getting stuck in salami and beer

I watched My Coolest Years: The Geeks with Anne and the kids last night. I thought the show was fantastic, and I was honored to be in such great company. Open note to The Cool Guy who tormented Jessi Klein or the girls from The Donnas: Dude, wherever you are, you are a loser.
Biggest surprise of the show: John Tesh is hellafunny! I remember that he played a Klingon for a day on Next Generation in the episode “The Icarus Factor.” Well, “played a Klingon” is probably a little too much . . . he was sort of a featured extra in a line of about twenty guys who wore Klingon makeup and costumes, and snarled while they zapped Worf with painsticks. (Back then, a metric ton of celebrities wanted to be on the show, and they usually ended up wearing crazy alien make-up. Mick Fleetwood was this weird fish-looking thing, for example.)
I remember that he was really friendly, and seemed to be getting a HUGE kick out of the whole thing, but I don’t remember him being as funny as he was on My Coolest Years last night.
Best moment of the show: When I saw that they titled me “Wil Wheaton: Author of Just A Geek” (which reminds me: Just A Geek has been recommended by Quint, from Ain’t It Cool News! I am in incredibly good company over there, too. Thanks, Quint!) instead of That Other Thing.
That’s a big deal to me, you know. Though I personally feel that I’m finally emerging from the shadow of America’s Favorite Acting Ensign And Starfleet Academy Classmate Killing Cadet, I wonder if I’ll ever do that in the eyes of the entertainment industry. This morning’s Dork Tower gives a funny-because-it’s-true view of how that effort is playing out in fandom.
. . . and in casting too, now that I really think about it . . . but that’s okay. The Path I’m currently wandering is a good one.
Absolute coolest moment in the show: They put up a picture of me with my überhot wife as part of the “Geeks Ultimately Win, So Bite It, You Cool Kids” portion of the show. Ryan just about died when he saw Anne, in the coolest “I’m fifteen and I’m so proud of my mom” way. (Apparently, the kids on his baseball team tried to torment him by singing “Ryan’s mom has got it goin’ on” to the tune of “Stacey’s Mom,” and he silenced them by replying, “Yeah. My mom’s hot. So what?” Sweet.)
Tonight, VH1 gives us My Coolest Years: The Dirty Hippies, which should be hilarious. It looks like My Coolest Years could end up being as great as I Love The 80s, or maybe even better. Go Generation X! Rock! Yeah! \m/
If anyone from VH1 reads this: I had a blast, you guys. Thanks for making me look cool. I’d love to work with you some more.

102 thoughts on “getting stuck in salami and beer”

  3. I missed Tues. and Wed. nights, but thanks to Wendy I’ll be watching Thursday night.
    A bit of trivia about “The Icarus Factor”: Wil was 16 years old; the episode first aired 4/22/89;
    it was Stardate 42686.4; Marina and her husband Michael both cried when they watched the episode.

  4. Wil, your segment on VH1’s special was really great! I’m so glad I got a chance to see it and I thought it was really cool that they credited you as an author and not “that other thing” (althought I did love that too!) Ordered your books today and can’t wait to read them and more of your blog!

  5. hey dude, I particularly liked how you had the overall closer of the whole show!! You gave the tag line for the whole shebang!!

  6. Hi! Times like these I wish I had cable TV. Oh well,
    Thanks for posting the rebroadcasts so I can try to get one of my friends to tape for me. 🙂

  7. Caught the VH1 show last night…..I was glad to see that it came off well, and am glad to hear you are as pleased about it as I thought you would be.
    I’ve enjoyed your blog and the books, and was delighted to see you getting the author credits over the acting gigs, since I knew that would make you happy. 🙂

  8. Wil, i thought the show was excellent and the fact they had a lot of input from you incorporated in the show i thought was awesome. Course that could be a good thing or a bad thing..think about it. Anyway, i thought the whole show was hilarious and the nicknames you spouted off that you had made me laugh..sorry, they’re funny. Anyway, good job and yay for “Author” rather than “That Other Title”
    *two thumbs*

  9. I am completely excited to read “Just A Geek”. It’s really refreshing to see how wonderful your attitude is about life and play. You truly are one of the great people Wil. Thanks for everything…

  10. Hah! Read this blog entry earlier today, then got lucky enough to tune in to the VH1 repeat this evening – watching as posting…
    It’s funny to look back on it. It’s all so true… I couldn’t climb the rope either…
    Great site, man. Keep it up.

  11. Huge thumbs up, Wil! Really, really funny…had me busting out laughing – and nodding, saying “OMG, yes.” Almost too true to be funny! But truly, geeks win out in the end…
    Thanks for the head’s-up. A worthy use of the TiVo.

  12. Erg! And I missed it. I guess that’s what I get for not checking up on your site as often as I should. Oh well, it’ll probably be on again. *sigh* :o)

  13. I am glad you enjoyed the show, Wil, but it sure made the people featured look like most of you have graduated from dorky and/or geeky to sadly superficial, which does NOT seem like an improvement. And although you may have been joking, endorsing violence against anyone does not seem like a good idea.
    Sure, your wife is easy on the eyes, but more importantly, she sounds loving and supportive of her family and friends. That is why you win, not because of her looks; that is just a nice bonus. Get your priorities straight.

  14. Wil,
    I only saw a little bit of the part where you tell
    of buying a un-used locker..
    cause of some bully… you ever hear of this guy
    again ?
    later!

  15. Go Ryan! Nice comeback:) i wish they showed more VH1 stuff over in Britain, ah well, can’t have everything.
    *starts singing… stops* oh damn. now i have ‘stacey’s mom’ stuck in my head;)

  19. Glad Ryan could take it so well. (Not sure I could have myself.) Your wife is lucky to have the men in her life that she does. (Because y’all think you’re lucky to have her.) =)

  20. I watched The Geek Years last night, and I think I actually squealed when I saw You appear with the by-line “Author of ‘Just a Geek'”, becuase I immediately thought “How COOL! Wil must be so proud!” (as well you should be).
    Anyway, I thuoght the show was very cool and I thought you did an EXCELLENT job. I think you should be part of the regular “Best Week Ever” crew.

  21. wow, I am SOOOO glad VH1 rebroadcasted it last night at 9/8c :). You’re appearance on the show didn’t go to waste – you made at least one JaG sale last night 🙂 I had been meaning to buy a copy ever since O’Reilly picked you up, but every time I remembered I wanted to buy it I was broke, and every time I had money I forgot I wanted to get it 🙂 When they showed ‘Author of “Just a Geek”‘ under your name the first time, I remembered, ran over to the ‘puter and ordered it. Now I’ve got to wait over a week or longer before it comes in…dang, that’s going to be a long 9 days :).
    critter42

  22. Oh, yeah, forgot to add:
    It was kind of weird seeing you on TCY:TG, then flipping over to TV Land and seeing the BoBW clip of the cliffhanger with you at the navigator station on the “TV’s 100 Greatest Moments” special. I was a little stoked that that moment actually cracked the top 50 – it was the “Who Shot J.R.?” of geekdom.

  23. I’m a huge fan of Dork Tower, Wil… I’m sure you know of the “League of Extraordinary Gamers”… I STILL laugh at that first strip… I can easily hear Robin saying, “Stop touching my freaking DICE, Wheaton!” and then I hear you say “Bite Me, Mork!”…. LMAO
    I think the best way for you to get on Alias is to be an evil counterpart to Marshall… now THAT would be cool.

  24. The photo of Wil that VH1 has in their geek gallery is absolutely priceless! I think someone else posted a link to it in these comments, but if you missed it, click the “My Coolest Years: The Geeks” link in the blog, and then the Photo Galleries link on the VH1 site. His photo is #22. True evidence that Wil was as Trekkie as they get, once upon a time. 🙂
    Dave Westbay

  26. Been reading your blog for a while now, just wanted to let you know I think it is a really cool thing you do. I am more commenting to say I just started reading “Just a Geek” and already really like it. I actually work at the public library in my town, and got the Librarian in charge of the biography section to buy the book for the library too.
    I was kinda upset that no one in my county had bought the book yet, so I felt it was my job as a fellow geek to make sure it was in the county system somewhere. Good luck in everything that you do, and safe travels where ever life may lead you and your family.
    Patrick

  27. I got to see the show! The last day I had access to VH1. My cable company is changing their service plan. Blood-sucking-fish. Anyway I enjoyed the show, and Anne is hot.

  30. i was part of the “in crowd” during high school and college. after working for, what used to be, the largest commercial aircraft company in the world for 15 years i was downsized (with about 40,000 other folks). now the govt. is retraining me in network administration and i find myself, once again, in school. believe me, the social dynamics have not change. but i have… i am now a GEEK!! my, how the worm turns!!! will the pill is very funny, but not quite as bad as luke the puke!

  31. John Kovalic rocks.
    I don’t get VH1 (being in Canada) so I didn’t see it. However, one of our two music channels buys a lot of its programming from VH1 so it’s possible that it will be on in the upcoming months.
    I’m so glad that things are going well for you. You’ve shown the world the new era of Wil Wheaton. It’s the era that’s sweeping the nation.

  33. I loved the Dork Tower comic!
    Poor Wil. How often you must get that from the hopelessly unenlightened. I, Aylaleia, the Goddess of Justice and Vengeance, hereby bestow upon you the continued ability to handle such fans with the infinite patience and kind smile you always have, though at times it must be terribly hard.
    “If you’re awesome and you know it clap your hands…!”
    Herself,
    The Goddess Aylaleia

  34. Just wanted to let you know that someone reviewed your latest book over at YML (your mac life)
    Just started reading “Just a Geek” myself today. Great so far!
    later
    Vito
    Side note, I read your blog and picked up your book because of YML. Keep up the good work.

  35. I have watched you in My Coolest Years 3 times now and I still crack up about some of the things you said, especially the comment about Marines. I too was a geek in high school, and my younger brother was completely the opposite. He became a Marine! It still smarts!

  36. Just saw the VH1 show (yeah, so I’m an insomniac geek…. I can’t help it) Great stuff. I felt right at home watching the show. If you only knew. I had no idea there was a site similar to mine out here in cyber space… You’re like the male equivalent to my female geek site 😉
    I love it. I hope to stick around a while.
    Geeks Unite
    Erin – the Brainy Blonde geek website girl

  38. I have to say… if you can’t feel all the warm and good feelings (and a little coveting of our “neighbor’s” wife!) in this thread, you need to have your head examined!
    I, too, watched it last night. I swear, I would have hung out with you in high school 🙂 Heck, we could probably hang out now if you weren’t on the west coast (east coast here). Now, don’t take that as a I’m-interested-in-stalking-you comment.
    It just shows how much of a kindred spirit I feel when reading your blog and experiencing the parts of life you expose publicly.
    I just want to tell you, that I appreciate itn and really hope that you do some conferences/appearances on the east coast (preferably mid-atlantic area) some day. I’d go just to see you.
    ANyway, I’m babbling.
    Lots of good Mojo your way, Wil.

  40. heehheee…the top ten list posted up some is great
    Wil Wheaton: Author, was one of the first things i noticed in the VH1 show photo gallery (trying to find showtimes)
    great pic, by the way. They still managed to get the Trek thing in. 😉
    Looking forward to watching it

  42. I must say, Wil, I loved that you were creditted as an author as opposed to an actor. Not that you don’t deserve props for that, too. 🙂 ::thumbs!::
    “Metric ass-load”” Gotta use that at some point…

  45. I saw the whole of “My Coolest Years”. You got the first and last word…YAY! I wrote a poem using the line, I Am Geekicus. Can I send it to you somehow or just use the comment posts?

  46. Hi Wil,
    I watched you on My Coolest Years: The Geeks–good to see you. I had a HUGE crush on you when you were Gordy in Stand By Me…I think it was the first R rated movie I ever saw, and I watched it 17 and a half times way back when. So, even if you were a geek, I was wishing you were mine!
    Take care,
    Lucy, age 28, Alaska
    P.S. However, I do have to tell you that the whispy moustache you had in the VH1 show was not a good look. Sorry!

  47. Speaking of fandom… the Sherlock Holmes people sound like they have a lot of the same issues as the Trekkies. Check out the very interesting article from the New Yorker December 13th issue.

  49. Loved the show! I’d say you rolled a perfect 20… My husband should soon become a devoted reader of WWDN because of the show. He was reading an anthology of papers about gaming when he said “Hey! It’s Crusher!” (He always liked Wesley.) I informed him for the third time that, hello, you have a journal and everything, and the show finally got it through to him.
    Now he thinks you’re cool for having a journal like me. I think for Christmas I’ll tell him you write books as well, he won’t know what hit him.

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