Mike, Did you send your letter off yet?....or were you only joking? I want to echo Moose. It would fascinating to read any letter you may have written to Obama and McCain. As I have said before though, I do not envy the decision you are faced with this election year.
Yes, I wonder what he's saying about it. I have heard so many stories about kids going to college, then $80,000 and 5 years later they still need 26 hours to graduate. So they drop out. They should have gone to trade school in the first place. Maybe the respect that DJs is bringing to the blue collar workers can help someone who is really not "college material" avoid this situation.
I think its awesome!!! You go Mike use your power and influence. You have more than you think. I do have suggestion though. Maybe he should mention it on air? You know how politicians work. If the public does not know about it then nothing will be done. Come on Mike you know that you have lots of diehard fans that will support this, just let them know about it.
I dont know, just an idea.
Have a great afternoon or evening depending on where you are.
More sandboxes and less video games.......would probably be a GREAT start. Their are less and less chances for kids to explore and to try too, figure out a knack for themselves. When all thats down the toy aisles or on the t.v. our video games!!! I would rather take my kids to the hardware store.......anyday!!! My girls LOVE it.
I would hold off on sending a letter unless you know how to defend your retoric. And have worked a dirty job in the work force earning their pay and not being given freebies.
Do you really think Washington would take Mike seriously since he has worked most of his life in the entertainment industry avoiding real laborious work?
[quote]Do you really think Washington would take Mike seriously since he has worked most of his life in the entertainment industry avoiding real laborious work?[/quote]
Yes. They'll take him seriously because he is a celebrity. They'd never take the poor schmoe who does the work everyday seriously because he is "nobody"
Yes I do remember R. Reagan. He was the head of the Sreen Actors Guild and became Governor of California.
The difference...Mike thinks he can play hardball with politicians and he may not be equipped to do so. Tim Russert sent one politician away in shame becasue he was not prepared to be questioned and drilled by him on his Meet The Press program.
Do you really think Mike has thought this out and has the background to defend himself if he is addressed by one of the candidates?
Has Mike really worked a dirty job as long as some of the peole on his show to claim he has a finger on todays workforce to make any comment?
Official Washington gets starstruck pretty easily. Celebrity appearances on Capitol Hill have the funniest effects ... the skirts get two inches shorter and the heels get two inches taller when Mr. Leading Man comes to testify. It's sad, really.
Though Mike is an entertainer by profession, he *has* spent the best part of the last three years immersing himself in "the trades", and also in vats and vats of various kinds of poo. You can't *get* more authentic than that. He has driven many of the highways and byways of the US. He's seen the outsides and insides of the roads, bridges and sewers, airports, the hurricane barriers, the harbors, docks and anchorages. He is intimately familiar with his hometown dump and sewage treatment plant.
He's also had long conversations and a beer or three with most of the folks who maintain all of this. I'm quite sure that Mike would be able to synthesize all this information into a cohesive and well-reasoned missive, and bring the rhetoric to back it up. And his natural sales genius can't hurt.
What *will* ultimately hurt his cause are his unorthodox views on unions, profits, "Green", and a host of other issues, many of which he's discussed here and a few that he hasn't. Frankly, Mike is not "progressive", and in the coming political climate that will be a liability.
But I'm delighted to know that he is taking a stand, and willing to assist in an awareness campaign, or write my own letter to my Congressman ('cept I live in the District, and don't technically *have* a Congressman ). I think Mike is correct, and he is not kidding: the bill to fix the infrastructure will be huge. But the bill for NOT fixing the infrastructure will be even worse.
NOLA, I really don't think Mike would write and send a letter full of just rhetoric. If he feels so strongly about this that he has indeed written a letter to the candidates, I'm pretty sure he will be reasonably ready to support his premise. And it seems to me that all types of people are free to send all manner of letter as concerned citizens...and rightfully so. Surely the almost 200 "blue collar" jobs he has done has given him plenty of perspective in this area.
"Though Mike is an entertainer by profession, he *has* spent the best part of the last three years immersing himself in "the trades", and also in vats and vats of various kinds of poo. You can't *get* more authentic than that."
I couldn't disagree more. Mike has spent the past three years making a TV show about dirty jobs. He has not immersed himself, and it doesn't make him 'authentic'. In fact, if I'm not mistaken he has never, himself, claimed to be an expert at anything, and if anything has tried to avoid being painted as such.
I really enjoy Dirty Jobs, but if I thought for a moment that it claimed to be an authentic look at what it really meant to do a dirty job every day, it would offend me very much. I work a truly dirty job, ten hours a day, six days a week, and there are a fair few Sundays thrown in to boot. I am an expert.
Mike can get a lot of positive attention as a celebrity, and I say good for him. Presuming to be a spokesman for the 'dirty people', would be a mistake, and one I doubt he would even contemplate.
Writing a letter to a candidate wouldn't be a problem. Getting a reply/invite to endorse would be. If you want to play both sides of the fence you have to have a lot of money and or power. Otherwise , why not go to Kittyhawk ,North Carolina face in the direction of the breeze and let it rip. That's what political involvement is without money or power. Politics is not an altruistic endeavor. What do you want from a candidate and what are you willing to do to get it? HMMMMMMMMMMM? I can see any good politician buddying up to Mike to get a little market share. That would be fans and that would mean votes. Would they be sincere? Why of course, they would sincerely love to include his fan base in with their registered voters. I don't remember a promise after an election. They are like M&Ms, nothing left in your hand.
[quote]Mike can get a lot of positive attention as a celebrity, and I say good for him. Presuming to be a spokesman for the 'dirty people', would be a mistake, and one I doubt he would even contemplate.[/quote]
I think he could handle the spokesman job. He's been talking to "dirty people" for years. Just because he isn't one, doesn't mean he can't speak for them. Do you think after all this time he doesn't know their problems?
Pingu, I think we all write our congressmen and elected officials every now and then. Politicians are a little bit afraid of us, We the People. We have the power to fire them every election. So they're forced to pay attention.
"Do you think after all this time he doesn't know their problems?"
Well, read my response. My response was to a member who thinks that doing a TV show makes someone 'authentic'. I'm sure Mike has opinions, and could be a good spokesman based on his celebrity. Trying to portray himself as one of the guys would be a mistake. I'm not sure what wasn't clear about that.
I say again, I doubt he would fall into that trap.
I know Obama, and he knows me. Not well, it usually takes some, "Ummm, errr..." but he can usually dredge up my name. I've written to him, and all of the congresscritters who represent me. Often. Mike could possibly get their attention more readily than I can, simply because he's a celebrity.
Here's a fact: I know far more about working in a dirty job than any TV personality does. I also have far less access to the important people. Here's another fact: Those important people are responsible for any crumbling going on out there. Getting a new bridge built pays way more in political capital than painting and resurfacing.
Don't forget, we only see 50 minutes or so of a long day filming. Mike spends a lot of time we don't see, talking to these people and finding out what their jobs are like on a daily basis. I am sure he has heard many stories from them about securing workers and such. Do we really think that the politicians know how most of us live every day? If they do venture out and talk to people, they are surrounded by security and hundreds of other people. I doubt many of them have a one to one encounter with the average worker. Even though Mike has not done a job for more than a few hours,I think he gets a good idea of what it entails. I bet he knows more about this country and it's infrastructure than any politician ever will.
First let me say that I have only skimmed over most of these posts because I am still working and would like to finish before midnight.
That being said, whose business is it of anyone's what Mike says in a letter to anyone. It seems he mentioned it in the context of a conversation in a telephone interview. He is exercising his right to speak up - just like we all have the right to speak up and write our own letters.
One does not have to be an expert to voice an opinion. I do believe, however, that he most likely knows what the h*ll he is talking about. From his other posts, it seems to me that he does a good amount of research before opening his mouth. Let's not forget, he has experienced a lot with Dirty Jobs -
I really get tired of people making remarks about his celebrity - like that is a dirty word. He did not earn that status by driving around in a dress with no underwear on (sorry Mike) - he earned it legitimately.
Oh by the way, our country's infrastructure is crumbling - trade schools are deficient - and have you seen the statistics for high school dropouts?
Finally, I don't believe he should be asked to share anything he has written unless he wants to go public with it. I know I wouldn't appreciate someone asking me to do that.
Sorry, no time to proofread this, it will have to stand as is.
Mike Rowe's resume is in the entertainment industry. He has lived the beach bum lifestyle. A playboy of the western world. He has been an actor, singer, voice over announcer and TV personality. Dirty Jobs had a short run as a pilot show in 2003 and the show was on TV beginning in the Fall of 2005. Someone that does a job one day at best and has never worked hard for 5, 10, 15, or 20 years in the same job as the people in his show. He has never done a job long enough to really be a spokesman except on how to avoid working.
People fail to realize that Dirty Jobs entertains someone for one hour and the host goes home. He wields a Blackberry to keep up with his busy life. He gets all the frills of a celebrity...VIP status at a health club where he doesn't have to pay. A spokesman for two large industries. He adorns several magazine covers. Discovery whisks him off to do promotional spots for his show.
Mike Rowe needs to do one show to prove he has what it takes.
Give up your pay and salary and start at the bottom. How about after receiving unemployment pay first? Then look for a job and maintain your apartment and the lifestyle you would like.
Buy your own cloths for your job.
Have your girlfriend launder your clothes at the end of the work week.
Give up any vacation time to any exotic locale.
Pay for the fuel to get yourself to work each day.
Afford to pay your medical expenses.
Maintain your vehicle to get you to work.
Give up your credit cards.
Why not give it up for a year Mike and show exactly what people should expect as an American worker in America.
I'm sure you would not ham it up for the camera or continue the innuendo. Your girlfriend will lock you out for good.
Why not have this scenario as the final opus as the last Dirty Job programs? I think you would come away with something to ponder and write about. Never try to be a spokesman unless you have spent enough time in a real dirty man's shoes.
Writing a letter to a candidate wouldn't be a problem. Getting a reply/invite to endorse would be. If you want to play both sides of the fence you have to have a lot of money and or power. Otherwise , why not go to Kittyhawk ,North Carolina face in the direction of the breeze and let it rip. That's what political involvement is without money or power. Politics is not an altruistic endeavor. What do you want from a candidate and what are you willing to do to get it? HMMMMMMMMMMM? I can see any good politician buddying up to Mike to get a little market share. That would be fans and that would mean votes. Would they be sincere? Why of course, they would sincerely love to include his fan base in with their registered voters. I don't remember a promise after an election. They are like M&Ms, nothing left in your hand. 
