Bailouts, Ball-caps, Chit-Chat, and the Birth of a Commercial August 7, 2009The Water Cooler some interesting points about my appearance in some recent Ford ads. At issue, is the level of authenticity in past spots, as compared to the Mike you know from Dirty Jobs.
I want to show you one of the most recent commercials I shot for Ford. It’s called “The Plan,” and I’m fairly certain that it will not ...read more...
Safety Third – Huh?? August 3, 2009So, you are asking yourself, what is going on? The man that has graced the cover of Grainger’s safety catalog and has done public service announcements for the Army’s “Own the Edge” campaign, is now publicly taking the position that safety is not important? How dare he? What kind of role model is this for a man that frequently finds ...read more...
So… The New Site is Like the Old Site Only Newer and Dirtier July 27, 2009July, 2009
Aloha, from somewhere over the Pacific. As I prepare to re-enter the contiguous 48 for the second time this month, I can finally begin to see the light at the end of a particularly nasty tunnel of production – one that has succeeded in kicking my butt harder and more consistently than any of its predecessors. Not that I’m ...read more...
25 Ways to Jump Start the Auto Industry – Mike’s Alt Version July 20, 2009Mike often writes articles for magazines but because of issues like space constraints, his work is often edited down. We thought it might be interesting to post what Mike actually wrote for this one in particular a few years’ back for Fast Company.
25 Ways to Jump Start the Auto Industry (unabridged)
Mike Rowe is the Executive Producer of Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe, and the ...read more...
How Will You Know If mikeroweWORKS Is A Success? July 7, 2009I know that mikeroweWORKS is not even a year old, so this is probably going to be an impossible question to answer. What has to happen for you to consider this a success? Is merely getting the word out to the masses and those in power enough? Do programs have to be started/implemented? Does trade school enrollment have to bump ...read more...
U.S. News: Why Dirty Jobs are Green July 1, 2009The Discovery Channel star explains the nitty-gritty of Dirty Jobs
By Liz Wolgemuth
Posted: July 1, 2009
Mike Rowe’s moment of illumination was properly cringe-inducing for a man whose television show is called Dirty Jobs. The articulate and intrepid Discovery Channel star was in the middle of a lamb castration, weighing the widely used method of wrapping bands above the animal’s testicles to ...read more...
United We Stand? Are Unions Still Relevant Today? June 30, 2009What are your views on the effectiveness and usefulness of Union organizations and the decision to go on strike to achieve their goals and demands?
The role of unions, and their relevance, has changed over the years. Personally, I’m of the mind that certain industries still justify their existence, while other do not. But one thing is certain – once a ...read more...
Father’s Day al Fresco Fiasco – by Mike Rowe June 19, 2009When I was eight years old, my Father bought a picnic table at a yard sale for a dollar. A whole picnic table, complete with two separate benches.
For one dollar.
He brought the thing home in the back of the old station wagon – the one with fake wood paneling on the side – and summoned his wife and sons to ...read more...
Career Choice Priorities June 6, 2009Letter to Mike and company
I saw your talk on TED.tv..and wanted to tell you.. I have a 19 year old son who watches your program religiously. He’s a very bright kid; talked for a long time about going into law. A year or so ago..I stopped hearing so much about that. He graduates from highschool in a week or so. ...read more...
What Color Is Your Collar and Does It Limit or Matter When Looking For The “Good Life”? June 2, 2009From the MRW Water Cooler
In reading some of your writings I wondered if you feel blue-collar workers are better, work harder or are happier than white-collar workers? Is wishing for a better life for our children limited to one or the other “collars” or is it just the universal hope for “the good life” for our families? — M
The reason ...read more...
William of Occam, the American Economy and Jumping Off Buildings – huh? June 1, 2009From the MRW Water Cooler:
Q: At the risk of sounding like an anarchist, or worse, “anti-American” (whatever the hell that means) can I postulate the obvious..Ocham’s Razor, as it were…
Won’t most Consumers want to pay the best price for the best version of the commodity they wish to purchase, be it a car or a house or a Washing Machine? ...read more...
From the Water Cooler: Ford Pays for its Prudence May 30, 2009May 30, 2009
I was waiting at the Toyota dealer for my 30,000 checkup, it took forever. While sitting with other people in the same situation (i.e. trapped without our vehicles) we began talking, of course about cars and bailouts and dealerships. Several people said their next car would be a Ford, they wanted to reward them for not taking bailout ...read more...
Mike Rowe – So, where were we… May 26, 2009May 25, 2009
Ah yes, I remember – changing the way the way the country feels about hard work, celebrating the trades, and challenging the prevailing definition of a “good job.” It’s all coming back to me. Forgive my scarcity here of late – distractions mount from all sides, as vocation and vacation collide with personal injury and holiday festivities.
Let’s work backwards. ...read more...
Mike Rowe – Maximist or Minimalist? May 19, 2009From Mike’s forum on Discovery:
Q: I was wondering have your views changed on being a minimalist? I have a friend who has a lot of money. I hate to spend money. I have always said I would never pay a lot for a car, but my friend just paid $100,000 for a vehicle, to her that was inexpensive. She feels ...read more...
Mike’s Initial Launch Mission Video Transcript May 3, 2009Monday, September 1, 2008
“Ok, Here we go…Hello America, it’s me, Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe here to talk to you on Labor Day at approximately 6:15 in the evening from my “palatial” home in beautiful San Francisco about mikeroweworks.com. I figured Labor Day would be the perfect day to talk to you about this website because it ...read more...
July, 2009
Aloha, from somewhere over the Pacific. As I prepare to re-enter the contiguous 48 for the second time this month, I can finally begin to see the light at the end of a particularly nasty tunnel of production – one that has succeeded in kicking my butt harder and more consistently than any of its predecessors. Not that I’m ... read more...
I know that mikeroweWORKS is not even a year old, so this is probably going to be an impossible question to answer. What has to happen for you to consider this a success? Is merely getting the word out to the masses and those in power enough? Do programs have to be started/implemented? Does trade school enrollment have to bump ... read more...
The Discovery Channel star explains the nitty-gritty of Dirty Jobs
By Liz Wolgemuth
Posted: July 1, 2009
Mike Rowe’s moment of illumination was properly cringe-inducing for a man whose television show is called Dirty Jobs. The articulate and intrepid Discovery Channel star was in the middle of a lamb castration, weighing the widely used method of wrapping bands above the animal’s testicles to ... read more...
What are your views on the effectiveness and usefulness of Union organizations and the decision to go on strike to achieve their goals and demands?
The role of unions, and their relevance, has changed over the years. Personally, I’m of the mind that certain industries still justify their existence, while other do not. But one thing is certain – once a ... read more...
When I was eight years old, my Father bought a picnic table at a yard sale for a dollar. A whole picnic table, complete with two separate benches.
For one dollar.
He brought the thing home in the back of the old station wagon – the one with fake wood paneling on the side – and summoned his wife and sons to ... read more...
Letter to Mike and company
I saw your talk on TED.tv..and wanted to tell you.. I have a 19 year old son who watches your program religiously. He’s a very bright kid; talked for a long time about going into law. A year or so ago..I stopped hearing so much about that. He graduates from highschool in a week or so. ... read more...
Monday, September 1, 2008
“Ok, Here we go…Hello America, it’s me, Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe here to talk to you on Labor Day at approximately 6:15 in the evening from my “palatial” home in beautiful San Francisco about mikeroweworks.com. I figured Labor Day would be the perfect day to talk to you about this website because it ... read more...