It is me, JOHN HODGMAN, from your television and internet, here again to talk to you about my new Netflix Original special called JOHN HODGMAN: RAGNAROK. Or anything else.

PROOF = https://twitter.com/hodgman/status/348972268153622528

FURTHER PROOF = http://www.johnhodgman.com/post/53719015744/at-6-30pm-pacific-9-30-eastern-i-will-be-doing-an

THAT IS ALL

Comments: 770 • Responses: 79  • Date: 

JohnHodgman1149 karma

HERE I AM

Frajer1284 karma

Rock you like a hurricane?

JohnHodgman706 karma

OK

sealab2021tigerbot78 karma

Any plans to join your feral mountain man, Jonathan Coulton, on his cruise ship, and go JoCo Cruise Crazy?

JohnHodgman144 karma

I plan to be on THAT NERD BOAT whether he wants me or not.

WhyHelloSean671 karma

My copy of your book, The Areas of My Expertise, recently grew an identical mustache such as yours and became self aware. It is terrorizing everything and everyone I've ever loved. How do I put it down?

JohnHodgman1081 karma

Put it in a tupperware container. Seal that with wax or goose grease. Wrap it in cheesecloth. Bury it in earth from a graveyard. Stand watch for 30 days with a red candle burning constantly. Or else buy five new copies of THE AREAS OF MY EXPERTISE.

evanwalsh493 karma

Has it been difficult to play the role of Julius Pringles in the upcoming biopic, He Popped, but the Fun Did Stop?

Also, will you come to my wedding?

JohnHodgman604 karma

You refer to the brilliant twitter joke that someone made asking if I was growing my mustache to star in the movie PRINGLES. I wish I knew who that person was. He/she = genius.

I cannot attend your wedding, I'm afraid, unless you pay me MIGHTILY in gin, lamb chops, and sword canes. CONGRATULATIONS!

JohnHodgman452 karma

I am sorry everyone that our time is up. This was tremendous fun--I thank you.

Apologies to those still waiting for answers. Now that the world has not ended, I realize that sometimes answers never come, and it's not the end of the world.

bagofbeef74250 karma

Greetings, Mr. Justice.

Firstly, I'd like to thank you for yesterday's Comedy Cabaret at Solid Sound. I greatly enjoyed it, despite the drenched-in-Axe-Body-Spray knucklehead seated two seats away from me, who insisted on jumping up, shouting, yelping and generally making a fool of himself during Reggie Watts' set.

My question is about hecklers like this guy, and how they're handled.

While Reggie chose a subtle method that surely went over the guy's head (inviting a couple of people to the stage to confirm how comfortable the auditorium chairs were), Jen Kirkman's method (making a heckler in her set walk like a model on the catwalk AND calling the guy's father to insult his parenting skills) seemed much more embarrassing.

In your experience, what's been the most entertaining method of dealing with hecklers?

JohnHodgman325 karma

First of all, thank you for explaining Reggie's comfy chair joke to me. I honestly missed that subtext. Reggie is a genius. And that guy in the front row sure enjoyed the show. Even though he was a little disruptive, it was clearly out of enthusiasm.

Hecklers want to be part of the show. Usually they are also intoxicated to the point that they don't realize that they are not on stage. Paul F Tompkins was the absolute best at handling this situation at Bumbershoot last year, essentially befriending the dude and explaining the basic conventions of theater and why they exist.

It was amazing to watch, but also painful. I think everyone would have preferred just letting Paul do his act.

AVG_Joseph123 karma

I was just listening to this month's fantastic Dead Authors Podcast in which you played Ayn Rand. Did you prepare for this role by writing 60 page monologues, calling people moochers, or both? In all seriousness, though, how is it possible to stay in such a challenging character for an hour, and how did you prepare?

Also, everyone should check out RAGNAROK(On Netflix). It's awesome!

JohnHodgman182 karma

All my research for that performance derived from this single interview Ayn Rand gave to Phil Donohue in or around 1980.

You may review it HERE.

You will see that she did INDEED like Charlie's Angels. That was not my invention.

baconbeardmemelord111 karma

Was the british child in the ragnarok special a plant? If so, is he affiliated with the secret world government

JohnHodgman122 karma

He is the great Joel Ronson, son of the great Jon Ronson, author of THE PSYCHOPATH TEST. They are friends. I knew they were coming to the show, and I decided that day to bring him up on stage. It was all improvised. Someday you will see the extended cut and there is A LOT OF JOEL IN IT.

jen_meyer104 karma

Has there ever been a case submitted to Judge John Hodgman that was too offensive/crazy to use, and what was it?

BTW, loved your recent show in Chicago, even if I didn't love my first taste of Malört.

JohnHodgman234 karma

Good Malort to you.

Never anything offensive. And crazy is what we want for the show. The only ones that we can't really here are:

1) DISPUTES WITH ONESELF (too referential) 2) DISPUTES WITH WORLD GOVERNMENTS OR VAGUE PHILOSOPHIES (too psychotic) 3) DISPUTES WITH ME (I am never wrong).

OfficerTiutslit256991 karma

Big fan, Mr. Hodgman - ever since you sold all those computers what feels like eons ago.

How do you feel about your writings inspiring fans to soil their bodies forever with acts such as this, (my girlfriend's 2011 tattoo):

http://d3j5vwomefv46c.cloudfront.net/photos/large/377257119.jpg?1313791475

JohnHodgman325 karma

I urge people to not tattoo themselves with images from my books, as such things are permanent, and it will also cause them to summon demons.

But I must inform you that that picture has been my desktop image for years ever since I saw it on twitter.

YOUR GIRLFRIEND IS MY DESKTOP IMAGE.

SpacemanDan81 karma

What is your high score at George Plimpton's Video Falconry? I can't get past Stage 45 - Chateau Marmot. I'm currently sporting a level 23 Goshawk, equipped with +2 talons of grasping, but I'm thinking of switching to some sort of buteo, like a Swainson's Hawk. Any advice?

Also, have you heard anything concrete about a Bored to Death movie? It's been much rumored and discussed, but any sold information would be nice to know. It was such a hilarious (and strangely gentle) show that approached uncommon topics like aging, rivalry, parenthood, professional success (or lack thereof), the ever increasing sense of our own mortality, and marijuana consumption in interesting ways.

JohnHodgman92 karma

That video game is fictional, no matter WHAT YOU PEOPLE TRY TO MAKE ME BELIEVE.

I think it's been reported, and I can confirm, that Jonathan Ames has been hired to write a screen play for a BTD movie. But who knows what will happen then.

Thank you for your thoughtful assessment of the show. I agree with it. I miss that show a lot!

ExPatBadger63 karma

You have been a creative player in multiple forms of media (books, TV, movies, radio, internet, ostensibly macaroni or finger paint at some point).

In what media do you most want to push ahead?

What do you hope will be your legacy? Besides the Apple ads.

JohnHodgman106 karma

I really want to get into making god's eyes and decoupage.

But until I break into that market, I've really been enjoying live performance. It is incredibly challenging and terrifying and rewarding creatively--a completely new kind of writing for me.

I would be extremely proud if I was remembered for nothing but the Apple ads, as they were profound fun and an incredible time in my life.

But the COMPLETE WORLD KNOWLEDGE cycle of books, audiobooks, live shows, and now the Netflix special is about the closest expression of pure me that exists.

callmemrpib62 karma

What are your thoughts on the film "Zardoz"?

JohnHodgman165 karma

Sean Connery's mustache was bigger than his bathing suit.

ltkessler59 karma

When will you and Bruce Campbell resume your beautiful and inevitable friendship?

JohnHodgman130 karma

I don't think it has ever ended. Unless he says so. One of my great regrets is that a long planned family vacation made it impossible for me to guest on Burn Notice and play Bruce's IRS auditor. HOW DID I ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN? Dumb family vacations.

xshare51 karma

How do you feel about John Oliver's work so far hosting the Daily Show?

JohnHodgman108 karma

John Oliver is doing an AMAZING job. He's one of the smartest, quickest, and most consistently skilled comedians I know.

maullove51 karma

Hello Mr. Hodgman! I’m a fan of your books, Ragnarok on Netflix, hodgepodge of appearances on Community, FoTC, Battlestar Galactica and the Daily Show, and your podcast*. My question is regarding the Judge John Hodgman Show.

What was the hardest verdict for you to hand down? Often it seems like you favor one side because of personal views, but then you side with the opposition because it’s fair, logical, etc.

Thank you!

*for anyone who hasn’t yet listened to the Judge John Hodgman Show, I suggest Die Flederhaus, which is the episode that got me hooked.

JohnHodgman104 karma

Without question it was ruling on whether or not a couple should reveal the truth of Santa Claus to their children (that is to say, Santa Claus is actually a bigfoot. SORRY KIDS).

I ordered them to tell the truth. I think that's the right call. I have never failed by being gentle but candid with my own human children. That is the legacy of Fred Rogers in action.

taint-misbehavin46 karma

How many future presidents will have hooks for hands?

JohnHodgman81 karma

They have a cure for that now, so probably none.

aliceis40 karma

Hi John, is there any way I can pay for/legally download RAGNAROK if Netflix hasn't made it to my country yet? Cheers.

JohnHodgman37 karma

No. Not yet. What country?

mattreid7737 karma

Hello John Hodgman! (my question is in the third paragraph)

I have been a big fan since your wonderful 'straight man' cameo in Flight Of The Conchords. I own That Is All, regularly enjoy the Judge John Hodgman podcast, buzz marketed Ragnarok on my social media wall and even played it on Netflix the first day it appeared before I had a chance to sit down and enjoy it the following afternoon. I am also a sufferer of exercise-induced asthma (activated by running and biking up any kind of hill) and have one human child who recently woke up requesting a glass of water.

I hope this question is not too personal, but I am curious about how the disputes on JJH work and think an awful lot about what it means when good friends drift apart.

Based on mutual podcast appearances (and a number of your online pics) you seem to be very close with a couple of media folk who no longer appear to be speaking to each other. What would it take to have them reconcile on a Very Special Episode of Judge John Hodgman? Could such a dispute/discussion be proposed by yourself (or a third party) or would one (or both) of the estranged actually need to submit the matter to the court?

Thanks!

JohnHodgman62 karma

Thank you, thank you, and thank you again for your kind words and support.

Since we are speaking in code, I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, and it breaks my heart as well.

But one thing I half-knew before the podcast and now know well, you can't force someone to like things they don't like, and you can't force people to work through their feelings any faster than they want. Even if you do have a podcast.

joftheinternet33 karma

Mr. Hodgman, I can't help but notice the increasing frequency in which you perform with a ukulele. Will there be a "John Hodgman: More Ukulele Than You Require" album in the future?

JohnHodgman47 karma

I currently own three ukuleles, one for every song I can reliably play. So: probably no. I am just learning still!

hapaxLegomina33 karma

Judge,

I got fennel in this weeks cropshare. What the heck should I cook with this plant?

Thank you, Ben E.

JohnHodgman78 karma

If it's really fresh and a small enough bulb to be tender, just cut it up into slivers and eat it raw before dinner with a Campari like it's MOTHER LOVING SARDINIA ITALY!

ObamasBlackCaucus33 karma

How charmingly British is John Oliver in real life?

JohnHodgman129 karma

Even his teeth have bad teeth.

Epledryyk31 karma

Will you continue to use your 'deranged millionaire' moniker well after you've broken into the billions and trillions of American net worth dollars?

JohnHodgman69 karma

I think I am gently moving away from that John Hodgman character to be the John Hodgman character who is more or less just John Hodgman.

pinteresque30 karma

Have you kept in touch with Cuervo Man?

JohnHodgman38 karma

Yes. His name is Ryan McDonough. He got married and moved to LA where he is acting and doing other stuff. Please follow him on twitter: https://twitter.com/McShowoff He is a good dude.

sixacross28 karma

Fans of the You Look Nice Today podcast hear you a handful of times per show, as a kind of spoken intermezzo (credited as “Dr. Nguyen”, the professional voice actor .)

How did the YLNT connection come about?

JohnHodgman32 karma

Not to name drop, but I knew Merlin and Scott LONG before YLNT. Merlin called one day and asked me to read some items into the telephone, and I said, I LOOK FORWARD TO ALL MY ROYALTIES. So he credited me as Nguyen.

I met lonely sandwich when Coulton and I GUESTED on the program, and now I love them all.

wilkinswontkins24 karma

Any new books on the horizon?

JohnHodgman43 karma

I don't know. I don't aim to write another book of fake trivia. That was always designed as a trilogy, and the alternate USA that I created in THE AREAS OF MY EXPERTISE was destroyed by the end of THAT IS ALL, on purpose.

My writing is more frank and candid, though equally weird. And I have been doing more writing on stage than ever before, in unadvertised shows in Brooklyn called SECRET SOCIETY, which has utterly changed my life.

kronicfeld22 karma

Would you rather fight 1 Oscar Wilde-sized Jon Stewart or 100 Jon Stewart-sized Oscar Wildes?

JohnHodgman53 karma

Jon Stewart is a normal sized man. 100 JS-sized Wildes would pithy me to death in an instant.

Whampa22 karma

Good evening Mr. JOHN HODGMAN.

My parents say RAGNAROK is just an old Norse legend. How can I convince them my urine-hoarding is rational?

Sincerly, Stewbuilder Dennis

hapaxLegomina36 karma

It's only hoarding if your shelves aren't also filled with survival mayo. You're going to need it to get the pee stains out.

JohnHodgman47 karma

I can't offer a better answer than that.

Cokes31122 karma

What is with that one guy at the Bell House during RAGNAROK that has approximately zero change in his facial expression for the entire duration of the show?

JohnHodgman47 karma

I'm sure he's a nice guy. He haunted me throughout the editing process. I was hoping no one would notice him, but since you have, let's just say that HE WAS A GHOST. That was actually an empty chair when we shot it.

omarei22 karma

Do people still call you PC on the streets? Just to let you know, I would call you Mr. Hodgman, because I don't know you well enough to call you John, YET.

JohnHodgman49 karma

Yes, and I am always happy when they do, because it is not as often, and I still enjoy remembering that role of a lifetime.

Please do not call me Mr. Hodgman. "JOHN HODGMAN" is fine.

badgeronshrooms21 karma

How did you get into the Mountain Goats?

Also I'm a Big Fan Etc.

JohnHodgman31 karma

My sister in law and her husband gave me Tallahassee the Christmas before I started writing THE AREAS OF MY EXPERTISE, and it is just one of those things that attached right to the happiness (and beautiful sorrow) centers of my brain, like the Long Winters or Thao.

theboatsman21 karma

On the WTF podcast you were talking about the illusion of authenticity. As a young small business owner I constantly come into contact with people who are friendly for the sake of wanting a favor. As someone who has celebrity status; how do you distinguish genuinely good people looking for friendship and people who are quite frankly just being people? I find it hard to comprehend how well-known people even begin to trust anyone and how that affects day to day relationships.

JohnHodgman51 karma

You distinguish between phonies and reals the same way anyone does. Which of them are around when YOU need help?

Also, the phonies have hidden panels on the back of their necks. You can feel them pretty easily.

DudeExclamationPoint19 karma

Scrapple. Yay or nay?

JohnHodgman63 karma

You must be joking. First, in that context it's "Yea," not "Yay." And second, BOTH YEA AND YAY FOREVER.

But HABERSETTS only please.

admiralDickwad17 karma

is Yale better than Harvard?...why?

JohnHodgman53 karma

Yes. Harvard may be richer, but Yale is still the technical HQ of the Secret World Government.

PS: THERE IS NO SECRET WORLD GOVERNMENT.

JesusRollerBlading17 karma

Are you still friends with Mac (Justin Long) from those cheeky Apple ads in the mid 2000s?

JohnHodgman38 karma

Yes. I love him. I was at his birthday party on June 2 and he gave me a bottle of Moxie for my birthday on June 3.

CUTE RIGHT?

esjacobs16 karma

I'm an unpublished writer. So far my book has been rejected by 60 or so agents. Should I kill myself? Do you have an unpublished novel out there or just the COMPLETE WORLD KNOWLEDGE books?

JohnHodgman29 karma

DO NOT KILL YOURSELF

Neil Gaiman has probably offered the best advice to aspiring authors over the years on his tumblr and blog; but the trick truly is to keep writing.

The first book may not be the one. Or the 61st agent may be. Just when you think you are out of luck, ideas, patience, options, if you keep writing, you will find something new.

THE AREAS OF MY EXPERTISE was my first book, but it was barely a book, so.

jortsborts16 karma

What are the differences between being a comedian, and being a humorist?

JohnHodgman39 karma

I think humorist connotes writing humor and comedian connotes stand up. That's why I always shied away from the term comedian. But as my imitation of stand up has hit a certain turing test level of being indistinguishable to most from actual stand up, the distinction means less to me.

SC10osTER14 karma

A lot of your podcast guests seem to be from the Philadelphia area. I believe you personally have connections to the area. Can I buy you a special at Bob and Barbara's?

JohnHodgman22 karma

YES PLEASE

Rowsdower9214 karma

Mr. Hodgman-

I understand that you have written a series of books containing COMPLETE WORLD KNOWLEDGE. However, were there any topics you wished to discus in your books that were left on the cutting room floor?

JohnHodgman37 karma

The Great Mail Order Secret Societies of the World.

centipededamascus13 karma

It was funny to me when it seemed like you and Paul F. Tompkins both grew mustaches around the same time. Do you know which one of you did it first?

JohnHodgman45 karma

Paul did. I grew mine in honor of him when he got a job and couldn't go on the first Coulton Cruise.

Although, I had grown one in 1999 and had been looking for an excuse to do so again ever since.

in order to avoid a war, we split up the country. He controls mustache comedy west of the Mississip. I, the east.

Frajer13 karma

How much fun did you have making Bored To Death? Also will Ragnarok ever be available outside of Netflix?

JohnHodgman43 karma

I had pretty much all the fun. I miss those guys so much, including the real Jonathan Ames, my old friend. It was immediately apparent that Jason, Zach, and Ted had an incredible comedic chemistry, and watching that chemical reaction burn so bright in real time was an honor.

I hope there is a movie. There might be.

My happy arrangement with Netflix is an exclusive one for some months. I'll keep you posted as to what happens after that. But subscribe to Netflix! IT HELPS ME and it is not too expensive and you get all these Doctor Who's and stuff.

sexenheimer12 karma

Dear John,

I'm afraid it is just not working out. Ahahaha. That's a fresh one, you can use it if you want.

My question is: Do you ever fax with Morrissey? If so, what do you fax about? If not, what would you fax about?

Regards,

Cam

JohnHodgman13 karma

I am a fan, but I do not have his fax number.

mattufford12 karma

What will it take to resuscitate the Little Gray Book Lecture Series? You do not have to schedule the next one around my vacation.

If the limiting factor is the amount of work you're doing across other media, please have less success. Sorry, and thank you.

JohnHodgman16 karma

Two words, Matt: SECRET SOCIETY.

JeffRyan112 karma

If I had a disagreement with you (I don't, by the way), would you be able to hear as a judge and remain impartial?

JohnHodgman30 karma

NOPE. YOU ARE WRONG AGAIN!

cottoncandyslam11 karma

Dear Judge Hodgman, What is the name of your moustache? My fiancee says all gentlemen name their moustaches. Thank you.

JohnHodgman28 karma

Hohn Jodgman.

Axxius11 karma

Hey Mr. Hodgman, let's use my ferret to steal a diamond! Also, unrelated question: are there any scams you haven't told us about yet to be wary of?

JohnHodgman47 karma

There is this old trick where someone on a popular website tries to trick you into writing original comedy material.

zollgax10 karma

Mr Hodgman, as I was watching Ragnarok for the third time today i noticed that your glorious neckmeat seems to be less glorious with subsequent viewings, is this wizardry?

JohnHodgman29 karma

No. You are just getting used to my neck flesh. It happens. Because my neck flesh is hypnotic.

LiterallyKesha10 karma

Hey John!

How do you feel about starring in the commercials that eventually would tear youtube comments apart over PC vs. Mac arguments whenever it was uploaded?

JohnHodgman22 karma

I am thrilled by it forever, of course.

ken2723810 karma

After reading your book "More Information Than You Require" I have one question, what should I wear while eating oysters?

JohnHodgman38 karma

Wear a black armband while eating oysters in honor of the creature you are consuming alive.

admiralDickwad10 karma

Can you hurry this up so i can watch mad men?

JohnHodgman49 karma

I am going on for another half hour no matter what choices you make in your life.

secretmethod7010 karma

Do you agree with Ernest Rutherford that physics is the only real science, and that all the rest are just stamp collecting?

JohnHodgman30 karma

There is also phrenology.

Rob_Saget9 karma

Thank you for this AMA and all the laughs you've provided over the years!

  • What got you into comedy?
  • Moment in your career that made you go "Wow, I never would have dreamed I'd get to do this"
  • What was your favorite part of filming Ragnarok?
  • Would love to have you be a guest on an episode of my podcast to nerd out about tv, film, etc. Can we make this happen?

Thank you again for this AMA and look forward to your responses!

JohnHodgman15 karma

Since that's four questions, I'm going to have to do this lightning round

  1. McSweeney's and Dave Eggers's encouragement that it's OK to just be funny.
  2. Flying across the country in first class with Loni Anderson after doing an Apple ad.
  3. The martini at the end.
  4. I regret I must say no. I have almost literally run out of minutes in this year, but thank you.

InerasableStain8 karma

My first son was born yesterday. I need a nickname for him as catchy/clever as Hodgmina & Hodgmanillo, yet cannot think of anything that works with 'Morris'. Go.

JohnHodgman25 karma

CONGRATULATIONS. Why not just call him "little johnny hodge"?

Canteloupe7 karma

Is Ragnarok still going to happen in the future? If so, will the Norse predictions occur, or will the Aesir die of smoking and other lifestyle related causes, as the actuaries suggest?

JohnHodgman11 karma

At this point, as I age, I realize I do not know the future. I do not know everything. I hardly even know some things. And I am enjoying the surprises.

ShnigityNigity7 karma

What was your all-time favorite skit to perform on The Daily Show? What type of influence has Jon Stewart and The Daily Show had on your career?

JohnHodgman24 karma

I sort of answered this above. Net Neutrality was a good one. More recently I feel I've calmed enough that I can just enjoy doing comedy with Jon, no matter what the script says. Blacking out my tooth for the Beryllium sketch was fun.

The Daily Show changed my life COMPLETELY, offering me a career I never imagined I would have. I am still astonished, 7 years later.

Bells877 karma

How did you end up working with TMBG? Did you come up with the Deranged Millionaire concept or was that their idea? Thank you!

JohnHodgman10 karma

I met them via McSweeney's. They asked me to film a series of intros to their "Venue Songs" videos. Flans had sketched out that I was a mysterious narrator. I think I decided that I would be a bored, deranged millionaire who hates TMBG. Though that may have been his as well.

After that they wrote that song for their podcast, "Yeah, The Deranged Millionaire," which also serves as the theme for JOHN HODGMAN: RAGNAROK. That song is one of the complete delights of my life.

_danny7 karma

Hey! Fellow Park Sloper here. Why haven't I seen you around? What's a good place to catch you and Eugene hamming it up?

JohnHodgman31 karma

Thanks for stalking! I've been traveling during a lot of June, and I will be gone gone gone to points unknown much of the summer. But in the fall, Eugene and I often perform, together and separately, at Bell House and Union Hall. I think we both have websites.

atnorman5 karma

Is it possible that we were saved from Ragnarok by the combined efforts of the hoboes and the denizens of Hohoq?

JohnHodgman10 karma

Certainly not the hoboes. Most likely Dozgoth the Pitier.

stewart215 karma

I just saw your comedy special, Ragnarok, and loved it. Do you plan on doing more specials (Netflix or otherwise) similar to this in the future?

JohnHodgman12 karma

Thank you. I hope so. That is why I am pretty shameless in asking people to subscribe to Netflix and watch it straight through. It's the only metric Netflix has to go by, and I would love to work with them again.

disrutupticon5 karma

What brand of mustache wax do you use?

JohnHodgman10 karma

Chuck Bryant of Stuff You Should Know is married to a great woman named Emily who has a soap company called www.loveyourmama.com

She gave me a jar of great mustache wax once. I don't know if she still makes it. I also use Redken Matte Sponge 05, which was given to me for my hair one time.

admiralDickwad4 karma

as the smartest person in the world, what's the best thing to order in a chinese restaurant?

JohnHodgman5 karma

Sauteed dry string bean with pork at Grand Szechuan Empire on 9th Avenue in Chelsea, Manhattan.

kinghomsar4 karma

1 Don Draper-sized Donald Duck, or 100 Donald Duck-sized Don Drapers?

JohnHodgman9 karma

IS THAT A MAD MEN SPOILER?

AgentHoneywell4 karma

When you're not being an expert or Ayn Rand or otherwise entertaining, how do you spend your free time? What are your hobbies outside of work?

JohnHodgman21 karma

I read half a Hawkeye comic by Matt Fraction and then fall asleep.

ThisIsMyLulzyAccount4 karma

Lord Hodgman,

I bought and consumed all of world knowledge through your pen, and I must say, some I would have never expected, but even more so, I was surprised that it was finite. Should I use something akin to the bible code to get the rest of world knowledge from your books?

As time goes on, knowledge increases, so I would assume you intended your books to either be a snapshot of all knowledge as of the publishing of the last one, or as mystical tomes with hidden secrets. Which one is it? (Or is the latter masquerading as the prior?)

JohnHodgman7 karma

The books make up COMPLETE WORLD KNOWLEDGE as pertains to the alternate universe they describe, and which was destroyed by the century toad on 12/21/12.

fawltywiring4 karma

You've written a bunch of really funny books. What are the main differences between comedy in standups/on TV, and comedy in the written word?

JohnHodgman11 karma

Written comedy has some extra leeway to provoke other reactions besides audible laughter.

chooter3 karma

Why are you wearing no shoes in the special?

JohnHodgman7 karma

That is how deranged millionaire's dress. To increase their own comfort, and to decrease yours.

Hypotetical_Snowmen3 karma

So, MR. HODGMAN, after consulting your areas of expertise, I found myself as a hobo on the flying state of Hohoq. Much to my dismay, the Thunderbirds do not recognize the ways of the Hobo, and the German Americans are much too German.

Do you have a special hobo symbol to express this situation?

JohnHodgman6 karma

I can't do emojis on this thing.

BUT THANK YOU FOR READING MY BOOKS SO CLOSELY!

thesupermikey3 karma

  1. What song do you sign to tour children at night? I like birdhouse in your soul.

  2. Why does the meloet bottle never make it to me at your Chicago shows?!?

JohnHodgman7 karma

  1. When they were little it was Siyahamba by Dan Zanes and Surrounded by Friendship by Cynthia Hopkins. Now it's pretty much Thrift Shop.

  2. You are just naturally lucky I guess.

Mitchell_Hundred3 karma

What is the most deranged thing you have ever done with your million airs?

JohnHodgman8 karma

I bought my wife a piece of original Alice Provensen children's book art, just cause I wanted. That felt pretty damn worldly of me.

http://www.amazon.com/Animal-Friends-Maple-Hill-Farm/dp/0689844999

ThisIsMyLulzyAccount3 karma

You claim to be a "failed doomsday prophet", but I never remember you specifying which calendar ragnarok would occur in, presumably not Gregorian, so which is it?

My presumption would be Quarjewnian (which is the Jewish calender, divided by 4. More useful than it sounds)

JohnHodgman8 karma

I gave myself some outs in THAT IS ALL to explain why Ragnarok might NOT happen. But let's face it, I blew it. The world didn't end on 12/21/12, night of JOHN HODGMAN: RAGNAROK. It just continues to end in the same dumb slow way it always has.

CarlosFugazi3 karma

Did your sweet mustache require performance enhancement drugs of any kind?

JohnHodgman6 karma

WAX

jmchao3 karma

Aside from your ivy league education, did you take any classes (acting, improv, etc.) to prepare for your current career as a resident expert?

Also, you should totally do the Chris Gethard Show sometime.

JohnHodgman5 karma

I took a really hard acting class with the great Joan Rosenfels in New York in 2009. I ought to do it again. Otherwise, what chops I have were honed at the old Galapagos in Williamsburg and other bars where I hosted readings and performed monologues.

boudieka2 karma

What advice do you have for a newbie to the ukulele?

JohnHodgman7 karma

Use the internet. That's how I learned. There are a huge number of resources out there. www.ukehunt.com is a great site. I only recently got the joke of their name, by the way, because I am an innocent.

tunza20012 karma

I was right near the front for your recent performance in the fictional city of Chicago, and your green underpants were splendid. How often do you watch Downton Abbey with your cats?

JohnHodgman4 karma

I binged Downton with my cats until all the Downton was done. Now we are waiting.

AcerRubrum2 karma

What is your favorite bourbon and why is it Woodford Reserve?

JohnHodgman7 karma

Not Woodford. One day someone told me it smelled like bananas and that's all I can think about now. I enjoy rye more than bourbon these days. Bulleit in particular. But no buzz marketing.

butdiontho2 karma

Thanks for doing this. How do you think John Oliver is doing on The Daily Show? Specifically, how do you think he compares to Jon Stewart?

JohnHodgman6 karma

All comparisons are odious.

kittersplat1 karma

What is your favorite color?

JohnHodgman2 karma

I am sorry everyone that our time is up. This was tremendous fun--I thank you.

Apologies to those still waiting for answers. Now that the world has not ended, I realize that sometimes answers never come, and it's not the end of the world.

Thank you once again, and my final response: BLUE OR GREEN!