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Interview With "Switcher Girl" Ellen Feiss
Ed over in Accounting writes in with a Macinstein interview with Ellen Feiss, an Internet cult figure of a bygone era. Back in 2002, in the heyday of Apple's "Switcher" ads, the 14-year-old Feiss garnered a bit more than 15 minutes of fame. Her Switcher ad became an instant classic — partly because of the widespread belief that she was stoned while filming it, which she says was not the case. In the interview Feiss, who is now a college student with one movie behind her, talks about pseudo Internet fame, drugs, and acting. She says she's still using the same G4 she had when the ad ran. Nostalgia bonus: the ad is embedded at the end of the interview.
She actually says "Psych!", as if she is still 14. She may have well as ended a hilariously fallacious statement with "...NOT!".
I wasn't stoned when I saw the ad either!
Ed over in Accounting writes in with a Macinstein interview with Ellen Feiss, an Internet cult figure of a bygone era.
Well, you know what they say. You should let bygones be bygones.
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It could simply be that she had a crush on the camera person. Pupils dialate for all manner of reason.
If you mod me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.
It's been 5 years or so. And still most of the Apple ads represent one or at most two objects (frequently human actors it seems), which are speaking about how much PC-s suck, and occasionally, ONLY occasionally, also mentioning how Mac software never has problems (lie) or how on Mac you can process photos and videos, and on the PC you can't (lie).
And you suddenly know why most people just don't buy Macs. Mac marketing makes impression of being really really desparate.
Maybe they should try some of their iPod concepts for advertising the Mac? This could work better. Show people having fun with a Mac, show Mac being used.
Stop with the "PC sucks" nonsense.
Interesting to hear she's still using the same G4. I'm using the same PowerBook G4 I bought in 2003, because it still is a surprisingly competent notebook after 3.5 years, even for my daily graphics work. I hear all these Windows people complaining about how a PC only lasts a couple of years before you have to buy a new one; I hear that and think, well, that just about negates the "PCs are cheaper" argument...
...What do you think it was about your ads that made you a stand out?
Ellen: I don't know? Because people thought I was stoned, because there aren't that many young girls in computer commercials.
Ellen seems to have figured out where fanboys come from.
- - - -
You can't be ahead of the curve if you're stuck in a loop.
You can't be ahead of the curve, if you're stuck in a loop.
I saw her Switch ad when it came out. I didn't get the cult fascination then, and I don't get it now either. So fine, whatever. Fast forward 5 years later and I'm wondering what the hell any of us are doing reading an interview with her.
I read part of the interview and have concluded that it's just as interesting as most blogs by strangers I'll never meet. Funny thing is, most people are immediately appreciative of how much most blogs suck, yet an interview with Ellen Feiss is somehow above that.
Please, someone tell me, what the hell am I missing here? Really. I don't get it.
2002 is not a bygone era damn it. We haven't even decided what to call this decade yet.
as quoted by a MacFan magazine...
Macenstein: What do you think of the newly announced Apple iPhone?
Ellen: Sounds expensive.
Macenstein: Ok, we've taken up far too much of your time already.
- - - -
You can't be ahead of the curve if you're stuck in a loop.
You can't be ahead of the curve, if you're stuck in a loop.
I was reading the story, and thought I was going to see something interesting, and it was like "beep beep beep". It's kinda... a bummer.
Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
The internet highlights a rather interesting aspect of human nature - the need to idolise other people.
The rise to fame of actors and actresses is a bit more straightforward, since their performances are laid bare for all to rewind and review. We needed to see something about a person before we decided that they were worth the worship.
Now, as we move forward, it seems the time and effort required for someone to bask in the aura of fame is drastically reducing. What we find more often in public forums are people, represented by no more than the text of their name or a default avatar, enjoying heroic receptions.
I guess anonymity of others allows us to identify one or two things we like, and then our imagination fills in the rest.
I think this will negatively effect self esteem in the long run.
It's true I tell you, feller at work's next door neighbour read it in the paper.
Are you lost? Couldn't find you way to Digg?
The purpose of writing is to inflate weak ideas, obscure poor reasoning, and inhibit clarity....Calvin
Yeah, I agree, PCs should really stop sucking. However, I wonder why you're telling that to us. Most of us aren't working on Windows.
she said she was hired for the role because her character goes on a shroom trip. and shrooms do make your pupils dilate.
Seems to me fanboys are bang outta luck. The fanGIRLS though....
you're readin something out of that article that's totally not there. maybe you've just got personal issues. besides, she sounds pretty down to earth in this podcast interview.
Commodore64_love: I don't comprehend people who're so frightened of death that they'll bankrupt themselves to stay alive
All the machine I still use at various place are still based on Pentium II mother boards. Some of them dating back from 1998. ...and they still do the job I need them done... ...mostly because I run Linux on them and configure the interface according to the computer performance.
Sure, I upgraded processor a couple of time (Slot1 interface and Slotckets are a wonder ! I just long until similar board with AM2 & DDR2 sockets on them and HTX interface to the main board appear...) maxed out the memory, but it still mostly the same old computers with derelict 3DFX Voodoo AGP video cards...
Interestingly, the reason I start considering upgrading the hardware is Windows : I use it to double-boot for playing games, and even adventure games start to require performance that my hardware can't provide.
"Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
It could simply be that she had a crush on the camera person. Pupils dialate for all manner of reason.
When filming a scene, there's all sorts of lights pointed at the set, and you can see there's a light pointed right at her face. Natural causes of pupil dilation simply don't dilate THAT much when there's a light of any noticeable intensity on the eye. To have eyes like that without a chemical influence, she'd have to be in dim light AND having a physiological response, or complete darkness, to get that wide.
That said, the chemical influence causing it isn't necessarily a hallucinogen (or a stimulant), it could be the same stuff the optometrist uses, to simulate the effect of drugs. The actors in drug movies don't really take drugs in front of the camera, most of the time anyway.
or maybe she was frightened by rogue clowns from outer space who just flew into the room wearing nothing but loincloths and Cyndi Lauper concert T-shirts. That's a perfectly reasonable explanation too.
Back in my day, we had competitions to see who had the BEST computer... you damn crazy kids!
:P
So what did you do, count the rows of beads on your abacus to see who was more modern, grandpa?
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
That said, the chemical influence causing it isn't necessarily a hallucinogen (or a stimulant), it could be the same stuff the optometrist uses, to simulate the effect of drugs.
Atropine is available in eye-drops, it blocks muscarinic receptors and causes pupillary dilation. It has been used for hundreds of years by women because they thought dilated pupils make them look "sexy". In fact atropine is derived from the "belladonna" plant, bella donna meaning "beautiful woman" in latin.
There are other antimuscarinincs that can be used by hollywood to acheive this effect, since atropine can dilate pupils for weeks at a time which is not a good thing if you plan to be outside once in a while...
Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
Wow am I square. It took me until this post (I haven't RTFA yet) to realize that the summary wasn't referring to a Biblical stoning. Yikes.
"Clear eyes? How would that protect this poor girl from a thrown... ooooh!"
...following the principles of Heisenburger's Uncertain Cat...
I'm not advocating using coke, but, before you post about it...try to know a little about what the effects of each drug does. People do no 'flip out' on cocaine if it is a 'bad batch'...there is no such thing. This is not like LSD or another hallucinogin where you can lose touch with reality...and 'flip out'.
But, look, all these chemicals have different effects on your body. Alcohol is just as much a drug as pot or coke or anything else, and just as dangerous. No one should be using them when they are working, that is not what you are being paid to do.
Personally, I don't do them, but, I don't see the reasons that some of them are classified illegal and some of them are not...I think in a person's own free time, they should be able to ingest what they wish, I don't think it is the state's place to save someone from their own stupidity if they make bad choices.
Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
And you clearly haven't tasted enough.
The most violent act ever done under the influence of marijuana would be breaking into a convenience store to get pop tarts.
.. but horny!
You've never watched much "Trailer Park Boys", have you? Granted, the cougar on pot was pretty mellow . .
Yeah, they should.
Just like if I want to go down to the corner pharmacist and buy a massive overdose of morphine, the size that you have no reason to possess other than to kill someone, I should be allowed to do so, then go home and mainline it all so that I go into respiratory arrest.
Freedom used to mean something.
Edward@Tomato - /home/Edward/ man woman
man: no entry for woman in the manual.
"Qua!?"