Once upon a time (January 2010), in a land far, far away (well far if you live in China), I did a set visit to the NBC show “Community”.
In this magical land of television… of lights, cameras, action and all that other fancy stuff related to Hollywood… I had a conversation with Joel McHale, host of E’s “The Soup” and star of said-show I was visiting.
I was sent there to get a story (as my then-career as a journalist dictated). My angle? “Cast members funniest college memories in real life” – a good angle, yeah? I figured I could always elicit a funny answer when asking someone about college (and then when story was written, people would want to click on it and share. Clicks are HUGE on the internet. Tweets and Diggs and Stumbles? Even better.)
Instead? I ended up spending most of my time talking to him about…scotch. No, not the maker of tape. Rather, the alcoholic beverage, one I don’t drink… (shout-outs to E! Director and fabulous singer/songwriter Tim Turner for the tip)
SK: I heard from a friend that you’re a big scotch fan!
(Yes, I cheated by asking my friend who works w/him what to talk about.)
JM: I’m a HUGE fan. Macallan is my favorite.
(I’ve never heard of this brand. The only thing I had heard of was Johnnie Walker cause my Business Communication professor in college, who I had a crush on, happened to be their spokesperson at one point and I listened to everything he said)
JM: Do you drink Macallan? (Uhhh…eeek…what to say?!)
SK: I don’t. (Don’t judge me, Joel!)
JM: Macallan’s the best. (Phew, he’s NOT judging, he’s still talking to me.)
SK: But the first drink I was ever offered was scotch. It was by my sports director. I was 17.
(Yes! A relatable story to win him over.)
JM: Hahaha (I win, he laughed!)
JM: When I was 21 it was the first time I had ordered a drink with my parents and their friends – I had drank before – and I was like, I’m gonna have a Kahlua and cream, and my dad’s friend was like, ‘Spoken like a 21-year-old’ – and from that moment on I was like, ‘I will never order one of those things again.’ And I never have. And from that moment on, it was scotch or wine.
(conclusion: Joel breaks laws, and he’s fancy)
SK: Straight scotch or scotch on the rocks? (Trying to sound smart…)
JM: No straight, always straight – and even when it’s calf strength, I don’t add water- and some people like adding water but I don’t.
(I have no idea what calf’s strength means, but I’m impressed…so I just do the journalistic thing of nodding as he answers and slightly smiling **Note: Just googled it. It’s “cask” strength. Nothing to do with infant cows…)
JM: But Macallan 30 is like, it’s like a thousand dollars a bottle, but it’s like drinking some sort of thing – I’m gonna call it angel’s urine. The greatest tasting thing ever.
(I’d like to argue that chocolate is the greatest tasting thing ever, but given that I haven’t had this drink he speaks of, nor have I had angel’s urine, I stop myself)
And so there you have it. I was on the set of Community, asked nothing about the show, barely got my answer for what his funniest college memory was, almost missed my ride off the set, and ended up talking about angel urine. Ahh, the life of a “journalist”.
KHANversation Pieces 