1976 Video: Howard Rheingold, Martian Anthropologist

Howard Rheingold says:

In 1976, Jim Neidhardt put one of the first Sony Portapaks in a backpack and used a telephoto lens. Equipped with a radiomike, I roamed the streets of the San Francisco Bay Area, posing as Howard K. Martian, extraterrestrial anthropologist. Episodes were cablecast in the earliest days of public access cable TV.

I've rescued a few episodes from deteriorating 30 year old videotape and repackaged them for digital distribution. For the next few weeks, episodes on my vlog will show me racing a cable car, interrogating a primitive computer, and interviewing baffled citizens on the streets of San Francisco.

Link

[#1 posted by Per Ole Lind , February 11, 2008 6:49 PM]

Wow! This is brilliant ... Howard K Martian must have been the main inspiration source for "Uncle travelling Mac" from The Fraggles '90 tv-series? I love the last Q: "Do the earthling drivers own the vehicles or do the vehicles own the drivers?"

[#2 posted by papiermeister , February 11, 2008 7:31 PM]

"...and hillarity ensues..."

[#3 posted by Paul Maurice Martin , February 11, 2008 8:55 PM]

I think the term "Martian Anthropoligist" might be confusing...

Paul - originalfaith.com

[#4 posted by DeWynken , February 12, 2008 1:33 AM]

Hah #1 totally beat me on the Fraggles, although they were more like early 80's ;)

(thank G$d the 90s weren't like the 80s dude..how could you mix that up?)

[#5 posted by jmoid , February 12, 2008 3:54 AM]

This looks great, thanks for the link. There used to be a show on TV in the UK, years ago, that showed a selection of cable-access shows, it's disappointing that more of them haven't turned up on YouTube etc... or they hadn't last time I looked anyway.

[#6 posted by Rance Mohanitz , February 12, 2008 11:52 AM]

Is this the same guy as the pro wrester Jim "The Anvil" Niedhardt? I can't seem to find anything about it online.