A Who Wore It Best poll? Glass: "no question, the dog would win it."

November 1, 2014 5:39 AM

Ira Glass dressed as a dog dressed as Ira Glass. A few days ago: "I learned on Twitter this weekend that the annual "Pupkin" Halloween dog costume contest in Fort Greene Brooklyn was won by a dog dressed as me. This is a level of fame I’ve never heard of before and I guess I feel ... um, flattered?" Subsequently: Elna Baker makes a costume. Result: Ira as dog as Ira.

More photos from The Great PUPkin, including dog-as-Ira at his desk.

posted by ocherdraco (26 comments total)

The dog-dressed-as-Ira-Glass is not only the most public-radio thing I've ever seen, it's also the most Fort-Greene thing I've ever seen.

(I love living there sometimes. I really really do.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:55 AM on November 1, 2014 [4 favorites]

We've got to go deeper.
posted by ardgedee at 6:01 AM on November 1, 2014 [2 favorites]

Deeper? Where would it end? Ira Glass dressing as a pheasant dressed as Ira Glass dressed as a cat dressed as Ira Glass dressed as a dog dressed as Ira Glass? We all know how that kind of malarkey ends, as a folk song.
posted by Kattullus at 6:06 AM on November 1, 2014 [15 favorites]

You've always wanted pheasant under Glass, though. Haven't you?
posted by ardgedee at 6:47 AM on November 1, 2014 [14 favorites]

My favorite Halloween costumes have this kind of turducken aspect to them. Zombie slutty nurse! Vampire George Washington! Minecraft pirate Captain America!
posted by Cash4Lead at 6:48 AM on November 1, 2014 [3 favorites]

Sexy Turducken!
posted by moonmilk at 6:51 AM on November 1, 2014 [19 favorites]

Maybe Ira took my post about how he thinks Shakespeare sucks to heart.
posted by mcstayinskool at 7:38 AM on November 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

But what was the dog's name? Shoddy journalism!
posted by bq at 8:38 AM on November 1, 2014 [2 favorites]

The dog is named Harper, and she's a really sweet rescue dog. Two years ago she was super skinny and afraid of everything, and now she's internet-famous!
posted by twoporedomain at 8:43 AM on November 1, 2014 [2 favorites]

Also, if now is a good time for self-linking, here is Norman and two of his friends as Emoji dogs

And for more event coverage, check out local artist Carly Larsson's drawings of the event
posted by twoporedomain at 8:51 AM on November 1, 2014

Obama is running out of opportunities to wear one of those current US president caricature masks that have been popular since Nixon at least. There is only one way to play it, if you're the actual president: Disguise your voice but avoid talking too much, but make sure to hang out close enough that someone is going to ask. At just the right moment when they comment about it.... Dramatically whip off the Obama mask and reveal the real face of ... Obama! Repeat boisterously until everyone has seen the joke at least once, better if it's two or three times.

"Hey-- ....you! Whoever you are, great mask- that's clever, an Obama caricature mask at the White House Halloween party! I bet Barack will love it and invites you to shoot hoops."

"You think that's clever.... Just wait until you see... one moment as I get ...urg... ....Behold! Who wears the joke Obama mask? It is I, the very same person on the mask! In other words, the President of the United States is dressed up as the President of the United States for Halloween! Ha! The look on your face is all I ever wanted from a lifetime of politics and campaigns. I've prepared so long for this moment. It's all so, so worth it. So very - satisfying. Yes. So very much. Fuck yes! Lame duck! Who's with me?

"Oh, have you seen Boehner yet? He's gonna fucking love this... He'll start laughing so hard he'll cough for weeks. I can't help it. There's something I love about that orange fucker, like the way he always tries to give you the full power of his rising baritone monologue when he's nervous, but like he's also gonna cry any minute. So funny... He'll let me bum smokes on the golf course and never gives me flack about it. Won't go anywhere near a game of HORSE, just utterly terrified about basketball on any level. You know... I bet I could give that dude a serious nuggie on top of his head in front of everyone, just like a little kid brother, and he'd laugh nervously and sweat in his suit and offer me a smoke. Oh, there he is! Wanna bet? $20, come on... I'm gonna wear the mask and talk with a British accent. I'm gonna blow his mind right outta his his fucking greasy tangerine..."

(for some reason I'm imagining Obama with Al Gore's large, effusive corny-dad sense of humor and terrible attempts at accents) "Oh, Hey, John! Johnny boy! Cheerio! What strange customs you have across the pond as we say, but why not join the fun I say. I say. Right. Why not, indeed. Yes, we've met before, in a manner of speaking...."
posted by krinklyfig at 8:55 AM on November 1, 2014 [10 favorites]

The dog dressed as Devo is the clear winner for me. But really, treats for everybody, especially the little dogs dressed as Ewoks.
posted by fifteen schnitzengruben is my limit at 8:57 AM on November 1, 2014

krinklyfig, you crazy <3
posted by Drexen at 8:57 AM on November 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

I am sad that the articles did not come with a Steal His Look section providing hilariously overpriced outfit suggestions.
posted by poffin boffin at 9:27 AM on November 1, 2014

Ira's little giggle as he took apart the mask was just adorable. I love this guy.
posted by jenfullmoon at 9:36 AM on November 1, 2014

it's hard to tell if Ira Glass is genuinely humble, or that annoying fake humble. In any case, thanks for posting.
posted by theora55 at 11:52 AM on November 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

I don't know how to tell you this, krinklyfig, but Obama was way ahead of you.
posted by Kattullus at 12:10 PM on November 1, 2014

The first episode of This American Life aired on November 17, 1995, making it 133 dog years old. That's one long American Dog's Life.
posted by oneswellfoop at 1:01 PM on November 1, 2014

it's hard to tell if Ira Glass is genuinely humble, or that annoying fake humble.

Is it hard? It's pretty damn easy for me. Latter.
posted by ReeMonster at 1:09 PM on November 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

It's pretty damn easy for me. Former.
posted by papercake at 3:17 PM on November 1, 2014 [2 favorites]

I don't know how to tell you this, krinklyfig, but Obama was way ahead of you.

Welp, I'd like to think that link is the most negative right-wing inflammatory slant available for the point you were demonstrating, but I don't really think it is. Sadly.

Is it just my browser, or does that site have poor browser etiquette for everybody? (Won't back out, loads random garbage instead, etc.)

I'm new here. Is there a flag for that sort of link?
posted by ProxybyMunchausen at 6:15 PM on November 1, 2014

Oh, and pardon the derail.

Nice story. Nice costumes. Thanks for sharing.
posted by ProxybyMunchausen at 6:16 PM on November 1, 2014

Ira wearing that dog costume looks more like I thought Ira did before I saw a picture of him than Ira himself does.

So maybe it's not that surprising that I think the best evidence that Ira's humility is as real as it gets comes from the episode about animal sacrifice in the third act (scroll down), which is devoted to his dog, a pitbull named Piney.

A small sample:

Piney goes Hulk during ordinary life circumstances. For instance, he feels he has to protect Anaheed from Ira in situations like she's asleep and Ira's awake.

Ira Glass
That's a daily occurrence.

Nancy Updike
And what does he do to protect her?

Ira Glass
He'll lunge at me as if to attack me. Including this morning, like many mornings, he woke me up at 5:30 in the morning to go out and pee. So I get up, and I put on clothes. And it's cold.

And I put on his leash and his muzzle, and find some plastic bags, and find my keys, and put on shoes, and go down five flights, and take him out. And he pees. And then I know as soon as we walk back into the apartment, because she's asleep, he'll then turn and try to kill me, or make a show of aggression. And I always feel like, dude, remember who's your friend. ...

posted by jamjam at 8:02 PM on November 1, 2014 [1 favorite]

ProxybyMunchausen: Welp, I'd like to think that link is the most negative right-wing inflammatory slant available for the point you were demonstrating, but I don't really think it is. Sadly.

Ah, dammit, that's embarrassing. I hadn't really looked at the article. It was just the only video of the sketch I could find that wasn't region-locked for me here in Finland. That'll teach me to just blindly follow Google to a video and not look at the surrounding article.
posted by Kattullus at 1:39 AM on November 2, 2014

Ah. That's a relief, Kattullus.

Happens to the best of us. And me, sometimes.
posted by ProxybyMunchausen at 8:29 AM on November 2, 2014 [1 favorite]

I'm glad this trend is finally catching on. I've been dressing my cat as Nina Totenberg for years now.
posted by typical npr listener at 10:07 AM on November 6, 2014 [1 favorite]