Do you know who Scott Rogowsky is? No? Well, then you’re among the vast majority of people in the world but, and this is a weighty “but,” the 28-year-old comic’s relative anonymity may soon blossom into fame, and maybe even a one-line Wikipedia entry that requires further citations — the most any of us struggling, silly folk can really hope for. “Why the bright forecast for Rogowsky?” You might ask. The answer: He manages to shamelessly self-promote while being funny and likable — a feat very few entertainers can pull off (Dane Cook, anyone?).
We first became acquainted with his unique brand of alluring obnoxiousness in July when we covered the man on the street antics he pioneered for Someecards, we’ve watched as he inked a partnership with MyDamnChannel to promote his weekly live comedy show, Running Late With Scott Rogowsky, and now Rogowsky’s caught our eye with a knowingly desperate Kickstarter plea called The Lorne Michaels Project. The upshot is Rogowsky is trying to raise $94.51 so he can buy an Edible Arrangement for Michaels in hopes of winning over NBC’s resident king of late night laughs and snagging the chance to fill Jimmy Fallon’s shoes now that he’s replacing Jay Leno.
Will Rogowsky get what he wants? Not likely, considering competition like Seth Myers and Chelsea Handler. Will he be remembered by Lorne Michaels? Probably not, no. But am I writing an article about Rogowsky’s quirky approach to getting his name known? Clearly. And now more people know his name and are smiling at his contagious enthusiasm for making it in a business where so few do. It’s this kind of determination that makes me think we’ll be seeing more of him and that gives me confidence in the power of the web as an instrument that all career-minded comics should wield without inhibition. You’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain. Take it from Rogowsky, the man who crowd-sourced $101 for a yummy bouquet of forget me not.
The Lorne Michaels Project, Part 1
The Lorne Michaels Project, Part 2
