47 thoughts on “on the importance of maintaining one’s grip on reality”

1. I still say Chuck would be a better show for you. It’s better written and it’s all about the Geek.

2. Thanks for helping all of us wishful thinkers keep our grip on reality as well.

3. Well said, Wil. I don’t think it sounded pathetic. Personally I love Twitter; I’ve made some great connections through it.

4. Well, since I don’t watch the show I cannot say one way or the other, but since Futurama is coming back…hint hint.
   technology does tend to shrink the world somewhat doesn’t it? My fear is because of all this, people will begin to forget how to socially interact face to face.

5. That was the first thing I thought this morning when I saw it, was that this was going to snowball, and Wil is going to get hit with it.
   Here’s to ducking. It’s nice to know so many people want it to happen, though.

6. That’s the way I took it. If it happens cool, especially because of the Twitter part. If it doesn’t, well, that’s life.
   As for maintaining a grip on reality, that’s easy for me. Reality is the one that sucks!
   j/k. Best of luck.

7. Don’t worry Wil; we’re cool.
   I’m happy any time you’re on a show I love.

8. I was afraid this would turn into a whole lotta hype about “nothing” (so far at least). I’m glad you’re keeping a level head about the whole thing.
   It would be cool though, I’m just saying.

9. You are kind of awesome, @WilW, and totally right about Twitter.

10. For the non geeks:
    There are 10 kinds of people in the world: those who can count in binary, and those who can’t.

11. Sigh.
    Wil, we all get more than second chances. It’s just they never really happen in the manner we imagine.
    Because I believe it’s bound to happen, congratulations ahead of time on landing that role on Heroes.
    Because, you see, it’s going to happen.
    Now that that’s out of the way; How’s that novel coming?

12. Twitter is amazing.
    Also, you WOULD be good on Chuck, perhaps as a geeky nemesis, as Josh pointed out.

13. I think you would be awesome on HEROES

14. I don’t think Sylar would eat your brain for being able to immediately summon an Animal Style Double-Double.
    😉

15. Reality is overrated. 😉
    <3
    Hope it works out in some way. Best of luck. 🙂

16. I know that it doesn’t compare to appearing on Heroes, and you’ve probably already seen it, but here’s a Wil Wheaton appearance in the webcomic “Something Positive” (with 30% more bicep!):
    http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp11242008.shtml .

17. I remain optimistic.

18. Tim Kring just isn’t very forward-thinking. How hard would it have been to create a part for Wil as a hero named Twitter? He has 140 characters of dialogue, and then he scrolls off the screen. Boom. New sponsor.
    SYNERGTAINMENT!!!

19. Modern communications technology is so awesome and I totally get what you’re talking about with Twitter. FWIW it never sounded as pathetic, it just sounded like it was something exciting and cool you wanted to share. After all, isn’t that partially why we’re all online – to share exciting and cool things with each other?
    Will still send mojo your way and I think it would be cool to see you on Heroes. Cheers!

20. I agree with some of the people above, who mentioned that it’s pretty apparent to us that this isn’t something you started, or asked for, or plotted, etc.
    Heroes is still my favorite show (I have hope!) and it would be awesome to see you there.
    It’s even more awesome, and much more personal, since some of us are out there in twitter land just like you (albeit with far fewer followers). I think the average person feels that tv/movies/etc are always completely orchestrated behind closed doors, in a world that we have zero access to. But now, it’s like worlds are colliding!!1!

21. Wil,
    my 2 cents(which by the way cost the U.S. treasury 3.2 cents to make) goes like this…The fact that you are a celebrity is not the reason I continued to read your blog after I got past the ohmyghod it Wesley’s blog thing. The reason I read your blog is that you tell what we’ll call-for lack of a better term-“reality stories,” really well. It’s like, “Just the facts Ma’am”, but with adjectives. And heart, wisdom, humour, insecurity, humility, confidence…and I think most of all, sincerity.
    *on a side note*
    I sometimes wondered if you were one of those too sincere Hollywood types till our brief meeting and PAX in 2007. (Your keynote adress was…um…awesome, and I’m not even a gamer or computer game player.) While I was waiting in line at your booth I watched you interact with the people who had come to buy your books and have them signed and have their picture taken with you.It was obvious at that point that the sincerity in your writing was not an affectation. I’m borderlining on hyperbole here, but I truly don’t think I’m ever seen a more overtly compassionate caring, and gentle countenance on a human in my life.
    **
    The things you write about, the way your write about your family, your career, your friends, your peers in the entertainment industry…and the way your write about yourself… it’s all so damn real. There’s not enough radical honesty in any of our worlds, and when we do experience radical honesty the experience is too often unpleasant. Your blog is radically honest, and while that honesty demands that there will be dissapointments in the stories you tell from time to time I don’t think reading has ever been unpleasant 🙂
    And you do the disclaimers so well;) Like so many “geeky” or “quirky” creative types, you have this thing about making sure you are not misunderstood-I think the need to be understood comes in many of us from decades of being misunderstood.
    Enough of my blatherings…just keep being real Wil

22. Thou shalt go with the flow.

23. I read the article and it made me sniffle sadly. I’ve become a fan of your writing over the past several months and even MORESO of the audio book version of “Just A Geek”, as well as Radio Free Burrito. I’m sorry that the initial auditions kinda bombed, and I get being so stoked that you have trouble doing what you need to do.
    I know that this isn’t really how Hollywood works, but I thought you might like to know that someone started a petition to get you on Heroes. Even if it doesn’t matter as far as getting you the job, I thought the idea itself (and the fact that it already has a ton of signatures) might warm your heart a bit. 🙂
    (I posted the link initially but it got flagged as spam by your spam filter. It’s floating somewhere on teh interwebz.)
    PS-I signed. 🙂

24. I’m fond of the show Chuck myself for obvious reasons but I think you should pursue whatever you desire most.

25. I do visualize Wil’s character having the ability to manifest a wormhole to anyplace within sight – one he can reach through and grab stuff out of, or travel through. He’s just gotta have some kind of wormholy (wormholey?) power!

26. The first thing I thought was that he should reprise his role from the comic book PS238, so Wil Wheaton would play … Wil Wheaton- just a Wil with left-handed telekinesis.
    It’s the part he was born to play.

27. I think you should be on the show with the intangibility power. It’s an awesome power they should bring back, and you could probably pull it off really well.

28. OK, I’m holding out for the Quadfecta: To have you show up on ALL of my Monday night shows (Chuck, Heroes, Big Bang Theory (if there was ever a show that you could pull off by appearing “as himself,” BBT is most definitely it), & Sarah Connor Chronicles (Wil as a Terminator…anyone NOT up for that?!?!?)).
    Get on The Office the same week and you could completely sweep my television week (only because there isn’t really a way to get you on BSG at this point…though Caprica remains a possibility…)
    PS Get on ANY of those shows and I’ll be record it, bittorrent it, AND get it off of iTunes excited…

29. argh. the world is imperfect. and we’ve only evolved to using words. TELEPATHY PEOPLE… i mean, c’mon. we’ve gotten rid of those silly tails… i wanna see some innovation!

30. Wow, I really need to update my profile now that I see that I’m making it clear I don’t post here often, however, I will say this:
    I have enjoyed every part I have ever seen you portray, so when you get the part you most absolutely get it right, so if you get it wrong 5 more times let’s just hope “Hero’s” is still on the air for your sake, but I’ll still continue to read, and catch your voiceovers as well.
    This isn’t the first time, and probably not the last, that I’ll say my favorite part of yours was a movie you did with Sonia Braga, but regardless, the better part was finding out you were writing a blog, and although I keep seem to just contributing for free here and there it keeps me writing.
    So today I credited something to you as “writer, Wil Wheaton”.
    That’s a credit to you not for the byline, but because I seriously doubt that I am the only one out there that is writing something right now because of your persistence to excel at whatever it is you choose to achieve, even if sometimes it doesn’t quite work.
    =jason

31. I think he should have something we haven’t seen before and yet simple. Like the power of darkness. [not dorkness].
    the ability to absorb all light in an area..I think there are ways to have fun with that..

32. “Chuck” or “The Big Bang Theory” are what I wish upon you, Wil.

33. Reality sucks.
    Dreaming and fantasy rock.

34. You need to start planning you Hero gesture. The squint, head tilt, arm fling are already taken. Maybe a butt wiggle? Whaddya think?

35. I dunno, Wil. This season of Heroes has sucked (except the last couple of episodes). Maybe it’s a blessing in disguise that you haven’t been on the show yet. Maybe next season will be all reorganized before you appear on the show.

36. Completely unrelated, but: Did you see you have a cameo on Something Positive? (http://www.somethingpositive.net/sp11242008.shtml)
    I’m a little afraid, a lot amused, and even more gleeful. 30% more biceps!

37. i kinda want to make out with twitter a little bit.
    i’m just saying 🙂

38. I totally understand what you’re saying about technology, Wil. I remember several years ago when my family first got the internet (I think I was in junior high). I was in a chat room talking with a girl living in Norway. I live in Oregon. And I just kept thinking “Holy crap, I’m talking to someone ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD in real-time! This is way too cool!” It was an amazing experience for me.
    ‘Course, I’m still waiting for me flying car. This is the future! I should be tooling around in the flying car! [/Randall]
    Also, I’m glad I’m not the only one pointing out your appearance on Something Positive. It’s my favorite webcomic and now it’s even better because it’s got you slaughtering killer catgirls with a bat’leth! Yes, it’s just as ridiculous as it sounds. 🙂

39. The thing I find most interesting is how blown-out-of-proportion a simple tweet can become. Seriously… I read the tweet and your subsequent blog post and walked away with a clear understanding that two acquaintances were sort of “talking” about how it would be cool if you could cameo. That means nothing more than “one guy is going to talk to another guy and, damn, it would be really fun if something came of it”. No promises, no guarantees… How does this end up with a Tim Kring quote in the Chicago Trib? My head is spinning.
    All that said, I’ll watch anything you’re in Wil (as long as you stop playing the uber-creepy serial killers). Also, I agree that you should be on Chuck. Can we make this a gigantic internet rumor now??
    <3
    PS – I want to marry ToddPM

40. Save the ensign, save the world!

41. Don’t intend to be a wet blanket, but technology also also cheapens contact between people as well.

42. I suggested on io9 that Wil should have Magic Beard powers, where the beard talks to him and gives him advice.

43. Know what, Wil? You had TWO chances at parts for Heroes. This tells me that you didn’t completely blow it – there’s still room for not-bad-but-not-right-for-this-role. I totally get the desire to keep one’s grip on reality, but there’s room for optimism, too. 🙂

44. It would be fairly awesome if you made it on Heroes. It is literally the ONLY show on TV that I watch, and it’s ratings doldrums make me nervous it may not see a season 4; which is tragic, since I thought Season 3 has been fabulous so far.

45. Don’t worry abaout it, Kring isn’t going to just blurt it out to the press even if he does have an idea where he can use you.

46. It’ll happen. I can feel it.

47. After the last episode of Season 3, I would give the show a miss. But who knows, Season 4 may pick up the pieces and might be worth a cameo.

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