History Channel Confirms I'm Weird

I received an e-mail a few months ago from a producer at the History Channel. She wanted to send a camera crew to Seattle to interview me.

"But Dave," you say, "you are an idiot! You have no business being on the History Channel!"

In normal situations, that would be true, but this was for a show called Weird US. It's a show about weird people.

It seems the aforementioned producer discovered an article on my website about lutefisk -- a truly weird Norwegian concoction made by hanging cod out to dry, then soaking it in water so it is no longer dry, then soaking it in lye, which is poisonous, then soaking it in water again to remove the poison you have just soaked the fish in.

The truth about lutefisk is that far more is consumed in Wisconsin each year than in Norway. Norwegian-Americans choke the stuff down at Christmas, thinking they are eating traditional Norwegian food. In reality, when it comes to modern Norwegian cuisine, Norwegians are the world's largest per capita consumers of frozen pizza.

So a six-person crew came to Seattle to interview me. We started the interview at the Pig & Whistle, my favorite hangout in Seattle's Greenwood neighborhood, and then went down to Ballard, the Scandinavian part of town where lutefisk is sold year-round. Rumor has it they then went to Minnesota to talk to a delusional guy who likes lutefisk.

The crew spent five hours with me altogether. I fully expect those five hours to be edited down to two minutes of soundbites consisting of things I never meant to say.

If you live in the US, you can watch me make an ass of myself on national television tomorrow (Friday, December 30) on the History Channel. The Weird US episode, entitled "It's a Wonderful Time to be Weird," will air at noon, and again at 6 p.m. in the Eastern and Pacific time zones. In other time zones, check your local listings.

If you live in Seattle, you can come to the Pig & Whistle for the 6 p.m. showing and throw things at me. They serve up some tasty, lye-free fish and chips.

Comments

[Beth`]

HI DAVE !! It's beth, from your second scandinavia tour last summer. It's good that you are on the history channel. I am concerned that you will not be on the Rick Steves' public radio programs?!? Scandinavia isn't even listed as one of the topics-- BLA. One of the topics is "Marrying a Spainard". How is it that almost anything will top a nice half hour broadcast about anything Scandinavian?? I have a much better topic for one of his radio shows... "Drinks of Denmark" or "Sweets of Sweden"