AMAHelper
Highest Rated Comments
AMAHelper47 karma
almost
schla - if you make it 'schlag' it's 'punch' or 'hit'
du - you
frau - woman
augen - eyes
so yeah, there's probably a misogynist hidden in that subconscious of yours ಠ_ಠ
AMAHelper34 karma
Thanks IamMorganSpurlock for creating this AMA :) I've created the below to make it easier for people to find all responses as well as see them in the right order.
Pb_Dirigible 25 points 1 day ago
Mr. Spurlock, how do you choose what content to cover in your films? Is there a method or do you just pick something that interests you?
IamMorganSpurlock 38 points 1 day ago
I get ideas from all over, magazines, news programs, newspapers, conversations, speeches, you name it. I usually tend to only chase the one's I'm most excited about.
Pb_Dirigible 16 points 1 day ago
Any ideas where you are going to focus your efforts next?
IamMorganSpurlock 78 points 1 day ago
Male grooming! MANSOME opens May 18th
ViniTheHat -6 points 1 day ago
verify, foo.
IamMorganSpurlock 16 points 1 day ago
I already tweeted it foo!
hey_you_wit_the_legs 10 points 1 day ago
How do you come up with things to enlighten the rest of us about? Where does your inspiration come from?
IamMorganSpurlock 26 points 1 day ago
I just went on a trip with mom, who is still an inspiration to me, but these days I think most of that comes from my 5 year old son.
MDA123 156 points 1 day ago
Have you ever actually used Mane & Tail Shampoo, and can you report on its effectiveness?
IamMorganSpurlock 305 points 1 day ago
I still have 2 giant bottles in my shower, those things last for ever. They're giant, one horse bottle = 3 years of shampooing in balding documentarian years.
MDA123 85 points 1 day ago
My wife has that stuff in our shower and when I figured out what it was, I couldn't stop laughing. When we watched POM Wonderful, we got a kick out of the Mane & Tail scenes.
IamMorganSpurlock 149 points 1 day ago
Do you also have a miniature horse in your house?
Herecomethedrums 9 points 1 day ago
Was being in jail fun? On 30 days?
How did you feel after that month of eating McDonald's?
IamMorganSpurlock 18 points 1 day ago
I would never wish jail on anyone (except for terrible people who actually really deserve it.) After eating Mcd for that month, I felt miserable and sick - took 14 months to lose all the weight and keep it off.
joetakagi 16 points 1 day ago
Any lingering effects from Super Size Me? I would imagine that you continue to be a quasi-vegetarian, correct?
IamMorganSpurlock 47 points 1 day ago
Never was a vegetarian or a vegan and still am not. Went on a vegan detox after the McDiet, but eat whatever I want these days.
OldWorldPatriot 11 points 1 day ago
Do you still partake in fast food?
IamMorganSpurlock 27 points 1 day ago
I may get an In n Out when I'm in LA, but that's about it
twohandsup 1 point 1 day ago
What makes a topic for you "good enough" to finally want to make a documentary out of it?
IamMorganSpurlock 7 points 1 day ago
Its got to be something that really interests me and that I think would make for a smart and entertaining movie.
truhig 23 points 1 day ago
What would you say has been your worst experience while working on a movie? (and/or best experience?)
IamMorganSpurlock 36 points 1 day ago
Getting as sick as I did while making Super Size Me was a pretty terrible experience. That may be the worst.
noobicide61 79 points 1 day ago
Just to start, I'm a huge fan, and I loved your movie "Supersize Me". Follow up with a question, during your series "30 days" which of your various endeavors were most hard and which were most life changing for you.
IamMorganSpurlock 144 points 1 day ago
I would say being in prison was very hard, as was working in a Coal mine (for very different reasons). Living on the Navajo Res was probably the most life changing.
noobicide61 52 points 1 day ago
Are there any that you would be willing to do again, or any you wished lasted more than the 30 days?
IamMorganSpurlock 133 points 1 day ago
I wish the prison episode could have been turned into a feature length movie - there was so much content we couldn't put into the show.
Calabs 89 points 1 day ago
You're known for doing shocking documentaries; do you choose a subject to research based on whether or not it will shock people, or whether or not you are interested in it yourself?
IamMorganSpurlock 187 points 1 day ago
I only pick topics that interest me, if people are shocked by them, then that's an added bonus.
Norrsken 52 points 1 day ago
What are your favourite documentaries?
Any film- or documentary makers that you admire?
What is your next project?
Is there anything you've wanted to do, but hasn't been able to?
IamMorganSpurlock 148 points 1 day ago
My have doc of all time is Brother's Keeper - amazing movie. I love the guys who made it: Joe Belinger & Bruce Sinoofsky. I also really admire Steve James, Errol Morris, Barbara Kopple, Nick Broomfield, Michael Moore. My next doc is all about male grooming - we did it with Will Arnett & Jason Bateman - its called: Mansome.
ScienceFaction 1113 points 1 day ago
Have you seen "Fat Head?" What were your thoughts to Tom's criticisms of Super Size Me?
IamMorganSpurlock 404 points 1 day ago
Never saw his film, but hear he under ate & over exercised, two things we as Americans don't do.
TheLymer 4 points 1 day ago
In Fat Head he makes the argument that you basically say that poor people are stupid and cant think for themselves and hey they HAVE to go to Mcdonalds because there are playgrounds there.
IamMorganSpurlock 251 points 1 day ago
Well, I think anyone who's seen Super Size Me knows that's not what the film says at all.
MDA123 393 points 1 day ago
Which episode of 30 Days did you find most eye-opening? I always thought this show was interesting and way under-appreciated.
IamMorganSpurlock 513 points 1 day ago
My favorite episode is the Animal Rights show - NC hunter moves in with family of Peta activists in LA ... hilarity ensues.
NeoShockWave 26 points 1 day ago
What's the best television show you've been interviewed on? And did you take interviewing tips from any of them for New Britannia?
Also - Tuuuuuuuuuubes! Congrats on the third Soccer AM appearance.
IamMorganSpurlock 78 points 1 day ago
Love me some Tubes & Soccer AM. Best show I've ever been interviewed on was an Australian show called "Enough Rope" with Andrew Denton. Brilliant show.
Part (1/7)
AMAHelper31 karma
Thanks morgan4tx for creating this AMA :) I've created the below to make it easier for people to find all responses as well as see them in the right order.
aengvir (17) 2 hours ago
What direction do you think the Internet is headed if these bills were to pass?
Also, verification?
morgan4tx (40) 2 hours ago
Congress as a whole is taking us in the direction of China / Iran / Egypt, what with censorship, tracking of online activity, a recent internet killswitch proposal, prior proposals to ban encryption, etc. These two bills were terrible, but they're part of a bigger trend that undermines our freedom. IMO, it's not enough just to push back on these bills. We need to reverse the trend and write bills (with extensive feedback from the tech community) to limit the government's reach and require them to get a warrant before reading our emails, tracking us through our cell phones, etc. I'll verify in just a minute.
morgan4tx (12) 2 hours ago
Verification added.
CRUDE_CAPS_LOCK_NAME (4) 1 hour ago
But isn't one of the problems with the bills that they are proposed under the pretense of another goal? You're right that "congress as a whole" is doing this, but do you have any specific plans for a paradigm shift regarding these shady strategies?
morgan4tx (8) 53 minutes ago
Yes, but that's a problem with lots of bills, not just technology-related bills. We need to write smaller bills. We need more debate. We need to write bills that focus on one thing. We need to make sure we use very specific language in the bills rather than leave things vague. We need more transparency. The general public should be able to see the bills with plenty of time to provide feedback, and we need people who will listen.
aengvir (2) 2 hours ago
Great! Thank you so much for doing an AMA.
morgan4tx (2) 2 hours ago
Sorry for not doing it sooner.
aengvir (4) 1 hour ago
Follow up Question:
Do you think there is any religious influence affecting the decision by Congress to push these bills?
I remember hearing about a lot of supporters switching stances after properly educating themselves on the subject, do you believe those still in support of the bills are following an entirely different agenda?
morgan4tx (8) 1 hour ago
It's hard for anyone to disagree with a bill named Protecting Children from Internet Pornographers, but I have met a lot of people who would like to ban pornography completely. My answer is pretty simple: that's impossible.
Lamar Smith still supports SOPA and PCIP. He claims that the facts about SOPA were distorted (I disagree), and his Community Liaison just recently praised him at a meeting with over 100 Republican activists for trying to stop online pornography. I got up and told them the truth that it absolutely would not protect children or prevent pornography, but what it would do is let the government essentially log everything they do online. It doesn't surprise me that he still supports the, but I'm a little surprised he'd be so public about it.
Ilovebobbysinger (9) 2 hours ago
How much of an impact do you think the offshoring of sofware dev has had, and will have in the future on the us and other western countries?
morgan4tx (10) 2 hours ago
Certainly offshoring has had an impact, and I expect that trend to continue, especially as companies start taking advantage of video conferencing so that executives feel like they can keep an eye on overseas offices. Still, good programmers will always have jobs, and the need for good programmers is growing faster than we're producing them. From the reports I've seen, and from my first-hand experience and talking with other programmers, there are no shortage of jobs for good programmers. (If you've seen differently, come to Texas.)
As the need for programmers continues to grow, I suspect a shortage of programmers here might motivate employers to move those jobs overseas, and I would support this strategy of bringing skilled workers here so that they could contribute to our economy, rather than sending our jobs to them: http://www.ktvb.com/news/Congressman-introduces-bill-to-fill-high-tech-jobs-131894928.html
AHistoricalFigure (11) 2 hours ago
As someone coming from engineering who is running against a man who is hated for his stance on internet bills, your campaign so far seems to have a laser focus. How do you compare to Lamar Smith on other issues important to your district that do not relate to internet freedoms?
Also man, you really need proof on this stat.
morgan4tx (10) 2 hours ago
According to the Austin Chamber of Commerce, 25% of payroll in the Austin are related to tech jobs, so I think it's important to point out that my technology background is more than simply opposing SOPA. It's about fighting to make sure policy doesn't get written that hurts these startups. I was watching C-SPAN the other day when the crowdfunding provision in the JOBS Act was being debated. I noticed that Senator Merkley from Oregon kept talking about the potential for predators to take advantage of investors if crowdfunding sites weren't regulated. Here were some of the thoughts that came to mind that I didn't hear anyone mention: - Crowdfunding platforms have an incentive to prevent fraud, because if their investors get burned, they'll stop using that platform (in favor of a better platform that has more features or less fraud). I truly believe competition works. - If registering with the SEC would actually solve all problems, then wouldn't companies choose to do so voluntarily? - Engineers and tech startups have more or less solved spam. Can't we at least be given a chance to solve this on our own?
I've used Prosper. In fact, I used it fairly often till they stopped servicing Texas for a while in order to comply with registration guidelines. It was great to see the different tools they used to prevent fraud: - Borrowers could verify their credit score - Borrowers could verify their home ownership status - Borrowers could join groups with higher ratings in order to qualify for better rates -- and the groups would authorize only the borrowers they thought were lowest risk, in order to keep their high rating!
There are so many solutions, and this is such a new industry, that I wish we had been given a chance to innovate rather than being forced to comply with new regulations. Certainly regulations have their place, but they often hurt innovation, and I personally feel that this was one area we could have handled it ourselves.
AHistoricalFigure (11) 1 hour ago
This is an excellent answer Mr. Morgan, thank you for replying.
But we've got to talk about your wardrobe.
If you're running for public office at the federal level you've got to dress for the damn part. The verification is appreciated, but wear a suit next time. You're young, and that's going to work against you as much as it will work for you. Giving people any reason to discredit you or confirm whatever bias they've preconceived against you is bad strategy.
Throw some money at your wardrobe. Get a female friend to help you dress to the image of the young silicon valley tech-genius popular culture has given us. Hit the gym, get a haircut, have a professional tailor your pants.
Furthermore, refine your message. This isn't just an issue of civil liberties and government control, you're a man advocating for free market solutions! Running against a Republican (regardless of your own party affiliation) this is rhetorical ammunition with some weight to it. My point: I can read between the lines to know that's what you believe, but make sure you explicitly vocalize the important buzzwords.
morgan4tx (6) 1 hour ago
Here is my normal photo, and I almost always wear a suit when I'm at events or speaking: http://richardmorgan.com/pr/RichardMorgan.jpg
prometheus1981 (13) 2 hours ago
In your opinion, why is congress so adamant in censoring the internet without any regard of the damage they can cause?
morgan4tx (27) 2 hours ago
I don't think they really understand the impact these bills would have. Let's look at their backgrounds--you have 181 businessmen, 172 political science majors, 148 lawyers... and 6 engineers. Senator Wyden and Congressman Issa were two of the strongest voices against SOPA, and they both come from science backgrounds.
Part (1/4)
AMAHelper6 karma
GrimmsterINC (58) 1 hour ago
Do you beileve in evolution?
morgan4tx (-7) 45 minutes ago
It's my personal belief, so I'm not sure what impact it would have on policy-making at the federal level, but I don't.
Rather than get into a debate about why or why not, I would just leave it at this. As an engineer, the universe seems more like the result of a brilliant creator / designer than the result of chance.
EMC2Trooper (11) 1 hour ago
I'm a consultant working in Austin. What can I do to help you run/win against Lamar Smith? This is a cause I'd definitely volunteer time and effort for.
morgan4tx (10) 1 hour ago
Please email me at [email protected]. I'd love to get coffee sometime and get you connected with the rest of my volunteers. There's a lot to do.
madonnac (5) 1 hour ago
newly arrived in Austin, I really had no idea Lamar Smith was [mis]representing me.
I have sent you an email requesting details.
morgan4tx (1) 51 minutes ago
Thank you--I'll send you more information soon.
michaelwarren (5) 1 hour ago
There is already an effort underway to unseat Lamar Smith. Head on over to /r/testpac and you'll see what we're gearing up for and the steps we've already taken! If you can donate money, time, or effort, then we'd love to have you join the cause!
morgan4tx (1) 50 minutes ago
I also have a contributions page set up here. If you support my effort, please take a moment to donate. No amount is too small.
InspiredByKITTENS (-4) 1 hour ago
Are you related to Tracy Morgan?
...do you wish you were/were not?
morgan4tx (7) 1 hour ago
No relation. That would sure make family holidays interesting.
throwawayagin (4) 1 hour ago
I'm liking your responses so far, so how do we get you to win? And will you please respond (in some manner) to the "shouldn't take you seriously" criticisms as best you can?
morgan4tx (1) 27 minutes ago
Thank you. Contributions are a huge help, and no amount is too small: https://rally.org/morgan4tx/
Soon there will be other ways to help like a virtual phone bank, and if you live in the district, I'll have several teams going door to door. I hope I answered the shouldn't take you seriously criticisms on another answer towards the top.
audubon (3) 1 hour ago
Would you accept donations from corporations to lobby for their interests? If not, do you reasonably think you stand any chance to make a difference? If yes, aren't you doing the same Lamar does, only for different interst groups?
morgan4tx (6) 30 minutes ago
There is a big difference between accepting contributions vs letting those contributions influence decision-making. I've already pledged not to keep more than 60% of the salary, so hopefully it's clear already that money is not what motivates me.
I did not come from a rich family, and I've worked 80 hours a week since I was 14 between my job and school. 7-8 years ago, I was counting pennies so that I could buy myself a Whopper at the end of each week. At 19, I had a great job. At 23, I bought a great house. At 24, I got promoted to senior front-end developer--the only senior developer under 30. With each success came a temporary satisfaction but a greater feeling of disappointment.
I realized a couple years ago that money didn't satisfy me. I'd reached my financial goals and was well on track to my goal of an early retirement and freedom, but I didn't want to spend the next 20 years going through the motions. I spent a few months overseas doing volunteer work, where I witnessed the effects of government corruption and after coming back I began to get involved in politics. That's my passion. I like fighting for the things I believe in. If people want to donate so that I can keep doing what I'm doing, then I think that's great, but money is not going to change what I believe in.
Mr_Walter_Sobchak (14) 1 hour ago
what is your stance on abortion, we had another guy recently who thought the day after pill was the same as killing an infant.
morgan4tx (2) 42 minutes ago
I'm pro-life, but I would say there is a difference between preventing a pregnancy vs ending a pregnancy.
ebessa (22) 1 hour ago
What is your opinion of the War on Drugs?
morgan4tx (37) 1 hour ago
In my opinion, I think it's bad policy, and I believe history will judge us for it. We should have learned from Prohibition. My opponent has a record of refusing to hear bills he disagrees with, and I disagree with him for that. Rather than block Ron Paul's bill for consideration, he should have let it come up for a much-overdue debate. Let all the facts come out, and then let our Representatives vote. And to those who support the War on Drugs, I think it's important to point out that ending the federal prohibition is not the same as ending all regulation. It's simply returning that authority to the states so that they can each regulate it as they see fit.
AwesomeLove (-8) 1 hour ago
Why do you hate America?
morgan4tx (4) 1 hour ago
Also, "Why do you hate children?"
0sse (2) 1 hour ago
What is your favourite IDE/text editor?
Would you consider becoming a full-time politician if you have the opportunity?
morgan4tx (1) 11 minutes ago
I've used TextPad since 2002.
I would be a full-time Congressman giving it 80+ hours a week like I've done the past decade with my other pursuits, but I don't plan to ever be a politician.
you-hate-to-see-this (1) 1 hour ago
tell me, do you hate to see smith?
morgan4tx (2) 14 minutes ago
I have a debate with him on April 11th, and I'm very much looking forward to it.
FakingLiteracy (2) 59 minutes ago
Random question:
Any relation to Jordan Morgan? The resemblance is striking.
morgan4tx (1) 14 minutes ago
Never heard of him.
mi-16evil (2) 38 minutes ago
I am so happy that I am in your district and have the ability to end the career of that idiot. What is the best thing a person in your district can do to help your election campaign?
morgan4tx (2) 17 minutes ago
Thank you. Shoot me an email at [email protected] so we can get coffee soon, and I'll get you plugged in with my other volunteers. There is a lot to do.
MangoBomb (1) 34 minutes ago
If he beats you, do you think he'll have your Reddit account deleted?
morgan4tx (3) 18 minutes ago
He'll have Reddit deleted.
inteGReddy (1) 26 minutes ago
You're "THE software engineer". How did you get that title?
morgan4tx (1) 20 minutes ago
I'm the only software engineer in my race--probably the only one running for Congress in Texas.
CzechToast (1) 25 minutes ago
Given the intense opposition it generated, how likely do you think it is that SOPA will be revived?
morgan4tx (1) 19 minutes ago
I absolutely think it will be revived. Look at COICA in 2010. The Senate set it aside because it was getting some attention, then as soon as the election was over, they passed it unanimously out of committee. This has been a work in progress for years, and I fully expect that at some point when we're all distracted with another issue, it will come back under a different name and pass. Look at ACTA. Even the cybersecurity bills. Key elements of SOPA are already back.
Part (3/4)
AMAHelper827 karma
Thanks kpereira for creating this AMA. I've created the below to make it easier for people to find all responses as well as see them in the right order
Warlizard (43) 27 minutes ago
Thanks for doing this Kevin, although I question the sanity of voluntarily walking into the lion’s den.
Boom! You’re in charge of G4 and have a free 40 million to spend on programming. What shows would you create and which shows would you cancel?
If you were put in charge of Attack of the Show, what changes would you make?
Are you ever free to give honest feedback on the products you review or are your hands pretty much tied?
I always felt like you had a certain degree of contempt for your co-hosts. Maybe not contempt, but almost like you were kindly allowing a favored puppy to sit on the couch while hoping it wouldn’t pee. True?
Do you ever send drunk emails to Sara Lane that say, “Kevin Rose. Good call on that one. Amirite?”
What’s next for you?
kpereira (47) 14 minutes ago
Thanks for the grilling Warlizard.
Gone are the Cops, Cheaters, Meth-smoker marathons. That's first and foremost (and a direction I believe the network is quickly heading in regardless). I would take ten million and use that to spin up tons of smaller/shorter format shows (ala Google/YouTube incubator) and give premium on-air shelf-space to the properties that stick. Then, I would immediately give myself a 30 million "boats and hoes" bonus. Done.
Live audience. Twice the staff. We are way under-resourced with relation to "major tv shows". Spoiler.
We (Attack) pride ourselves on being the most honest show on television. I'm surprised companies still send us products to review, to be honest. :)
Purple.
All emails to and from Sara Lane are "drunk".
Obscurity.
thank_bossy22 (14) 27 minutes ago
What's your favorite AOTS sketch?
kpereira (11) 12 minutes ago
I love the "Distended Warranty" music videos. "Red Ring of Death" and "iHate, therefore iPad". So much fun to write and perform. Plus, I like tight leathery pants...
kemmek (10) 26 minutes ago
Did you ever get in contact with that metal guitarist kid from YouTube?
kpereira (12) 9 minutes ago
Yes! His mother doesn't know about the video. I told him if he thought we could safely discuss it on air, he was welcome down. I wouldn't want to agitate an already volatile situation at home...
trackstar786 (18) 25 minutes ago
Was it weird to have such a close friend like Olivia be dealing with a cell phone photo leak scandal?
kpereira (31) 11 minutes ago
Someone's gotta hold the phone...
Dividebyx (13) 25 minutes ago
Okay, so il break the ice for everyone.
Did you or have you ever had any sexual encounters with any co-hosts?
When will we see G4 break away from the 'Cops', 'CampusPD', stuff and back to game/tech related things?
How long do you think your career with G4 and AOTS will last? When did you start?
EDIT: Spelling
kpereira (7) 3 minutes ago
Nope. Well, I did finger Sessler. With my penis. Does that count?
VERY soon. Not sure what we'll gravitate towards, but no more Cops/Campus PD/Cheaters.
I've been there for over ten years. Started as a PA and clawed (read:slept) my way through the ranks to become an executive producer and host.
judog24 (8) 25 minutes ago
Do you miss the days of TechTV?
kpereira (1) 1 minute ago
I almost quit G4 early on to work for TechTV. I think TechTV lives on in various forms around the interwebs and is easily accessed.
Pancocks (1) 24 minutes ago
What kind of drumset do you have?
kpereira (1) 47 seconds ago
Roland TD20. I heart it something fierce!
floopelian (8) 23 minutes ago
What is your favorite game/the one you play the most???? Thanks! :D
kpereira (14) 6 minutes ago
So many. Still play Team Fortress 2 religiously. Can't wait for Diablo III. I'm calling in sick, with Aids, and never going back to work. Ever. (You're all welcome)
TheMitchofEffingham (16) 23 minutes ago
Do you stay in contact with Olivia Munn?
kpereira (15) 14 minutes ago
Not since Brett Ratner appeared on the show.
CorporalYetiDick (1) 20 minutes ago
KEVIN PEREIRA, I WANNA BREAK YO DICK OFF
kpereira (6) 3 minutes ago
SNAP ME LIKE A SLIM JIM!
HEYLISTENNN (6) 11 minutes ago
Dear Mr. Pereira. Please fight Noah Houlihan. that is all.
kpereira (5) 5 minutes ago
No idea who he is, but I'll assemble a robot army. Immediately.
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