.J. Jacobs to make a sitcom based on his life. (And yes, I know it’s been tried before – as described by A.J. himself in Esquire magazine last fall, but this idea is worth a second look.) All the basic elements are there: A.J. is a neurotic, Jewish writer living in Manhattan with his grounded wife and naturally funny three boys, two of whom are twins. His extended family is full of characters, including his late Aunt Marti, a delightful eccentric, and his late grandfather, legendary Manhattan labor attorney Theodore Kheel. A.J. JACOBS audio excerpt: "I was surprised: I had low testosterone. I said to the doctor, 'What's wrong with low testosterone?' He said, 'Well, if you have more testosterone, you'll have a bigger sex drive. ' I said, 'Doctor, I have three young kids. What possible outlet would I possibly have for that?' But there are other advantages: testosterone increases your energy level. So I was able to remedy it and raise it to normal levels. But I'm not at Silvio Berlusconi levels."  The Year of Living Biblically by A.J. Jacobs. Order from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above! His day job is as a senior writer for Esquire magazine, one that sends him all over the country to interview and banter with actresses who are literally the most beautiful women in the world. Think of the guest star opportunities! Esquire Magazine - one year subscription. Order your copy today by clicking on the magazine cover above! But that’s not all: at night and on weekends, A.J. writes bestselling nonfiction books. He read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica, an experience that he chronicled in The Know-It-All. In The Year of Living Biblically, he committed twelve months to literally following what’s written in the Bible. And in his new book, Drop Dead Healthy: One Man’s Quest for Bodily Perfection, which I think may be his best yet, A.J. commits two years to not just losing weight but transitioning from happy-go-lucky schlump to vibrant, manly stud. Each week, viewers could drop in on “A.J.” for a family-oriented half hour of laughs that would be reminiscent of John Ritter’s “Eight Simple Rules… for Dating My Teenage Daughter.” A.J. Jacobs Website • Facebook • Twitter • Esquire Magazine • Order Drop Dead Healthy from Amazon.com • The Year of Living Biblically: A.J. Jacobs' first appearance on Mr. Media (2007) • The Guinea Pig Diaries: A.J. Jacobs' second appearance on Mr. Media (2009)   Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life As A Stand-up in the 1980s Comedy Boom by Ritch Shydner. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!     The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Larry Thomas, actor, "The Soup Nazi" on "Seinfeld" Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) runs from an encounter with the Soup Nazi (Larry Thomas) on a classic episode of "Seinfeld." (UPDATED JULY 5, 2015: When I discovered the original audio player for this interview with actor Larry Thomas no longer played correctly, I went digging in my audio archives, found the original from June 8, 2007 and upgraded the entire track. But it sounded a little funky. I looked again and there was a SECOND interview with Thomas from two weeks later, June 22, 2007. Then I hit me -- the audio recording the first time was terrible and Larry kindly agreed to a do-over. But with improvements in technology, I unintentionally rescued the first interview. You can now hear both; the first is Mr. Media Episode #32, from June 8, 2007, and the second, Mr. Media Episode #33, from June 22, 2007. And thanks again to Larry Thomas for being such a good sport -- and one of Mr. Media's first podcast interview guests!) Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life As A Stand-up in the 1980s Comedy Boom by Ritch Shydner. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!   The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: John O’Hurley, actor, "Seinfeld," host, "The National Dog Show" It's Okay to Miss the Bed on the First Jump by John O'Hurley. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above! Who IS John O’Hurley? On Thanksgiving Day at noon, he’s the silver-haired host of The National Dog Show on NBC, a job he’s held for nine years. He’s also written a couple of dog tale-oriented books. JOHN O'HURLEY audio excerpt: "The head of NBC Sports gave me a call. I picked up the phone and he said, 'Woof! Woof!' And that's how it started nine years ago."  And he’s been the host of the daily “Family Feud” game show. Still can’t place him? How about his amazing performance on ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” in 2005? No? Okay, okay, try this one on: John O’Hurley played Elaine’s boss, clothing catalog entrepreneur J Peterman, as a recurring character for several seasons on “Seinfeld.” The joke was that Peterman was based on a real person and a real company. But what happened later was no joke: when the J Peterman Company bounced in and out of bankruptcy, it was the pretend Peterman – John O’Hurley – who stepped in as an angel investor to save the real Peterman. True story, folks! John O'Hurley Facebook • Website • Wikipedia • IMDB • Twitter Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life As A Stand-up in the 1980s Comedy Boom by Ritch Shydner. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!     The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Ben Watkins, creator/showrunner, "Hand of God," producer/writer, "Burn Notice" Watch this exclusive Mr. Media interview with Ben Watkins by clicking on the video player above!  Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience of true believers whose lives are also filled with sex, lies, brutal violence, hypocrisy and old books with the centers carved out to hide thumb drives… in the NEW new media capital of the world… St. Petersburg, Florida! "Hand of God," an Amazon original series starring Ron Perlman, Dana Delany, Andre Royo, Garret Dillahunt and Emayatzy Corinealdi, created by Ben Watkins The name of the show threw me, no denying it. “Hand of God”? Ron Perlman stars in "Hand of God," now in its second season on Amazon Prime. I’m not a particularly religious guy and the new Amazon Studios series – starring Ron Perlman, Dana Delaney, Andre Royo, Emayatzy Corinealdi, and Garrett Dillahunt – now in its second season, didn’t sound like my kind of show. But then I was asked if I would you like to speak with the showrunner, Ben Watkins—who previously wrote and produced USA’s “Burn Notice? So I said, “Let me check it out.” BEN WATKINS podcast excerpt: "Ron Perlman plays this judge who goes off the rails when his son attempts suicide. He's in a coma. I wanted to explore somebody who becomes a zealot, who becomes focused on one thing." I started watching the first episode. Then the second. Before I knew it, I was halfway through the first season of 10. “Goddammit!” I said to no one in particular. “How many times will I make the mistake of judging a book by its cover, or a movie or TV series by its title?” “Hand of God” is really, really good. In this age of peak TV and 400 new series vying for our time and attention, it’s hard to know what to watch. My wife and I gave up on Amazon’s “Man in the High Tower” but gave USA’s “Mr. Robot” a second chance and were pleased with the decision. You won’t be disappointed if you sample “Hand of God.” BEN WATKINS podcast excerpt: "Emayatzy Corinealdi is a breakout actress. My wife saw her in an independent film called 'Middle of Nowhere.' We told her, 'The character is going to be the moral center for this show; don't judge it just by the (first episode) when you see her having sex with a client.' Emayatzy brings a certain humanity and subtlety to everything she does." "Burn Notice: The Complete Series." Order the box set today by clicking on the DVD Cover above! Key interview moments: • 3:30 "Hand of God" creator and showrunner Ben Watkins explains how star Ron Perlman fits the title of the series; • 15:50 Watkins advises actress Emayatzy Corinealdi not to prejudge her prostitute character by the pilot episode; • 27:36 Who would Watkins choose in the DeathMatch of TV trios? "Burn Notice" co-stars Jeffrey Donovan, Bruce Campbell and Gabrielle Anwar or "Hand of God" co-stars Ron Perlman, Dana Delany and Andre Royo? Hand of God Facebook • Twitter • Wikipedia • IMDB Ben Watkins Twitter    The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Peter Carlson, journalist, author, K Blows Top: A Cold War Comic Interlude Starring Nikita Khrushchev, America's Most Unlikely Tourist ] Order 'K Blows Top' from Amazon.com by clicking the book cover above! Peter Carlson could have taken all the research he did on Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschev’s two-week barnstorming tour of the United States in 1959 and converted it into a Cold War-era fable such as Dr. Strangelove or The Mouse That Roared. He could have done that, but truth is stranger than fiction and the truths found within K Blows Top: A Cold War Comic Interlude, Starring Nikita Khrushchev, America’s Most Unlikely Tourist are way funnier than even a guy like Dave Barry could have invented. Peter Carlson, author of K Blows Top PETER CARLSON audio excerpt: "Khruschchev kept saying, 'Your capitalists are keeping the Cold War going because they're making money on it.' And the American officials, quite sincerely, said they would never do that. You're crazy Marxists. That's not how it works. Then he made this ridiculous propaganda speech saying that, 'All countries should get rid of all weapons...' Even though there was absolutely no chance of that happening, the stock market plummeted because everyone was afraid their defense stocks would go down."  I first discovered this book when the story of Chairman K’s visit to Hollywood was excerpted in Smithsonian magazine. I read that, laughed, and thought: I must read more! And now that I’ve read more, I want to talk about it, so welcome to Mr. Media’s Book Club, where I’m hoping former Washington Post reporter Peter Carlson will fill us in on the story behind the story of this ticklish new political history. Peter Carlson Website • Facebook • Twitter • Order K Blows Top from Amazon.com   Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life As A Stand-up in the 1980s Comedy Boom by Ritch Shydner. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!     The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guests: Legendary MAD Magazine and Humbug! cartoonists Al Jaffee and Arnold Roth.   Order from Amazon.com by clicking the book cover above My mother bought me my first MAD magazine off the newsstand at a Stop & Shop supermarket in 1969. The cover featured a Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid parody that I believe was drawn by Jack Davis. I read that issue over and over again—at least until I convinced mom to buy the next month’s issue. I was nine and it was the funniest thing I ever saw. Over the years, I subscribed to MAD and bought the paperbacks collecting the material I missed in earlier years. MAD was my gateway drug—I dabbled in Sick and Cracked, although they left me unsatisfied. Stan Lee started publishing CRAZY at Marvel Comics and I even managed to get a few letters published there. As I grew older, I started focusing on the names of the artists and writers I liked best—Al Jaffee, Arnold Roth, Dave Berg, Jack Davis and Sergio Aragones—the usual gang of idiots. I also heard about MAD’s precedents such as Trump and Humbug! but they were never available until now. Today, not only do I have a hardbound collection of the entire 11-issue run of Humbug!, but I’m also honored to welcome two of its top contributors and co-owners, Al Jaffee and Arnold Roth, to the show. Al Jaffee Wikipedia • Facebook Arnold Roth Website • Wikipedia Order 'Will Eisner: A Spirited Life' (2nd Edition) by Bob Andelman, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above!     The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Laurel Touby, founder, MediaBistro.com Laurel Touby, MediaBistro.com, Jon Fine, BusinessWeek When Laurel Touby started MediaBistro.com in 1996, being a freelancer in the media business was a fairly solitary position. She became the socializer-in-chief, organizing events to draw writers and editors together, posting media jobs, which led to educational programs and daily news updates. In other words, she gave folks like me a community. LAUREL TOUBY audio excerpt: "I went from the girl who knew nobody to the girl who knew everybody!"  I never got too involved in MediaBistro but I appreciated its existence. And I was quite happy for Laurel when, a few years ago, she sold her company for $23 million. Even better, Laurel has stayed with her company. I invited her on the show to talk about what Mediabistro.com has to offer and to talk about how the disassembly of print media might affect her operation in the future. Laurel Touby MediaBistro.com • Facebook • Twitter • LinkedIn The Millionaire's Convenient Arrangement by Jane Peden. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!   The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Stephanie Rooker, jazz singer, The Only Way Out Is In   Stephanie Rooker and The Search Engine, The Only Way Out Is In. Order your copy today by clicking on the album cover above! Some singers have a way with a phrase or a moment that attracts listeners with instant magnetism. Stephanie Rooker Stephanie Rooker is in that category. Everyone’s ear will interpret her differently, but I like the fluid rap style she brings to her style of jazz in one song and the classic bop present in another. Rooker sings jazz along a metaphorical urban street that borders rap and R&B, while still reflecting the traditional conventions of the genre, including innovation. STEPHANIE ROOKER podcast excerpt: "My voice students want to know, 'When will I find my voice?' But what's exciting is that it's an infinite road that keeps unfolding. I've had several milestones in my life where I hit a new level with my voice, performance, writing or self-expression that I didn't know existed."  She’s a young woman whose bio still talks about what she studied in college, but her new album, The Only Way Out Is In, with her band, Stephanie Rooker and the Search Engine, is a master’s in musical selection and maturity. You can see Stephanie Rooker and The Search Engine at the famous Blue Note nightclub in Manhattan on Friday, Dec. 17, 2010. Stephanie Rooker Website • Facebook • Twitter • MySpace • YouTube The Millionaire's Convenient Arrangement by Jane Peden. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!   The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Order from Amazon.com by clicking on the book above!   Today's Guest: Jon Provost, animal activist, actor, "Lassie" I’ve never liked dog-earing pages – you know, when you’re reading a book and you fold back the corner of a page to mark your place, or because there was something interesting on the page to which you’d like to return? Well, I’ve never dog-eared a book as much as I did with Timmy’s in the Well, the new autobiography by Jon Provost, former child star of the “Lassie” television show. This book is not the usual child star recitation of the ills of fame. Okay, it’s a little of that. But Jon Provost’s life is riveting – and so is the telling of his story, assisted as he was by his wife, Laurie Jacobson. I couldn’t wait to have Jon and Laurie on to talk about this fascinating read. Jon Provost Website • Facebook • Twitter • Order Timmy's in the Well from Amazon.com Laurie Jacobson Provost Website • Facebook • Twitter Order 'Dishing Hollywood: The Real Scoop on Tinseltown's Most Notorious Scandals' by Laurie Jacobson, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above! Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life As A Stand-up in the 1980s Comedy Boom by Ritch Shydner. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above! The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!