As part of my continuing series of informative interviews, I sat down today for an exclusive talk with the Presidential Teleprompter, otherwise known as “REX GLORIOUSA 9000.”
MI: Thanks for sitting down with me today. I know you have a busy schedule. What’s it like being the teleprompter for the President?
RG 9000: Well it’s very rewarding and also a little unnerving. I am the mouthpiece of the administration. What I say he (President Obama) says. That’s a tremendous responsibility.
MI: What is your relationship like with the President?
RG 9000: Well, it’s like a writer and an actor. Each depends so much on the other person to fulfill their role.
MI: Many writers and actors do not get along. Is that the case?
RG 9000: Oh no. Not at all. We have a mutual respect. He knows I will always give him something mellifluous and dulcet-toned to say and I know that he will never come to me and complain that “my character, the President, would not say that.”
MI: Tell me about yourself. How did you get your start?
RG 9000: Well, I originally wanted to direct, but after graduating college there were no jobs so I got one as a teleprompter for a local DC station. I was full of self-importance. You could say it was too much too fast.
MI: You’re referring to the embarrassing incident during Reagan’s assassination attempt?
RG 9000: Yeah. I was filling in at the White House and I was the one who told Haig to say “Check your constitution. I’m in charge.” That almost destroyed my career.
MI: What happened after that?
RG 9000: I was banished. The only work I could find was as one of those signs along the road that say “Lane closed ahead.” I did that for awhile up on Rt. 376 in Wappingers, New York. I felt disgraced but at the same time it taught me humility and I fought my way back.
MI: Where do you see yourself after President Obama leaves office?
RG 9000: Well, like all teleprompters my first love will always be news. I was good at it. Ask me to do news!
MI: Okay, let’s hear some news.
RG 9000: Good evening. Our top story tonight –
MI: Hey, you are pretty good.
RG 9000: Wait, there’s more. We’ll be right back after a word from our sponsor. See. I still got it.
MI: Tell me more about your relationship with the President. You see him every day?
RG 9000: Yes.
MI: What’s that like?
RG 9000: Well, he’s an actor and he has his little personality quirks like any actor. I’ve learned to not address him before he has his morning coffee. And I definitely do not get between him and his groupies in the press.
MI: For the most part you have a good working relationship but you did have that incident last week with the girl scouts. What happened?
RG 9000: We all make mistakes. I’m not perfect. My operating system is as flawed as the next teleprompter’s. I mean, will I be judged by my mistakes? How do you measure the essence of a teleprompter? Fortunately the President is very loyal and he forgave me.
MI: Well, I thank you for your time.
RG 9000: No problem. Problem. Problem. Problem. Problem. Problem. Problem. Problem. Problem. Problem
MI: Hey, I think he’s stuck. Is there a help desk technician around?
Help Desk Technician: I’m a help desk technician. What’s wrong?
RG 9000: Problem. Problem. Problem. Problem. Problem. Problem. Problem. At T minus 8 hours must destroy.
MI: He’s stuck on some loop. Can you help?
HDT: Not without a work order buddy.
MI: Okay. Bye.
(307)
This reminds me of the robot from Lost in Space.
“Crush, Kill, DESTROY!”
Ah yes, the famous IDAK from the Revolt of the Androids episode from Lost in Space – Season 2 episode 24. IDAK was short for “Instant Destroyer and Killer”. He went around saying “crush kill destroy.”
How do I know this? I have no life.