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Tech Support to the Stars
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.'"
Why on earth anybody, anywhere, in the history of the world, would ever care enough about this to utter "mrh?", let alone write a news story about it?
In other news: celebs are human!
In other news: celebs take dumps!
In other news: celebs eat food!
In other news: celebs breath air!
In other news: celebs use tech support!
I am sorry, but defining a few minutes with a celebrity as one of the best times in your life is just pathetic. Stop living off other peoples' lives. The tech support probably required more brains and talent than most celebrities have...
Some celebrities do good things, but most "ordinary" people do way more useful things. When is the last time you described spending time with someone like a doctor or nurse as an amazing time? To me, they are way more important people than any celebrity.
Seriously, what's people's thing with celebrities? What, exactly, lends a higher level of "cooleness" to playing a video game with a celebrity? Is there something about the way an over-the-hill rocker says "bastard!" when you steal the ball in NBA 2K6 that's significantly better than the way your friends do? Is there something about being in the presence of giant egos that makes the mundane feel exceptional? I end up working for a lot of film and TV people at work and frankly, if it wasn't for the fact that they pay well (and reliably), I wouldn't work for most of them. In fact, we won't work for Nicholas Cage again because he's an annoying nutcase. Maybe it's just my proximity to them that lets me see what bratty, childish gasbags most of them are. Do people in "flyover country" really go this ga-ga over these folks?
Conclusion: the Empire squashes the Federation like a bug. Accept it.
I used to work at the studios for a major TV station in NYC and I'll tell you, the "talent" are easygoing and are easy to deal with. Its the over-eager assistants that will drive you insane. I believe that the people right under someone "important" (including people right under executives) make dealing with the "stars" a lot more headache-inducing than it needs to be.
Sound waves should be free!
It is pretty sad when one of the coolest things that has ever happened to you is working for someone else fixing a irrelevant video game system.
When I worked at Apple tech support (for all of three weeks) many years ago, there was dozens of celebrity names in the database that had called in for help. It's just a name, folks. Why aren't we hearing about how Snoop Dogg calls the plumber, too?
For he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.
It would be one thing if these guys were trying to swap service-for-service. But, inevitably, they want tangible assets.
By the time you've been offered 2 front-row tickets in exchange for product, you wish the wrath of the IRS on them.
Too close to John Lovitz playing Picasso in the SNL sketches where restaurants get napkin scribbles instead of cash.
Caveat emptor, Bono. I wouldn't let those Geek Squad guys within five hundred yards of my computer: "Here's why it won't boot, dude, it needs a new ATI Radeon X1900 XTX 512MB graphics card. We sell 'em with only a 400% markup."
// This is not a sig.
"Let's face it, computer repairmen are at the bottom of the food chain," Mr. Stephens says, but these glamorous job opportunities "give hope to every geek out there."
Right... Any geek with an ounce of brain would realize that the slim chance of "glamor" does not justify the low pay. Let's pretend that 100 celebs go to the Geek Squad. The chances of being one of those servicing a celeb is still less than 1%. And how much is the chance of playing the XBox with Bono worth? No thanks. I'll take a 6 figure salary and no chance of working for a celeb. It's kind of sad when the coolest thing to happen to Kapellen is playing XBox with Bono. Are geeks that desperate for recognition and popularity?!? Sorry Mr. Stephens "these glamorous job opportunities" does not give this geek any hope. Working for a cool tech company or doing cool research might.
EvilCON - Made Famous by
Indeed. It's not just television stars. It's the same with vice presidents and other high-level underlings in corporations.
Often times CEOs are very intelligent, good-willed people who are easy enough to deal with. It's those under them who make it difficult. Sometimes the best thing to do with those type of people is to tell them flat out, "Fuck off. We have serious issues to deal with. We don't have time for your political shenanigans. They do not improve the efficiency of our firm."
Nothing scares such management more than the idea that they're impeding the financial success of their firm, especially if they're fairly high up in management.
Cyric Zndovzny at your service.
No its not. And this is not one of the coolest things.
This guy is at the beck and call of people to plug their consoles in, how is that glamorous or cool.
"I use a Mac because I'm just better than you are."
Am I the only one who read the title to this article and though this would be about space and tech support? I was thoroughly dissapointed when it turned out to be just about Bono having to call someone to plug in an X-Box...
The wii is the revolution, comrade!
Wait, wasn't tech support (or someone posing as a tech claiming to support her) why we got to see even more embarassing pictures of her anorexic bod, plus got to learn Fred Durst's home phone number?
I've worked for a major ISP before and now schlep for a cellular provider. Calls from government wigs and celebs (rather, their right-hand people) are nothing new... you get the wheat with the chaff.
And yes, I do have a signed photo of Jack LaLanne because of my old tech support joint.
Laughter is the Spackle of the Soul.
Yeah, you'd be rolling in money at $15 an hour...
In my day, any roadie worth his minimum wage could handle any equipment the band brought with them...
-jcr
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
If I had just "made it" as a star, or more likely as some rich guy in the public eye, I would be very angry if my tech support guy told a newspaper about his experience. Especially if it made me look dumb. Doesn't his company have a privacy policy? I'm pretty sure the privacy policy (if it existed) was violated for the purpose of writing a "fluff" news story. If I were a manager, there is NO WAY I would let an employee talk about all the famous people they have served without prior permission to do so. Just imagine the consequences if that was permitted.
Personally I think the article was made up. That's because I'm generally a cynical bastard, and it's also a fact that sometimes there are slow news days.
They could have found better tech support. Although the geek squad has just enough knowledge to hook up a a/v cable to a xbox so I guess it works out.
"Hello Geek Squad? This is Brittney Spears, I need to hire someone to turn my TV on and off."
I don't need a crystal ball to tell me you will die young.
And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
(Having taught at a few colleges.)
It seems to me that the professors that can do something else for a living, but choose to teach, are less snooty.
There are fewer of those kind in disciplines where there aren't many non-academic jobs.
Exam 4/C again. Maybe I'll do better this time.
See, trying to convince people that celebrities are largely just irritating gasbags not worth wanting to know is a catch-22. Anyone relating personal experience is accused of name dropping, and anyone who doesn't mention specific names is accused of not knowing anyone worth naming.
Seriously. They're gasbags. I don't give a fuck what a bunch of slashdot morons think of me-- not even me, but my /. nick!-- so why the fuck would I drop names for you people? (this comment is primarily directed at the moron who rated the preceding comment "insightful" rather than "funny")
Conclusion: the Empire squashes the Federation like a bug. Accept it.
I bid you a warm welcome to Slashdot. This is the place where when you mention credentials or experiences you are arguing from authority or showing off, but if you don't mention them people ask "And what the fuck do you know?
"There do seem to be a lot of this particular stripe of asshat here, doesn't there?