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Tech Support to the Stars

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the but-who-won dept.

Carl Bialik writes "The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Prince, Snoop Dogg, Ludacris, Bon Jovi, and U2 all have used technical support when on the road, when their Wi-Fi or Xbox or Sidekick needs servicing. The Journal takes a look at the lives of the essential, if overlooked, members of the entourage, the support tech. Joshua Kapellen, of Best Buy's Geek Squad, has been on the road with U2 since 2004. From the article: 'Last March, lead singer Bono needed his Xbox connected while the band rehearsed in Canada. Mr. Kapellen got a call. He hooked up the contraption and a few minutes later was playing videogames with Bono. "It was one of the coolest things that has ever happened to me," says Mr. Kapellen.'"

11 of 289 comments (clear)

  1. Whoa by Airconditioning · · Score: 5, Funny

    It's bad enough having good natured people on the other end of the phone line, can you imagine what it would be like with a total ego-maniac? For sanity's sake son, run like hell.

    1. Re:Whoa by bheer · · Score: 5, Funny

      Ask anyone in IT who's dealt with top management-- I'm pretty sure they get a lot of practice dealing with egomaniacs :-)

      --
      Go somewhere random
    2. Re:Whoa by CyricZ · · Score: 4, Funny

      I had one acquaintance who had taken a temporary job as a tech support technician. When he got calls from people like that, he'd apparently just insert words like "penis" and "assrape" into their conversations. He didn't care if he got fired, and considering the low quality of the firm he was with, the issue never even came up.

      He said that saying such things would confuse the hell out of the callers, and their confusion would quickly override their arrogance and anger.

      --
      Cyric Zndovzny at your service.
    3. Re:Whoa by ZiakII · · Score: 5, Funny

      Ask anyone in IT who's dealt with top management-- I'm pretty sure they get a lot of practice dealing with egomaniacs :-)

      You think thats bad.. try being IT in the USMC and dealing with officers. I hurried to find what was so wrong with the Comanding Officer's computer after he demanded someone come right now and look at it, to find out he wanted to change the paperclip to a dog. (sigh)

  2. Bono Uses Celebrity For Good by Mad+Martigan · · Score: 4, Funny

    I bet that there were strings attached when Bono played Xbox with that guy:

    Bono: It'd be pretty cool if you could play this with me, right?
    Kapellen: Yeah.
    Bono: Alright, then we'll play -- but you have to promise to cure AIDS as soon as we're done.
    Kapellen: (mulls it over for a minute) Yeah, okay.

    That, ladies and gentlemen, is a socially constructive application of the power of celebrity. I bet that Kapellen guy is half way to a bachelor's degree in Biology by now.

    --
    ... turning to the 3-D map, we see an unmistakable con
  3. Re:Is there a way... by Firehed · · Score: 4, Funny
    I suppose... they made it way too difficult to hook up apparently, if celebs aren't smart enough to match up damned colors. We all know celebs are the real brains of America (and elsewhere), so if it's too difficult for them, MS really need to rethink their TV-attaching methods. Then again, I think Bono does have something wrong with one of his eyes, so there's a semi-acceptable excuse.

    Oh, that's why we created HDMI... just one plug, only goes in one way. But you know someone's going to try and force it in backwards and then complain that it won't work.

    --
    How are sites slashdotted when nobody reads TFAs?
  4. Re:Wow by aussie_a · · Score: 4, Funny
    I can imagine it now.

    The pharmacist for the stars!

    The pharmacist says "yeah I've served Snoop Dogg before. One time, he asked me to get him some medication for the runs, I got a cream, and we just sat and talked while he applied it to himself. Then I applied it to myself. I didn't have the runs, but I wanted to get the most out of the experience. It was the coolest thing I've ever had happen to me."
  5. Re:Is there a way... by Comatose51 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I will laugh so hard when one of these celebs have to call the Geek Squad because he/she gets locked out by the DRM on his/her own songs, movies, etc.

    --
    EvilCON - Made Famous by /.
  6. Tricked, i say! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I helped Steve Ballmer hook up his xbox, and all i got was this lousy chair!

  7. "I kicked Bono's ass at Warcraft III!" by Nova+Express · · Score: 5, Funny
    "He kept building farms to feed the hungry, so my orcs just wiped him out!"

    --
    Lawrence Person (lawrencepersonh@gmailh.com (remove all "h"s to mail)

    http://www.lawrenceperson.com/

  8. The pot calls the kettle black by g4c · · Score: 4, Funny

    Yeah, yeah... listen to you...

    "I work with celebrities--but I don't like it. No, sirree. I don't like working with celebrities... Like Nicholas Cage. I don't like working with Nick. He's kind of clingy and he keeps asking for my autograph. Did I mention I work with celebrities?"