Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Is That A Flat-Rate Envelope in His Pocket, Or Is the Postmaster General Just Glad To See You?













When the TV commercial came on during a playoff game over the weekend, I had a revelation: “That’s it!” I shouted. “That’s why the new Postmaster General looks so familiar.”

It was one of those Postal Service “If it fits, it ships” ads for Priority flat-rate boxes and envelopes, with the same alleged letter carrier who’s been featured all along – starting long before I know who Pat Donahoe was. (I say “alleged” because a letter carrier with that much heft would never last this long on a walking route; he would become an ex-carrier, AKA postal clerk.)

The guy in the ads looks a bit younger than Donahoe, but Hollywood can do amazing things with makeup and technology. Otherwise, the similarity is striking – same head shape, same eyes, same toothy smile, same white-boy-from-the-Midwest haircut.

A postal official outed Donahoe a few months ago as the supposed writer of Dead Tree Edition. (See D. Eadward Tree Unmasked!.) Now I realize he’s also been moonlighting the past several years as an actor in Postal Service commercials, no doubt to save the agency some money.

The USPS is, after all, a government entity that must keep its marketing expenses to the bare minimum. What, you wanted it to blow millions of dollars on endorsements from doped-up athletes?

The official word is that the actor in those Postal Service commercials is a comedian and former Second City cast member named Mike Bradecich, who blogs under the name EgoCock “Because He Was Born With More of Each Than Anyone Could Possibly Know What To Do With."

Really, Pat! Do you think that qualifies you to run the Postal Service -- or to write an anonymous blog?

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is an incredible likeness. I have always thought the PO spent way too much in advertizing. Newspaper articles and reports never tell you the actual wasteful spending. We only hear the same old song about overfunding and loss of volume. The new PMG says we need to cut costs and increase revenue. No $hit. Tell us something new. Make some real changes. Congress should demand some real answers from postal execs about it's liabilities and wasteful spending and salaries. That's where the PO's money is going. Maybe the PMG should do a commercial, start drumming up revenue himself. He should visit as many distribution facilities as possible to get in touch with the real issues.

Anonymous said...

I don't think "heft" corresponds with being a city carrier. While usually true, I do know one city carrier who is well over 300 lbs. Not sure how he does it but he's been at it for years and is close to retirement.

Anonymous said...

great clerk/carrier comment...sort of like journalists who cant write for a real magazine write for blogs......

Anonymous said...

Instead of "messing" with carrier routes,and clerk times on the clock, focus on the ISSUES we have currently. We have toooo many chiefs that do little to nothing and NOT enough indians to fight (without proper UNION assistance) the battle of the PO making up rules on a daily basis to their advantage.. Even if, it is in violation of a contract!!!!