appear on television

I’d thought I wanted this, when I went through and made my list that first time around. But I don’t, and I do… I want to do something that’s worthy of appearing on TV. Late-night public access shouldn’t count. Even current.tv shouldn’t count (although it’d be cooler and easier). No—make me the special guest, make me the timely clip, make me a passing star. Cause internet killed the… well, you know.

Well it is actually 50-50 for me on this one.
I am in the entertainment field but I do not like how the system works.
I appeared on TV before and it was fun. Plus it is a boost on my CV.
However, the way I see some of my colleagues suffer is just not worth it.

Because really, that’s the easiest way for you, if you’re of average looks or don’t really have a desire to be an actor, to get on TV.

I had my chance when I was a college student. The government changed the rules about financial aid to students, so I was one of the students put on camera to talk about that.

Oddly, I didn’t watch myself on the news that night.

I should also add, it’s not all that interesting to do this, but what the heck, it’s different than most of the things you get a chance to do.

It was the time when Toronto was bidding to be the host city of the 1996 Olympics. My friends and I happened to be wandering around downtown Toronto one day.

A local group had posted all these pink pages all over downtown Toronto which said, “No Olympics for Toronto.” There was a lame drawing of the Olympic rings with the circle and slash through it, the rings were so badly misdrawn.

We peeled as many of these pages off walls, garbage cans, telephone poles and without planning it, we ended up in front of the CityTV studios. For $1.00 we could record a 30-second rant in their Speakers Corner. “Hmmmmm… let’s do it!”

Without any rehearsing, we took in the pink protest pages and ranted. As we spoke our minds, we got so worked up, we tore up the pages so that it was raining pink pieces of paper. Our rant was used in promos for Speakers Corner which aired on MuchMusic, Canada’s original music television station! Not bad for a completely spontaneous activity.

I appeared on an episode of Time Team when I was working a county archaeology unit – only on screen for a few seconds, but it was fun nevertheless.

I was in an AIDS Awareness march in Houston during the Republican Convention of 1992. There was a subsequent investigation of HPD by Internal Affairs after a lot of people were beaten at the end of the route. I was in the free speech area every day. It was a memorable week!

Modern-day television has a tendency to ridicule and belittle people. I don’t like that. It goes against my belief that all living beings should be honored. While my appearance on TV was not really traumatic, it still made me feel uncomfortable.

As an evil joke the local news crews started doing Forest Gump shots of me during any news story I was near. They even had a pool on weither I would show up that week. The local papers even got into the game.

For awhile it looked like I was stalking a Senator if you just looked at the news and the papers.

I was shown in the audience on the Tonight Show in March. It was a lot of fun!!

I was interveiwed because I was in the Junior Olympics for swimming. No big deal but at the time I thought I was pretty special!