That takes me back

Today I had a commercial audition for Monsanto, and it occurred to me that my very first on-camera job was for them. Only I wasn't an actor at the time. This was when I was back at the PR agency. One of our clients was Nutrasweet, owned then (maybe still) by Monsanto.

At the time (and probably still) the Internet was running thick with unfounded assertions about the product's alleged negative health consequences. And this was maybe 1997ish -- so the population of users who who knew about and were regularly using the Internet back then was almost entirely made up of wackos (and scientists).

Anyway the client team was putting together a video, in a sort of a news show format, that laid out the arguments, pro and con. The purpose was to show to focus groups and figure out which messages were most and least effective. They brought me in to play a scientist.

So there I was in a lab coat, paraphrasing my talking points, and excited to be on camera. I thought I very persuasively made the case that Nutrasweet was the most tested food additive in the FDA's history and that dozens of studies have shown absolutely no link to headaches, tumors and other such nonsense.

Eager to know how I did, I asked later on what the focus group thought. Apparently they found me "not credible." Even though I was clearly identified as an "independent" scientist, the group thought I came across as a "hired gun," spouting the industry line. Ah, well.

Interestingly, today's role was "researcher" -- kind of close to scientist. But for a totally unrelated type of business. I had to check to see if the old gig was still on the resume and it was. I doubt it will make a difference either way, but I could use a new booking. It's been about a dozen auditions since my last one, so I think I'm due.