Author Tucker Max makes a stop at the Lyric in Blacksburg Thursday evening as part of a tour to promote his new film, "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell."The movie is based on stories included in a book of the same name.
A graduate of the University of Chicago and Duke Law School, Max has also posted his writings on his Web site, TuckerMax.com. After the premiere of his movie at 7 p.m., Max will answer questions from the audience.
Before his visit, he spoke with the Collegiate Times over the phone.
Collegiate Times: What's the best way to describe your new movie?
Tucker Max: I think a good way to describe the movie is it's a really funny, raunchy, plus heartfelt comedy.
CT: Do you think there are any movies that you would compare it to?
TM: I'm telling you, almost everyone who has seen the movie has said, "I don't know what to compare this to." It's very, very unique in so many ways. I personally would compare it to maybe "Office Space," because that's one of my favorite comedies of all time and definitely an influence to me in my writing style, but it's not like that at all in almost any relevant way. It's very, very different. It's much edgier, much raunchier and much sharper in a lot of ways, not taking anything away from "Office Space." It's a brilliant movie, and (writer and director) Mike Judge is a genius. That's the closest thing I could say, but it's not even fair. You're just going to have to see this movie. Just like my book, what book would you compare mine to? Really, people try to compare it to other books, but none of the comparisons really work, which is why the New York Times said I invented a new genre. I think the movie is kind of the same thing. It's very, very different and new and fresh and raunchy.
CT: The movie ties a lot of your favorite stories into the plotline. What was one of the stories you wanted to try to incorporate into this film but weren't able to?
TM: There's a bunch that I wanted to make into a movie.
CT: Any one in particular?
TM: I mean, clearly the Vegas story would make an awesome movie, but that's not in this at all. Clearly the butt sex story would be good in this movie, but that's not in this at all. You just can't put everything in one movie. You just kind of have to pick and choose. But, if this movie does as well as I think it will, then we'll do sequels, and those stories will be put in.
CT: But you are thinking sequels then?
TM: Right now I'm thinking about this movie only. I think this is a great movie, and I think it's going to do really well, because people will really like it, and it's really funny. But it has to do well first. If it does well, then absolutely we'll want to do more.
CT: You've been doing this tour to promote your movie, but what kind of reaction have you been receiving?
TM: People love it. It's a really funny movie, and it's a really good movie, and people are really reacting positively to it.
CT: What did you think of seeing an on-screen version of yourself?
TM: It was not quite as weird as you might think. It's sort of like anything, if you do it enough, then you get used to it. I think that was the situation here. Plus, Matt (Czuchry) also did such an amazing job playing the Tucker Max character, that he took the character in new places. He was better at playing me than I am. He created something new, something that when I watch I don't think that's me, I think that's someone that's inspired by me.
CT: You're currently ranked 43rd on Time Magazine's online list of the 100 most influential people. How does it feel to be ranked ahead of Brad Pitt, Hillary Clinton, the Dalai Lama and the Pope?
TM: Well I mean, clearly that's a little ridiculous, because I'm not more influential than the Pope, I'm not more influential than Hillary Clinton. To be totally honest, it's just nice. I worked so long and so hard that it's nice to even make the list. Just being nominated is enough for me.
CT: You've been doing a lot of writing for your Web site and books. What kind of influences do you see in your writing?
TM: The people that have influenced me most are John Kennedy Toole, who wrote the book, "Confederacy of Dunces," which if you have not read, you totally should, it's one of the best books ever written. Probably "Cyclops," those are the two biggest books that have helped me figure out my own style. I started off imitating them, and it was really crappy. Any time you try to be someone else, it sucks. By doing that, I found my own style.
CT: What is some advice you would give to somebody who's aspiring to be a writer who wants to create their own voice?
TM: The best advice I've ever gotten on being a writer is you should only be a writer if you feel like you have something you need to say. Don't try to be something you're not. Be raw, and authentic and honest, and that will come through in your writing, and people will respond.
CT: At some of your previous events, in particular your event at Ohio State, you've been protested by people who think your writing is offensive, sexually degrading, even promoting rape. How do you respond to claims like that?
TM: It's only happened once, and it's happened in a place where people were trying to use me and my fame to promote their own agenda. It's ridiculous, dude. I mean, maybe you can actually help me understand this, but I don't know. I don't know what book they're reading, where they're getting these ideas, but it's clearly not mine. None of the stuff they're writing about is in my books that I have wrote.
CT: One sign from the protest I remember seeing was from the butt sex story, where you wrote, "I was going to videotape her without her consent." I think that's something people latched on to.
TM: If you read the story, you know that's taken completely out of context. The way they were trying to use that quote, they were trying to make it look like I was hooking up with her without her consent, which is preposterous. Granted, I didn't tell her I was going to videotape her, and that was fucked up, that was wrong, and there's no question that's wrong. That's a world away from assaulting someone. Not even within the discussion.
CT: What would you say to someone who might be offended by writings and the works that you do?
TM: Don't read it! There's a lot of stuff that offends me, and I don't read it.
CT: A lot of your stories describe you meeting women in different places. Where do guys go wrong in pursuing women?
TM: The thing I feel guys do wrong is that most guys think being cool is about wearing certain clothes, or saying certain things, or acting a certain way, and that's all wrong. The definition of being cool is being comfortable with who you are. I know guys who are huge video game nerds who are really cool guys, because they just are who they are, they're not trying to pretend to be something they're not.
That's all I've ever been, is just myself, and that works out great for me. Most guys try to be someone else and that's where they go wrong. They just need to be cool with who they are, whatever that is.
CT: What's something an average Tech student can take from your work?
TM: There's a lot to take. The big three things you should take are: One, it's entertainment, so you should take as humor, and laugh at it. Two, I think you should maybe take it as one guy's set of life experiences, that I can learn from, the good and the bad. Third, a lot of college students get told they have to do the same thing everybody else does to succeed, go to the right schools and all that sort of stuff. I'm sure that it's not true. Students can take a non-traditional path, and be very happy and do very well.
CT: You've talked about college students going down the safe route. Why is it important for students to pursue different options? TM: It's a good question. When you're young, you hardly know anything about the world. The way to learn is experience, and if you lock yourself down one path, and you never look anywhere else, you miss a lot of the diversity that goes on around the world, and you miss a lot of life.
What I did, and what I think is a smart thing to do, is experience a lot of different things, and let yourself be open for a lot of different paths. If you do that, you can find the one that's right for you, not the one that other people think you should be on.
CT: How do you see yourself? Do you consider yourself to be a good person?
TM: Of course! I don't know anyone who consciously goes out and says ,"I'm going to do bad things because I'm a bad person." Of course I consider myself a good person.
CT: So no regrets?
TM: Hold on, those are very different questions. Of course I regret some things that I've done. There's no way you can live life and take risks and not have regrets. Just because I regret certain actions doesn't mean I think I'm a bad person. Everyone makes mistakes, just because you make a mistake doesn't mean you're a bad person, it just means you made a mistake. Maybe you'll learn from it, but if you correct it, you can work from it.
CT: So are you excited to come to Blacksburg?
TM: Dude, of course. I've never been to Blacksburg, and I've always wanted to go, and I'm very excited. It should be a great time.