Close encounters with Sarah Vowell

February 22, 2005 6:57 PM

Who says college can't be fun? Sarah Vowell spoke at Marist, signed some books, and offered some sage advice.
posted by Smart Dalek to MetaFilter-Related at 6:57 PM (45 comments total)

You may have to squint for the name, but it should be obvious.
posted by Smart Dalek at 6:59 PM on February 22, 2005

ha! you should have had her do "i am not Kottke"
posted by amberglow at 7:09 PM on February 22, 2005

ah-ha!

(to those about to post "...and this is in MeTa why?" - Smart Dalek knows what it's on about.)
posted by mwhybark at 7:09 PM on February 22, 2005

I'll bite: "...and this is in MeTa why?" ;-P
posted by mischief at 7:11 PM on February 22, 2005

I love love love love love love love Sarah Vowell.
posted by ColdChef at 7:12 PM on February 22, 2005

Love her.
posted by ColdChef at 7:12 PM on February 22, 2005

Heh. I'm looking at the photos and my dad comes up and looks over my shoulder and asks me who all these people are, and I start pointing out various people, and telling him their names and where they're from and he asks me, when did you meet these people and I say, "Oh, I've never met any of them, really."
posted by ColdChef at 7:23 PM on February 22, 2005

offered some sage advice.

Christ, is that a still from The Ring III?
posted by Armitage Shanks at 7:51 PM on February 22, 2005

ms. Chief: look closely at the last link the Dalek provides.
posted by mwhybark at 8:06 PM on February 22, 2005

If it weren't for the sign, I'd mistake the two.
posted by greasy_skillet at 8:16 PM on February 22, 2005

I love Sarah Vowell with a frightening intensity. I would pay to listen to her talk about drywall.
posted by LeeJay at 8:20 PM on February 22, 2005

I would pay to listen to her talk about drywall...

and have too.
posted by fatllama at 8:26 PM on February 22, 2005

Keeping the tradition alive, eh Smart Dalek? Well done!
posted by naxosaxur at 8:40 PM on February 22, 2005

I'd like to buy a Vowell, Pat.
posted by wendell at 8:51 PM on February 22, 2005

That's awesome, but I feel a little bad for Ms Vowell (whom I'm a fan of) that someone asked her to hold up a sign pointing out (essentially) that she's liable to be mistaken for a guy. For a woman who's been notoriously self-deprecating about her appearance ("I have a face made for radio" is a verbatim quote from one talk show appearance she made), this stings a little. But maybe I'm just projecting, since a stranger photographed me holding up an "I'm not the Pillsbury Dough Boy" sign the other day.
posted by jonson at 8:56 PM on February 22, 2005

Wow, I really like parentheses. Good thing my keyboard comes with two of 'em!
posted by jonson at 8:57 PM on February 22, 2005

Good grief, jonson - the photo wasn't meant to be taken in that context! In theory, anyone of interest could be the signholder. Because, as we all know, "Mathowie" is a fictional conceit. The genius behind MetaFilter is actually an old fileserver running Netware 4.11. But that's really supposed to be our little secret! So relax.
posted by Smart Dalek at 9:33 PM on February 22, 2005

I have the Sarah Vowell love as well.

I'm pretty sure if she and Jon Stewart had a child, that child would be the Messiah.
posted by theFlyingSquirrel at 9:41 PM on February 22, 2005

I've been squinting, I looked at all SmartDalek's photos, and I remain utterly clueless.
posted by five fresh fish at 9:45 PM on February 22, 2005

I'm pretty sure if she and Jon Stewart had a child, that child would be the Messiah.

Or the smuggest being ever created. Actually, considering the pereversity of human nature, their kid would probably grow up to be a born-again neo-con.
posted by jonmc at 9:48 PM on February 22, 2005

Waittasec. Perhaps Sarah Vowell, a name which means absolutely nothing to me because, surprise, I'm one of the 95.4% of the world's population that doesn't live in the USA, let alone listen to NPR, isn't actually a MetaFilter member, and is instead just some poor gal who was asked by Smart Dalek to hold up a sign which was, for her, absolutely meaningless.
posted by five fresh fish at 9:50 PM on February 22, 2005

Perhaps Sarah Vowell, a name which means absolutely nothing to me because, surprise, I'm one of the 95.4% of the world's population that doesn't live in the USA, let alone listen to NPR, isn't actually a MetaFilter member,

You must be a witch. Burn Him!

Don't worry FFF, you get used to it.
posted by jonmc at 9:54 PM on February 22, 2005

Dubar said she always wakes up just as Sarah Vowell walks in wearing a kimono.
posted by ColdChef at 10:22 PM on February 22, 2005

I listen to fresh air pretty often, but rarely do I catch this american life, though I know it's good and I should listen to it.

So in other words, the most I knew about Sarah Vowell up until today was that she was in the Incredibles and I have always wanted to track her NPR stuff down since I saw the movie and looked her up at IMDB.

I know, it's totally the wrong path to find out about her, but I can say after hearing some stuff (like the fresh air interview), I'm an instant fan.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 10:50 PM on February 22, 2005

Sweet, maybe this will start a tradition of minor celebrities to hold up signs saying they aren't Matthew Haughey. When is the next time Matt is on CNN?

Sarah is a fantasic storyteller and has great things to say, but.... her voice. Nails on chalkboard.

what mischief said
posted by Arch Stanton at 11:03 PM on February 22, 2005

Sarah Vowell was the voice of the teenage girl Violet in The Incredibles.
posted by grouse at 2:01 AM on February 23, 2005

Oh, is that all. No wonder I don't miss this place when I'm web-blind. ;-P
posted by mischief at 5:55 AM on February 23, 2005

posted by monju_bosatsu at 6:36 AM on February 23, 2005

uh, Sarah Vowell doesn't exactly come across as being smug, Jon.
posted by Vidiot at 6:55 AM on February 23, 2005

Er... who is that, MB?

Also, these need to be Flickr'd and tagged. See if we can start a huge trend.
posted by five fresh fish at 9:00 AM on February 23, 2005

Ed Helms from the Daily Show. Already flickr'd. See also the tags "notmathowie" and "mathowielookalike".
posted by monju_bosatsu at 9:10 AM on February 23, 2005

"I have a face made for radio"
I've always thought she's really, really cute.
posted by sonofsamiam at 9:16 AM on February 23, 2005

I'm one of the 95.4% of the world's population that doesn't live in the USA

How this is necessarily related to your not knowing who Sarah Vowell is? She was the voice in an international blockbuster animated film, and is the author of at least 2 best selling books. no need to get all snarky.
posted by glenwood at 9:21 AM on February 23, 2005

Sarah Vowell is her own kind of attractive.
You can chain me to that wall anytime.
posted by dong_resin at 10:05 AM on February 23, 2005

uh, Sarah Vowell doesn't exactly come across as being smug, Jon.

YMMV.

Side note: Just the other day, we had an AskMe thread about the "psychology of celebrity worship," where someone said that celebrity worship was for "people of average intelligence" who led "boring lives." and I countered that intelligence did not make one immune to such foibles.

And here we have some very intelligent people fawning over a celebrity. OK, it's not "worship," and it's a more interesting celebrity than say, Carmen Electra or something, but hey I take my vindiation where I can find it.
posted by jonmc at 10:25 AM on February 23, 2005

Hey, I took that Ed Helms picture! Nice going Smart Dalek, I'll have to figure out who this Sarah lady is as well.
posted by jessamyn at 10:51 AM on February 23, 2005

I thought people were fawning here over someone because she does a job very well and gives them pleasure. Her name may be familiar by dint of working on the radio and writing books, but I don't think this is about 'celebrity'. Having said that, I find this 'I'm not mathowie' meme a little creepy, because it is more about Matt as celebrity than anything else, although I can see the desire for the online world to create celebrities from within its own ranks.
posted by liam at 10:52 AM on February 23, 2005

I thought people were fawning here over someone because she does a job very well and gives them pleasure. Her name may be familiar by dint of working on the radio and writing books, but I don't think this is about 'celebrity'.

Agreed. But she is a celebrity, albeit of a rather esoteric sort. And one could say that Carmen Electra does her job of looking hot and acting "sexy" for teenage boys very well. My point was basically that smart people are as prone to blithering fandom as anyone, just with a different demographic of celebrities. Hell, your talking to a man who salaams slaveringly whenever the names "Paul Westerberg," or "Richard Price," are mentioned. I'm not saying it's a bad thing, just enjoying that this thread refutes the "smart people don't do that sort of thing" assertions that pwally was making in the ask me thread.
posted by jonmc at 11:01 AM on February 23, 2005

just enjoying that this thread refutes the "smart people don't do that sort of thing" assertions that pwally was making in the ask me thread.

I think the HST obit thread does a good job of this too.
posted by LeeJay at 12:29 PM on February 23, 2005

I find this 'I'm not mathowie' meme a little creepy, because it is more about Matt as celebrity than anything else

I like the idea because it'll weird people out. I'm fairly certain his name recognition is pretty darn small, so for most people they'll be asking themselves "Who the hell is this Matt Haughey, and why is everyone saying they're not him? Freakin' internet freaks!"

A huge in-joke, IOW.
posted by five fresh fish at 2:12 PM on February 23, 2005

Let this forever lay to rest the argument about whether NPR get all their stories from MeFi.
posted by scarabic at 6:46 PM on February 23, 2005

Those wishing to be introduced to Sarah Vowell could do worse than start listening here. Then you too will want to bear her children.

Her voice is "unique" but I get a kick out of her. For more audio, search "This American Life" for her name.
posted by spock at 6:54 PM on February 23, 2005

My point was basically that smart people are as prone to blithering fandom as anyone, just with a different demographic of celebrities.

Yeah, true. And they (we) think we are so different. There was an article in the NYO few years ago about Ira Glass fans. The reporter interviewed a number of fans and every one interviewed thought they were the only one who "got" him (or who was even aware of him).
posted by mlis at 7:33 PM on February 23, 2005

I listen to NPR, but when I hear SV's whiney voice I change the radio almost -- ALMOST -- as fast as when I hear Radio Reader. Oh god the pain in my ears!

PS. Love to the SV fans here. I just dislike her intensely.
PPS. Though, again, not as much as Dick Estell.
PPPS. Dick Estell is Satan.
posted by socratic at 8:48 PM on February 23, 2005

bear her children

If by "bear her children" you mean pick the little buggers up and give 'em a whirlaround, sure.

If you mean something more like have sex with.... uh... all I can say is she sure as hell ain't no Matt Haughey.
posted by scarabic at 9:52 PM on February 23, 2005