Whedonesque : Comments on 16954 : 'Buffy' Creator Proves Doogie Howser Can Sing.

Neil Patrick Harris in a mad scientist outfit in a giant chair on npr.org is just about the coolest thing ever.

Technically I think Broadway was there first with the proving of the singing. Still, hooray!

Sunfire | July 18, 22:07 CET

Nathan Fillion, a Whedon regular who's currently on Desperate Housewives, is Dr. Hammer, his nemesis.

Sounds like Captain Hammer found that site with the blank PhD diplomas.

hacksaway | July 18, 22:11 CET

And after The Industry Standard called Nathan "Mr. Hammer", NPR calls him "Dr.Hammer". Are these people actually watching the thing, or are we starting to see evidence of the mainstream press now trolling for links since this thing has been getting so much attention?

The One True b!X | July 18, 22:13 CET

NPR's usually pretty decent about these things. I expect it's a typo.

Sunfire | July 18, 22:18 CET

Odd, because I was about to say that NPR's been getting notoriously sloppy about these things. Heh.

The One True b!X | July 18, 22:19 CET

Good one, Hacksaway!

I guess entertainment news doesn't qualify for its own fact checker.

Loose Deckplate | July 18, 22:21 CET

I don't much care if the mainstream press mistakenly calls Nathan's character "Dr. Hammer" rather than "Captain Hammer." I'll take it with a big, fat smile. This story is resoundingly positive, as NPR's coverage of the Whedonverse has been all along since way back in 1997 during the launch of "Buffy."

I think it's possible to watch "Dr. Horrible" and get a point or two wrong. It might not be the most careful journalism, but there it is. Or perhaps it's links trollage. Again with the not much caring, as long as the coverage is positive and they don't get anything too egregiously wrong (although measurement of that may vary among us, I realize).

As Sunfire said, hooray!

Edited to add: Another thing I like in this NPR piece is the props given to Joss et al for the revolutionary contribution of Doctor Horrible to the entertainment industry. I don't mean "revolutionary" across the board - I'm sure people can come up with all kinds of other firsts that trump "Horrible." To that I say, as Doctor Horrible sings, "What-eeeeh-ver." There's some props giving to the cool freshness of "Horrible." I like that very much.

[ edited by phlebotinin on 2008-07-18 22:42 ]

phlebotinin | July 18, 22:21 CET

They got Captain Hammer right in the image caption...

Also, I absolutely love that chair. Assuming it's not some perspective trickery, is it actually possible to buy a chair that big? I mean, I wouldn't be able to move in my room afterwards, but it'd be so worth it.

MattK | July 18, 22:25 CET

I've seen chairs even bigger. I've sat in one bigger.

The One True b!X | July 18, 22:30 CET

The Chair is real, alright, ask the owner (Hi Jonathan :D)

Krusher | July 18, 22:34 CET

That's a terrible headline- I loved NPH as the Balladeer in Assassins, and that was long before he was Doctor Horrible.

But, other than that, glad to see that it's getting a lot of attention.

kishi | July 18, 22:43 CET

I've seen bigger chairs but they were primarily designed for multiple persons. And called couches.

Also, Captain's a rank and Dr's a title so he can be both. Maybe he's been to night school ? Do they do PhDs in cheese ? Smarmy, slimy cheese degrees ?

Saje | July 18, 22:43 CET

Yeah, I'm ALL about mainstream coverage and spreading the word (I was guilty of booking a conference room at work today to show some folks the video over lunch)... but, c'mon, I think Joss at least shares credit with Sondheim and others even before that for "proving" NPH can sing.

(Although, I guess there's another whole discussion for another time on how crazy it is that more people have probably seen him sing online since Tuesday than have seen him live in a Broadway show. ;))

lisaspo | July 18, 22:47 CET

They got Captain Hammer right in the image caption...

Also, I absolutely love that chair. Assuming it's not some perspective trickery, is it actually possible to buy a chair that big? I mean, I wouldn't be able to move in my room afterwards, but it'd be so worth it.

MattK | July 18, 22:25 CET

It is no trick of the light- it's actually a giant chair in my living room. It's extra comfy to curl up with the GF and watch TV in. Occasionally, after a party, we'll find the random party guest sleeping in it. :)

You can get the giant chairs in Hollywood. They are spendy, but available.

I do like the comment that the producer made about my place in his interview. They really didn't need to bring anything with them set-dressing wise. It's all my house. All the lab-ware, the walls faux finished, the books and assorted mad scientist geekery- all mine. And to answer your question, yes, it's always like that.

Well- no. It's never that well lit. :)

The Chair is real, alright, ask the owner (Hi Jonathan :D)

Krusher | July 18, 22:34 CET

Hi! :)

Jonathan Reilly | July 18, 22:59 CET

Saje, "smarmy, slimy cheese degrees" is probably the best phrase I've read all week long.

kishi | July 18, 22:59 CET

Saje -

According to Google, NOVA University Network /Copenhagen University offered a PhD course "Ripening of Northern European cheeses" just last year - Maybe Dr. Capt. Hammer attended.

Loose Deckplate | July 18, 23:01 CET

Smarmy, slimy cheese degrees ?

Brie?

Looks like they fixed the "Dr." Hammer typo.

Another nit-pick: That fist picture of Dr. Horrible with the "freeze ray"... that's not the freeze ray. Not from what we've seen so far. Maybe it's a death ray to take out Captain Hammer.

korkster | July 18, 23:06 CET

... NOVA University Network /Copenhagen University offered a PhD course "Ripening of Northern European cheeses" just last year ...

Oh wow. There actually are PhDs in cheese. I particularly like the practical component "Analysis of cheese". From now on they should measure cheese on the Hammer scale.

... "smarmy, slimy cheese degrees" is probably the best phrase I've read all week long.

High praise considering it's Friday, ta ;). It's like they say though "A cheese is a terrible thing to waste" ;).

Saje | July 18, 23:08 CET

Jonathan Reilly- your chair and your lair (heh, your lair-chair) are way, way cool. How fun it must be to watch "Horrible" take place in your own home. Oooh, the freakiness of it all when you and your gf can curl up in your lair-chair and watch the good Doctor be in your lair-chair on DVD. How mind bendy.

Back to the NPR piece (*Snark alert*): Yes, all these mistakes in the NPR piece represent a horrifying lapse of correctitude. Death to NPR and its minions of ignorance! Neil Patrick Harris must be tearing out his golden hair in agony over this tragic misrepresentation! Let us avenge his honor! Perhaps we as a fandom army can enlist the help of Dr Steel and his army to right this terrible wrong - for surely their war with us will be set aside to take on this larger, more urgent menace of ignorance! The horror of it all! The horror!

*Snark over.* I'm all in favor of journalistic integrity. That said, come on, people. There are lapses in this piece, to be sure. But aren't these dwarfed by the huge, huge upsides? Or is nitpickingness part of the fun of fandom? :)

[ edited by phlebotinin on 2008-07-18 23:10 ]

phlebotinin | July 18, 23:08 CET

Hey Jonathan, can we come to your house and sit in your big comfy chair? And do the finger curl thing? And have the keys to Australia?

Seriously, that would be a rocking party to watch Dr. Horrible in Dr. Horrible's lair.

Kudos on your place. I'm very jealous.

korkster | July 18, 23:09 CET

The nitpickiness isn't the fan in me, it's the once-upon-a-time journalist in me.

The One True b!X | July 18, 23:14 CET

Heh- we have parties all the time (pictures from most of which I probably shouldn't post here- lol)- and considering the San Diego peeps I know (many are rabid Whedonverse folks and some are even scientists), there is actually a chance you could wind up in the chair in the future.

The world, she is small.

:)

Jonathan Reilly | July 18, 23:14 CET

But you wouldn't want to clean it.

Saje | July 18, 23:17 CET

*shrug* at phlebotinin... Yeah, I'm guilty of nitpicking and I doubt Neil Patrick Harris is tearing out his hair... but, I don't know, if it were me and I'd spent years doing good work in a specific field and it was completely dismissed like that, I'd think it was a little sloppy. Sort of like if the first reviews of Dollhouse were to say something like, "Wow! Who knew that Joss Whedon could write a strong, female character?"

lisaspo | July 18, 23:20 CET

It's a shame they didn't mention the site url itself. People trying to find it through Hulu will be a bit disappointed.

Quit | July 18, 23:21 CET

Dym, the url is hotlinked in the first paragraph.

lissapo: I intended no affront.

[ edited by phlebotinin on 2008-07-18 23:28 ]

phlebotinin | July 18, 23:25 CET

there is actually a chance you could wind up in the chair in the future.

There is hope yet :D Now where did I put that ticket to the USA....

Krusher | July 18, 23:27 CET

phlebotinin, I meant in the audio broadcast itself. Not everybody reads NPR online. Although they don't often mention urls in broadcasts anyway, come to think ofit.

[ edited by Dym on 2008-07-18 23:30 ]

Quit | July 18, 23:29 CET

phlebotinin: Oh, I know you didn't! :) (see, I couldn't figure out where in my diatribe to put a smiley, but, it works there!) I'm just cranky today and for some reason that headline just really irked me and I felt compelled to explain myself.

lisaspo | July 18, 23:30 CET

One upside to the nitpicking though - we discovered that one can get a Ph.D in Cheese (with xtra smarm)

Loose Deckplate | July 18, 23:31 CET

lisaspo, maybe we both took the same extra-cranky pill today! Today is also very crankyish for me. Speaking of which, I could just as easily have gotten cranky about the headline on NPH's behalf as you did. Crankiness is unpredictable like that, isn't it?

Dym, nah, I haven't noticed urls being spoken of in usual radio broadcasts. Let's hope that if any NPR listeners have their interest piqued they are savvy enough to google their way to the gold mine that is the Doctor Horrible official website. Because think of what they'd miss otherwise.

Loose Deckplate: nitpicking certainly does have its uses, I'll agree.

phlebotinin | July 18, 23:39 CET

Jonathan, this:

the San Diego peeps I know (many are rabid Whedonverse folks and some are even scientists)

TOTALLY describes me! Where are you at and how come we haven't met before (probably due to me living under a rock). If you're coming to CC, I'll trade you some expired raffle tickets for a sit on your chair. Not even a sit, perhaps a drool from a distance?

:D

korkster | July 18, 23:45 CET

On a side note, Jonathan, do you actually use your chemistry set (Erlenmeyers and racks), or is it just for show? Are you distilling something over there? And why is it green? It doesn't smell like almonds, does it? Cuz you wouldn't want to drink that.

korkster | July 18, 23:48 CET

Uh, as for NPR's revelation that NPH can sing, has any of them seen him in Sweeney Todd on PBS? I'm sure there's clips of him singing, and quite well, in the YouTubes, too.
Otherwise, he sure looks really evil in that big chair. I sure hope that doesn't belong to Bad Horse.

impalergeneral | July 19, 00:08 CET

Erm, the big chair was seen in Act II.

The One True b!X | July 19, 00:14 CET

Hey Jonathan -- thanks for the info. Since I'm at least a plane journey (possibly two) away from Hollywood, I don't think I'll have my own any time soon. But one can dream.

theonetruebix: if your comment was referring to mine... I know the chair was in Act II, but for some reason I have this belief that people can work miracles with perspective and smoke and mirrors and all, so I didn't know if it was really that big or not (I've always been suspicious of these things ever since watching that fireplace scene in Citizen Kane).

[ edited by MattK on 2008-07-19 00:48 ]

MattK | July 19, 00:47 CET

No, I was referring to the comment directly above mine. To wit: "I sure hope that doesn't belong to Bad Horse."

The One True b!X | July 19, 00:49 CET

Korkster,

Are you friends with Veggiebelle? She's one of the people to whom I'm referring when I mention the SD Whedonverse folks. Their are others, but she's the one who comes to mind whose work shows up in some of the Anthologies. :)

I'm not going to SDCC this year. I've got Burning Man stuff to build that weekend. :)

Jonathan Reilly | July 19, 01:12 CET

Sorry, do not know Veggiebelle.

Drat! I was this close to sitting in that chair, with my goggles, doing my laugh! *pinches air*

korkster | July 19, 01:51 CET

Hah, Felicia just mentioned this NPR piece on Twitter: " Holy crap! Driving home from set I was listening to NPR...guess what they just featured? ... Total geek out moment!"

The One True b!X | July 19, 02:35 CET

Dr. Horrible mentioned on NPR. What a big basket of wonderfulness.
Tee-heeeeeeeee!!!!
I mean...Bwahhhh-Ha-Ha-Haaaaa!!!

AmazonGirl | July 19, 04:23 CET

NPH and NPR... I'm getting these mixed up every time I read one of the comments above...

floofypooh | July 19, 04:58 CET

I'm right there with you, floofypooh.

korkster | July 19, 08:58 CET

July 18 2008