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In fact, after a quick survey of a few friends and colleagues, it turns out that I was living under a rock.  Tucker Max has sold over 350,000 copies of his book entitled, “I Hope they Serve Beer in Hell,” was on the New York Times best-seller list multiple times, and the book was recently adapted into a film. 

Now, I don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea here.  Tucker Max is not a literary giant because he can put words together like Linden MacIntyre, or Margaret Atwood, nope Tucker Max is popular becuase he writes about getting drunk, ‘wheeling broads’ and generally being as irresponsible as possible.  As it turns out, this type of writing has a big audience who can relate…sort of.  I think most people will make it through college or university without having sex with literally HUNDREDS of women (including a little person, a deaf girl, and Miss Vermont 2001), waking up in a random park with no wallet or cell phone, vomit caked to your face, and dog feces in your hair,  or perhaps accidentally pooping in an upscale hotel lobby and then running naked to your room.

I don’t do interviews unless I feel absolutely qualified and prepared to do an interview, and that means a lot of research.  I mean, if I researched for my school work as much as I researched Tucker Max prior to interviewing him, I would have straight A’s.  I read his book, I read his website, I watched his movie at a press screening, I read his blog, and I watched previous interviews he’s done.  I got really into the book not only because I was laughing out loud like a crazy person while I was reading it on the subway, but because I knew that I would get to pick his brain at the end of the tunnel.

I’m not sure what the proper journalistic ettiquette is for being a fan of someone you interview. I had a colleague tell me that he would ‘never’ get an interview subject to sign a copy of their book, movie, etc.  Agree to disagree. After the interview, I was so caught up in the fact that he was shooting the shit with me and the camera crew that I forgot to have him sign my copy of the book. So, I left it with one of the publicists with these instructions on what to write: ”To Scott, something innapropriate, Tucker Max.”  Here’s what he wrote, word for word: “To Scott, I don’t remember you, but I think your [sic] gay. T Max.”  Classy.  Wouldn’t expect anything less.

The thing about interviewing a guy like Tucker Max is that everyone tries to incriminate him for all the above adjectives he uses to describe himself.  Turns out, thats not that original, and you’re not really telling us anything we didn’t aready know.  For instance, check out this piece on him from Eye Weekly .

My goal wasn’t to get him to confess to being a dickhead — he’s pretty much already done that — I wanted to know what made him tick, and what has influenced him to be the way he is, and whether the movie, for him, was a chance for him to reach a new audience or perhaps modify the message or the delivery.

I thought he was a pretty cool guy, he never came across as rude, or snotty, he’s just a guy who happened to write down all of his stories — that aren’t that uncommon amongst people my age — and gained some success from that. I was a bit nervous about how he would be in person, but I guess its sort of like how he views women: if you let him walk all over you, he will, and he won’t respect you, but if you command respect, then he’ll give it (or just leave in the case of women).

In terms of the film, perhaps going the independant route wasn’t his best choice, because its been HORRIBLY marketed.  It only has a limited release in three Canadian cities, and most people in this city don’t know what the film or the book is all about.  The film itself is Ok (although it was ripped to shreds by the critics).  I’m not a film critic or anything, I thought it definately had its funnier moments, it had a message, but it suffered with a weak performance from Jesse Bradford who plays Drew (‘Slingblade’ for those of you who have read the book), and a few other characters.  All in all its a funny take on the teen movie that those who have read the book will enjoy a bit, and those who haven’t read the book will enjoy a little less.

An edited version of my interview with Tucker can be seen below.  It’s for the Excalibur website.  My print story will be published in the Arts section of the Excalibur on Wednesday.  Some of you said you want to see the uncut 17 minute interview, and I might try and get that up sooner or later if some of you are interested.