Photos of my amazing package: a Baratunde action figure!!!!

Yesterday, I got a note from C.C. Chapman. He asked if I had received my package yet. I didn't know what he was talking about, so I checked my Earth Class Mail box, and sure enough, there was a mysterious package waiting for me. Today I picked it up, opened it in the store and screamed. I saw myself! The clerk looked up at me, and I showed him the box. Here's our conversation:

"Dude, that's me!!"

"For real? Wow, yeah it is. That's cool."

"Dude, that's me!!"

We stared at each other for a few more awkward moments, and I looked through the rest of the box.

I had no idea why I had been turned into a fireman (ladies...), but there was a note inside which explained more. 

C.C. works for a marketing agency called Campfire, and CMT is launching a set of new shows on April 9. Collectively the shows are called Adventure Country, and they feature the stories of people who put themselves in harms way to save people and animals. The two shows are called Gator 911 and Danger Coast. The show seems to be set entirely in Florida.

I have never looked at any CMT programming. Ok, that's not quite true. When I first got cable in 1999 (yes, that's when I first got cable), I flipped through all the channels to see what I had been missing. A friend of mine was visiting, and we came across CMT really enjoyed the music video for Toby Keith's How Do You Like Me Now. It's still one of the best F-U moments in music history, I think.

That was the last time I watched CMT, but they've convinced me to give these new shows at least a shot. I hope they're posting the videos online somewhere though, cause I'm going cable-free again very soon. 

Note to all marketers out there. If you want to get my attention in a positive way 1) don't bastardize one of my musical and political heroes and 2) go ahead and make a one-of-a-kind action figure out of me! 

I'm still in shock, but this is pretty cool.