From The Times (New Jersey):
http://www.nj.com/news/times/index.s...9603651460.xml
His rants become TV rage
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
By TOM HESTER JR.
Staff Writer
Pierre Bernard has had enough.
In recent months, iPods, the Stargate SG-1 television show and Mallomars candy, among other topics, have sent him into a public rage.
Now it's the removal of the Nassau Park Boulevard traffic light along Route 1 in West Windsor that has him on edge.
"That's been bugging me since they moved it last month," the Ewing resident said. "It's been on my nerves."
Bernard actually isn't full of rage the way most people think, though he's become a cult hero for his "Recliner of Rage" segment on NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" show.
"It's the weirdest 15 minutes ever," he said of his newfound fame.
But his fame may well last longer than 15 minutes. Bernard's recurring appearances on the early morning television show have led to him getting a small role on the "Stargate SG-1" show, and he will appear on another episode set to air in the coming months.
Bernard moved to Ewing about a year ago, he said, after living in Brooklyn, N.Y., his entire life.
He has been an illustrator on O'Brien's show since it first aired in 1993, but his role changed a bit a few years ago when the show did a comedy skit on state quarters. Bernard was responsible for designing the Arkansas quarter, which featured Bill Clinton involved in one of his infamous dalliances.
Somebody took the idea and printed actual joke quarters with the design and sold them on eBay, the Internet auction site. The show's producers decided to have Bernard on a show to express his rage that somebody was making money off his idea.
"That was the birth of the recliner rage," Bernard said.
Since then Bernard has raged against the difficulty of transferring files to his iPod, against changes to Stargate SG-1 and against how Mallomars are only a seasonal cookie, among other things.
Last month, the New Jersey Department of Transportation, in an attempt to ease Route 1 traffic congestion, removed the light at Nassau Park Boulevard and closed the jughandle at that intersection. While the light's removal improved traffic flow on Route 1, it meant people trying to get to the Nassau Park Pavillion had to use a different exit to get to the shopping center.
"They make it very hard to get in that shopping center now," Bernard said about why he decided to rage against the change on national television.
Being from Brooklyn, Bernard, who wouldn't reveal his age, said driving and jughandles were new to him to begin with.
"I got the whole thing down, and suddenly they start making these changes," Bernard said. "It makes no sense at all."
Bernard has become a hit on Internet message boards.
"This is fast becoming my favourite segment on `Late Night!' " wrote one person. "Keep up the great work Pierre . . . Maintain the RAGE!!!!"
Wrote another, "It's hilarious," and, "That guy is awesome.'
Another fan wrote, "We demand more rants from the recliner!!!!!!!"
Bernard said he's amazed by the attention he's received.
"It's just bizarre that this `Recliner of Rage' thing is touching people," he said with a chuckle.
© 2004 The Times
|*|(*)|*|(*)|*|
Morjana
SG1-Spoilergate
http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/SG1-Spoilergate/
Richard Dean Anderson Fans
http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/rdandersonfans/
Proof-Positive
http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/Proof-Positive
http://www.nj.com/news/times/index.s...9603651460.xml
His rants become TV rage
Tuesday, November 16, 2004
By TOM HESTER JR.
Staff Writer
Pierre Bernard has had enough.
In recent months, iPods, the Stargate SG-1 television show and Mallomars candy, among other topics, have sent him into a public rage.
Now it's the removal of the Nassau Park Boulevard traffic light along Route 1 in West Windsor that has him on edge.
"That's been bugging me since they moved it last month," the Ewing resident said. "It's been on my nerves."
Bernard actually isn't full of rage the way most people think, though he's become a cult hero for his "Recliner of Rage" segment on NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" show.
"It's the weirdest 15 minutes ever," he said of his newfound fame.
But his fame may well last longer than 15 minutes. Bernard's recurring appearances on the early morning television show have led to him getting a small role on the "Stargate SG-1" show, and he will appear on another episode set to air in the coming months.
Bernard moved to Ewing about a year ago, he said, after living in Brooklyn, N.Y., his entire life.
He has been an illustrator on O'Brien's show since it first aired in 1993, but his role changed a bit a few years ago when the show did a comedy skit on state quarters. Bernard was responsible for designing the Arkansas quarter, which featured Bill Clinton involved in one of his infamous dalliances.
Somebody took the idea and printed actual joke quarters with the design and sold them on eBay, the Internet auction site. The show's producers decided to have Bernard on a show to express his rage that somebody was making money off his idea.
"That was the birth of the recliner rage," Bernard said.
Since then Bernard has raged against the difficulty of transferring files to his iPod, against changes to Stargate SG-1 and against how Mallomars are only a seasonal cookie, among other things.
Last month, the New Jersey Department of Transportation, in an attempt to ease Route 1 traffic congestion, removed the light at Nassau Park Boulevard and closed the jughandle at that intersection. While the light's removal improved traffic flow on Route 1, it meant people trying to get to the Nassau Park Pavillion had to use a different exit to get to the shopping center.
"They make it very hard to get in that shopping center now," Bernard said about why he decided to rage against the change on national television.
Being from Brooklyn, Bernard, who wouldn't reveal his age, said driving and jughandles were new to him to begin with.
"I got the whole thing down, and suddenly they start making these changes," Bernard said. "It makes no sense at all."
Bernard has become a hit on Internet message boards.
"This is fast becoming my favourite segment on `Late Night!' " wrote one person. "Keep up the great work Pierre . . . Maintain the RAGE!!!!"
Wrote another, "It's hilarious," and, "That guy is awesome.'
Another fan wrote, "We demand more rants from the recliner!!!!!!!"
Bernard said he's amazed by the attention he's received.
"It's just bizarre that this `Recliner of Rage' thing is touching people," he said with a chuckle.
© 2004 The Times
|*|(*)|*|(*)|*|
Morjana
SG1-Spoilergate
http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/SG1-Spoilergate/
Richard Dean Anderson Fans
http://movies.groups.yahoo.com/group/rdandersonfans/
Proof-Positive
http://tv.groups.yahoo.com/group/Proof-Positive
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