Friday, May 2, 2014

What's My Job?: Mike Long on "Good Day New York"

Question: What does Mike Long do?

Good Day New York has a recurring segment where a special guest is brought out and the hosts try to guess his or her profession. Last week, someone with a job close to our hearts was tapped to try to stump them—and he did a great job!

When asked if he's a ventriloquist, Mike answered, “No, I’m not, I’m not… Well, I guess metaphorically I am.”

When asked for a clue, he replied coyly, “No one ever says to me, ‘Don’t put words in my mouth!’”

Have you already figured out his job? It took the hosts nearly seven minutes to guess!

Check out the full video below, and then keep reading for a Q&A with Mike.



GG: Was it fun to be on the show? How did it feel to not be “behind the scenes” for a change?
ML: It was exciting and so much fun! I do television once in a while, usually commenting on speeches. It's fun but often sterile, staring alone into a studio camera with the interviewer thousands of miles away. This time it was all about me. Speechwriters don’t get that a lot! The day before the segment, the producer and I planned the bit, so I wrote some potential back-and-forth, we talked about the most well-known events I’d written for so they could pull photos, and I prepared a long list of clues. If you look closely, you can see my notes on the table in front of me.

What kind of feedback or attention have you got since being on the show? 
It’s exploded in my own little circle of social media, which has been great. Plus, within one hour, it generated an intriguing new assignment for me. It also drove up subscriptions to my newsletter (sign up here!), and it put in jeopardy Colbert’s chances of actually getting to his new gig, as I am now on the hunt. (This is extreme sarcasm.)

Are you planning more TV appearances in the future? 
Well, planning them is one thing; getting them is another. But yeah, I'd love to do more, and the odds seem to be on my side. Long ago I did standup, I’m comfortable on camera, and producers seem to find me quick with a funny remark. I’m already working on another gig that I hope will come together before summer. Cross your fingers for me!

Spoiler alert: Mike Long is a speechwriter, author, educator, and award-winning screenwriter and playwright. Find him online here.