X-Entertainment's Christmas Season & Advent Calendar, 2008.

06/23/2006: I like trophies.

Wooo hooo! Remember that Furby giveaway spot I did many months ago? Wellp, last night, it took home a silver trophy in the annual Promax awards — sort of like the Emmys for promos. I’d known it was nominated for a while now (category: “On-Air Sales Promotion”), and while I managed my expectations with all of that “it’s an honor to be nominated” bullshit, I really wanted to fucking win. I was never in Little League and nobody invited me onto their bowling team: This is my first trophy ever, and it’s heavy and silver and is now glued to my hand.

The awards show was last night, which was hosted by SNL’s Darrell Hammond (funny) and played out more like a highlight reel of the year’s best spots — but due to time constraints, only select gold winners. One of the first spots shown was the gold winner in my category — something from TBS starring Ashton Kutcher — and between that and the sheer awesomeness of everything that was playing on the big screen, I was 100% sure I didn’t win anything. Was I disappointed? Sure, but the real problem was that the show was really, really long, and I really, really had to piss, the entire, entire time. It wasn’t just a case of having the nagging notion that it was time to relieve myself — no, we’re talking about a face-first, all-out pulsating bladder bomb that threatened to burst at any moment. My eyes were watering. It really hurt.

After the show, they gave out booklets naming all the winners and…there it was. The Furby spot. Silver. Fuckin’ A. Relieved (both because of the win and because I finally had the chance to piss all over the walls in a ritzy hotel bathroom), we trekked up to the 9th floor so I could grab a statue and experience one of those rare moments in life when absolutely nothing is bad.

And to think, it wasn’t too long ago that my high points involved finding Furby dolls at Toys ‘R’ Us and selling ‘em on eBay with a 30% markup.

By the way Matt, I was cleaning my room and found a Sears Wishbook from ‘92. You want it?

Way to go.
I always thought silver was for the real winners anyway. It just always looked better than gold to me. I’ve always felt that way.

Congratulations. You should melt it down and re-sculpt it into a Furby. Remind you where you came from.
I believe it was Mr. T who said, "You can’t know where you’re goin’ if you don’t know where you’re from!"

Absolutely awesome, Matt!
The guy is a little weirdly shaped, but still totally cool.
Congratulations!

Yay! That’s super cool. I could tell you’d been working hard by all the "work sucks" mentions on the site, but now you have something to show for it

Waytogooooooooo

Congrats Matt! I just received an award from the Academy of American Poets. Woah, it’s weird to think of me as an "American Poet."

And this is a bit cheery, because yesterday my pet parakeet that I’ve had for the past 9 years or so passed away. You just so damn attached to these things, and this was no different and my house will be a lot different without him.

Super congratulations, Matt. That is quite an honor. On an unrelated note, I’m thinking of getting a digital camera and was wondering what you use and how you like it. The stuff you post on the site looks pretty killer, and the video you posted in your Disney article looked really good if you shot it with a digital camera. So, would you recommend the model you use to others?

Well done mate - Hope there’s many more to follow! - Excellence all round!
Hurrumph, hurrumph, hurrumph!!

Congrats, Matt!! As someone who does imaging for a radio station I know how kick-ass it feels to win an award for something that you put together yourself and saw through from start to finish. And, when you get something like that and can rub it in the face of others, it makes you feel 10 feet tall. Way to go, bro!

Jeff Mack - I’m a Pittsburgher too. And a writer, actually. What neighborhood do you inhabit?

Edgewood. Do you work while you go to school? I guess Shadyside would be rather convenient if you go to Chatham. I’ve never known anyone who attended grad school for writing. Are there any requirements to be published or anything?

I once won a Science Fair in 5th grade, and I’m still playing that card on a daily basis. (Yes, I’m that lame)

Yeah, I run the Broadcast Studio on campus…it’s a cushy little job that also pays me very little. =)

Requirements to be published? I guess just start sending stuff out to smaller presses until you can build up enough publishing credits to get into bigger magazines.

I got accepted in the next issue of The Brooklyn Review (which is rather prestigious), so I’m hoping this opens up bigger doors for me. =)

BTW, does anyone know if the Clio awards still exist? Those were the awards for commercials. Fox aired it a few times. Would promos be nominated for a Clio?

I mean, for your masters are you required to get published? That’s pretty sweet about The Brooklyn Review - what did you submit?

I write articles, and I’m semi-working on a novel. Sort of in a motivational slump at the moment, which is awesome. What do you write?

Now don’t be afriad to take your time with Disney Part 3, you don’t want to be like Jamie Fox and go from Winning an Oscar to Stealth.

Hey, Matt. Congrats on the big win. I won a trophy in Cub Scouts once for the little wood cars racing thing. Damn. That sucks that that is the highlight of my wins.

Invader Norbert: sorry to hear about your parakeet, pal. It’s never fun to lose something you care about. I have no idea what the typical lifespan of a parakeet is, but 9 years sounds like a pretty good run.

Congrats, Matt! I hope you can resist the urge to heat that thing up and bend it so the dude has perfect posture.

Is he examining his fingernails from a distance, or are his fingers just stubby?

Salutations!!
does this mean you are a celebrity now :)? your writing in creativity has always been steller in my book!!!

Sadly, no. Looking back on the MFA program (I graduate in August) I’ve realized that the MFA program is no longer where future literary superstars are made, it’s where people that want to learn how to write can get better.

Is that necessarily a bad thing? No, but at times I’ve been frustrated as other students aren’t where I am in life (20s, ready to get their name out there) and thus at times didn’t get out of it that I could.

I write poems, fiction, and travel pieces. Currently working on my first novel while I send out poems, hoping at some point to get a manuscript together to send out to first book contests. Publishing books of poetry is infinitely harder than novels. =)

Jeff -
What are the others in your program like? My professors told me not to bother with grad school (I really wanted to go, oh so bad) and to just write for experience. Are you glad you went?
When’s your poem going to be in The Brooklyn Review?

congrats on the win, matt! you totally deserve it.
that’s a pretty sweet statue.

In the MFA program as a whole (not just mine - in general) talent ranges from tremendous to terrible. Only in creative writing PH.D programs is the talent all top-notch.

Despite my misgivings with the MFA program, I can personally vouch that my writing ability has skyrocketed, but I also put a lot of work into it. If you’re serious about being a writer, I would definitely go to grad school.

I’ve received my contributor copies of the Brooklyn Review, but they haven’t updated their site yet. =)

Congrats dude! Way to go! Now you have something heavy and shiny to throw at people in a drunken rage!

I rarely ever post, but CONGRATULATIONS MAN!!!! You’ve given so much to all of us, so its really great to see you receive something that means alot to you!! So heres to you Matt!! Oooooooooh YEEEAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!! DIG IT!!!!!

Congradulations, Matt! I’ve won a very, very small trophy in what would have been 8th grade for winning a school marbles tourament (I kick rear at marbles) and a plaque as the outstanding newcomer in my college’s student-run TV station in 1998. I haven’t the faintest notion of where that trophy is now, but the plaque finally found a proud place of honor in the music half of my living room.

Congratulations, Matt! Even though I’m sure Nickelodeon counts themselves lucky to have acquired such a creative force, I’m glad you haven’t sacrificed your site for the glamour of showbiz. Cheers.

Also, since this thread has turned all literary on us, for a limited time only you can CLICK MAH NAME to access the site where I store some of my short stories.

Oh, and Matt? If you want to pick up the gold next year, I’ve got just two words for you: recreational napalm. I trust you can run with it from here.

Congratulations Matt! A more deserving person couldn’t have won the award. Thanks for an incredible website. CHEERS!!!

Um, JD, "salutations" just means "hello" pretty much. It’s just a sort of general welcome greeting term. But it’s okay, the English language is the most difficult language for a reason, ask any linguist. I have a cum laude English degree and I still can’t spell "restaraunt" ??? was what right???

CONGRATULATIONS MATT!!!!
abd chris martin: I Also Won The Wooden Car Races Where I Live!
What An Honor, I Hereby Formally Challenge You To A Race-0ff!!!

Conratulations Matt! That is so cool, I wish I had half the talent you did… actually I wish I had half the talent people on this blog did!

It sounds like an honor, and it’s good to know that it went to someone who really loves the things he’s writing ads about.

Congratulations, Matt! The world would be filled with peace and love if people received more trophies.

congratulations! that furby spot is something that today’s kids will remember and talk about on their own blogs. and with the wonder of the internet they’ll find this site and read about the creator. that is really neat. imagine if all (or any) of the guys who made our favorite spots from the 80s did their own blog?

german:
THAT WOULD BE AMAAAAZZZZIN!!!
i think my favourite ad memory was those undies that when you put em on you turn into he man or optimas prime and i believe there was a couple more
thanks for bringing that memory back dude!!
i actually still have a he-man pair, STILL UN-OPENED IN ORIGINAL PACKAGING!!!
i ahd like 10 pairs!

and matt: Could you PLLLLEEEEAAAASE post the ad that you did, i live in a reclusive island provine in good Ol’ Canada
called Newfoundland, so i dont get A LOT of the rad programming and Ad Spots you do.

AND IF ANYONE HERE IS FROM NEWFOUNDLAND LET ME KNOW, AND IF COLIN(QUACK!) POSTS ON THIS, GET AT ME!!!
anyway, enough pointless internerd friend searching, i wont be here for the SNT, so to all of you from all of me, HAVE A GOOD ONE!!!

JoshC: click on "Furby giveaway spot" in the post. That’ll take you to his original post with a download copy of the ad.

As for people talking about their writing…if anyone would like to see any of my writing…please feel free to clcik on my name and check them out *on knees begging* Please?!

I like how the statue guy is ready to hold a candy bar or something. "Could you spare a packet of Kool-Aid for a former Herald of Galactus down on his luck?"
Maybe one of you writers out there can harness my brain? There is so much potential for damage that is going untapped.

I’ve never been picked for any sports either. I was always getting beat up, and my two younger brothers were the "cool" ones out of the 3 of us. I was just the computer nerd. To top it off I was also a very ugly little boy…..I’m still waiting for an award for something…

I just saw the weirdest movie.
Just a part of it anyway.
It had Cyclops in it and he was in a car asking an 8-ball if what he had in a package was a murder weapon.
Then he pushed the car over a cliff.

I was born and Raised there..but have moved to Fredericton to go to (and recently graduate university)

I am also a writer from Pittsburgh. I write for the glorious CITY PAPER, which is free to all. I just love working hard to write articles that are published in a magazine that homeless people take and use as blankets.

Congratulations–now you can justify a shelf by your desk at work to display it on, slowly accumulating more and more awards until you fire Bob Goldthwait in a fit of evil pique and he gets drunk and blows them all to hell trying to kill you.

Very late with this, but still wanted to include my congratulations! Way to go! Glad to see your talents being recognized.

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This entry was posted on Friday, June 23rd, 2006 at 1:53 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.