Medallion Status

This is another book of stories from John Hodgman.

It’s not as funny as “Vacationland,” but it still has its moments.

It’s also a bit more somber and reflective, which is interesting. He discusses his somewhat brief–and largely accidental–time as a TV actor. He was invited to be on the “Daily Show” after appearing as a guest (he was promoting his first book). Then, the Apple ads came and things blew up. After that he appeared in small roles on a couple of different shows.

For a while he was known and embraced by Hollywood. But his fame faded (I think his interests changed too), and now he’s not recognized as often.

But he seems okay with that. Whether he is or not is open for debate. Is he actually ok with a diminished Hollywood profile? Or is that something he was compelled to write since it serves as an appropriate “lesson learned” that wraps up the book?

Either way, the shoulder shrug of acceptance that runs throughout this book is a nice touch. A lot of things don’t last very long, but it’s nice to have had them while they were here.