Blog – Page 118 – Mike Rowe

The Winding Road that Lead to Dirty Jobs

January 8, 2013April 6, 2015 Shari

From the MRW Water Cooler: Q: Dear Mike, In one of your episodes you launched into a rather well-sung rendition of “Vecchia zimarra” from “La Boheme.” I’m an opera singer and voice teacher, and immediately recognized your excellent diction and lovely bass/baritone voice. Where did you train, and did you ever sing opera professionally? Also, for heaven’s sake, how does one begin with Puccini and end up scraping ostrich barf out of buckets? I would love to know more. — V. Hart It’s been a crooked road for sure. Most of my career choices have been motivated by my interest Read More

Seen AND Heard

January 8, 2013May 14, 2013 admin

Normally, when I do voiceovers, I sit for a few hours and read under the cloak of invisibility — sipping my beverage, picking my nose, and scratching what itches. Those days are over.

Tom Hanks Called Me…Maybe?

January 7, 2013April 6, 2015 Shari

There’s lots of press out there around a documentary called Killing Lincoln, airing next month on the National Geographic Channel. It reminded me of a phone call I got from Tom Hanks a few months ago. Conversation went like this… (Ring R…ing) Mike: Hello? Tom: Hey Mike, how’s it going? Mike: Fine. Who’s this? Tom: It’s Tom! Mike: Tom? Tom: Tom Hanks. Mike: Get out of here. Tom: No, really. It’s me.

Call It a Resolution

January 3, 2013May 13, 2013 admin

I, Mike Rowe, do hereby publicly pledge to avoid the gym for the entire month of January, and husband my strength for a healthy and vigorous February.

Who Am I?

December 31, 2012May 13, 2013 admin

If we accept the premise that observation changes human behavior and alters a person’s identity, I think we can agree that — based on this photo — I have absolutely no idea who I am anymore.

Observing Observation

December 27, 2012September 9, 2014 Shari

It was Werner Heisenberg who first suggested

A Turkey Without a Pardon

November 21, 2012June 13, 2013 admin

A few weeks ago, I was officially informed that Dirty Jobs had entered into a new phase. One I like to call, “permanent hiatus.” Or in the more popular industry vernacular, canceled.

Well, THAT Was Fun

October 1, 2012May 6, 2013 admin

Not long after Dirty Harry started addressing furniture on national television, I began to think seriously about the benefits of keeping my big mouth shut. Alas, it is difficult.

The First Four Years Are The Hardest…

September 3, 2012April 6, 2015 Shari

Dear Governor Romney, – My name is Mike Rowe and I own a small company in California called mikeroweWORKS. Currently, mikeroweWORKS is trying to close the country’s skills gap by changing the way Americans feel about Work. (I know, right? Ambitious.) Anyway, this Labor Day is our 4th anniversary, and I’m commemorating the occasion with an open letter to you. If you read the whole thing, I’ll vote for you in November. First things first. mikeroweWORKS grew out of a TV show called Dirty Jobs. If by some chance you are not glued to The Discovery Channel every Wednesday at 10pm, Read More

Third Time’s the Charm…or so we believe

June 25, 2012 Shari

Soooo… an editorial appeared in the May issue of the Industrial Safety & Hygiene News (ISHN) Magazine. Needless to say, Mike wanted to further help clear the confusion about “Safety Third” and try to help people understand what he’s been saying all along. Over here at mrW, we know how busy he is and were quite surprised to get his thoughtful reply to the editorial. I mean, he’s traveling more than ever and people write stuff about him all the time without talking to him. Anyway, we decided to post his reply first and then the editorial that sparked it. Read Read More

MIKE ROWE’S FIRST PERSONAL PRESS RELEASE

June 12, 2012April 6, 2015 Shari

Mike Rowe here, Dirty Jobs™, etc. This is the first Press Release penned by yours truly. If it works, there will be more. If it doesn’t, I’ll hire an actual publicist. I would prefer not to however because I’m cheap. I’ll be brief. Walmart and Lowe’s are now carrying a new cleaning product called Dirty Jobs™ Complete. Technically, it’s a laundry booster and since it’s named after the TV show that I created, I’m rather anxious to see it succeed. Toward that end, I want to announce a new website called trydirtyjobs.com. I invite you to go there and print Read More

Mike Rowe Receives Distinguished Eagle Scout Award

June 1, 2012April 6, 2015 Shari

The Distinguished Eagle Scout Award was established in 1969 to acknowledge Eagle Scouts who have received extraordinary national-level recognition, fame, or eminence within their field, and have a strong record of voluntary service to their community. Only Eagle Scouts who earned the Eagle Scout rank a minimum of 25 years previously are eligible for nomination. The award is given by the National Eagle Scout Association upon the recommendation of a committee of Distinguished Eagle Scouts. Mike is joined by his parents John & Peggy, his brother Scott, from the Baltimore Area Council Board Barry Williams who presented Mike his Troop Read More

American Legion Magazine: Mike Rowe’s ‘My America’

May 30, 2012April 6, 2015 Shari

In my America, there are two kinds of people: those who are willing to get dirty, and those who are not. I prefer to spend my time with those who do. It’s not that I have anything against cleanliness, or bear any ill will to those who toil in cubicles or office building. I’ve just learned over the years that people with dirty jobs are more fun to be around. They also make civilized life possible for the rest of us. “Our country faces a myriad of challenges but one thing seems certain: the solution will almost certainly involve someone Read More

Dick Clark

April 27, 2012June 16, 2015 Shari

Back in 1996 I got a phone call from a television producer. His name was Tom Frank, and he wanted to know if I might be interested in hosting a game show. Apparently, my demo reel had made an impression. “This is quite possibly the worst demo reel I’ve ever seen,” said Tom Frank. “There’s nothing on here but outtakes and mistakes. “Thanks,” I said. “I try to manage expectations at every turn.” In those days, my demo reel was little more than a random collection of inappropriate moments culled from my years on the graveyard shift at The QVC Read More

Dirty Jobs Deserves Credit in Helping Launch the Reality ‘Jobs’ Genre

April 19, 2012April 6, 2015 Shari

From the MRW Water Cooler: Q: Are there other shows that you know came from a Dirty Jobs idea? Do you guys get credit for that? – Anita L Hi Anita, I talked to a reporter the other day who observed that Dirty Jobs launched an entire genre of cable programming. That might be a bit grand, but it’s not crazy. Back in 2003, when I first pitched the idea, there was nothing like Dirty Jobs on the air. (Monster Garage however, had proven that a hit show could actually take place in a garage, but there was really not Read More