The NPH Incident

You think I am not going to talk about the Book People Incident and how I butterfly effected the 2015 Oscar monologue?  Cuz I am going to talk about the Book People Incident and how I butterfly effected the 2015 Oscar monologue.  Finally, the story is captured in perpetuity on its own Gabbing Geek Page!

After bragging of the film’s quotability on an early Podcast,and then failing to get a large number of folks to deliver one single quote at an Austin Comic Convention, Ryan issued a critical double dog dare.

I was at the Austin institution Book People with my kids lined up for an autograph session for Neil Patrick Harris’ new autobiography.  Ryan was waiting across the street with his youngest son while his wife Sara and their oldest son waited in line with me and the boys (thankfully, because that is the only reason Ryan believes what happened next).

The whole time we are in line, Ryan is taunting me about Clue and daring me to ask NPH if he can name a quote.

The Garcias and my boys get their books autographed.  NPH could not have been more of a gentleman; giving Besher tips on Broadway performances and giving How I Met Your Mother superfan Clayton a HIGH FIVE and noticing that he “suited up”.

When my turn came, I took a deep breath and, before I lost my nerve, blurted out , “Ok, Harris! Settle a bet for me!  Can you name one quote from the movie Clue?”

Harris went cold. I am sure he feared a brutal rape was in his near future due to my brashness.  But then…SUDDENLY…a look of steely resolve overcame him and you could tell he was thinking “I can do this!”

He then drew his breath, and belted out… IN ACCENTED ENGLISH, “Good shot, Green!  VERY GOOD!”

The Garcia and Watson clans went crazy.  Sara grabbed a photo of me thrusting my fists in the air, triumphant. In the background, NPH has a look of smug satisfaction that screamed “NAILED IT!”

Once informed, Ryan was clearly devastated, as he is a huge fan of Harris’s Tony winning performance in Hedgewig and the Angry Inch.

Later it was announced that NPH would host the Oscars, and during an ask me anything chat on Twitter, he noted that his favorite movie that could never win an Oscar was…Clue.  We started teasing Ryan mercilessly.  Our Canadian Geek, Jimmy, even said “Ryan, if Harris mentions Clue in his monologue, you are done for!” We all laughed.  Especially Jimmy…

Then, on Oscar night we were all gathered at my house for the telecast.  With fellow Gabbing Geek host Jenny and many other friends crowding the living room, Ryan and I sat on the floor.

Harris, a classic song and dance man, broke into his homage of classic cinema.

I figure you can guess what happens next…or you read the billboard I paid for outside Ebbing, Missouri explaining the story… That’s right.  Neil Patrick Harris included the movie Clue in his montage. Here is a video of the monologue. Start it at about the 2 minute mark for the Clue reference.  Watch the whole thing for a master as his peak…

Everyone in the room went crazy!

Everyone except for a single person.  To his eternal shame, Ryan knew it was over for him.  He would live.

But he would not live well…

On his death bed, as Sara and the boys begin to say farewell to their beloved husband and father, I am going to push them out of the way, look that son of a bitch in his cold, dying eyes and say… IN ACCENTED ENGLISH, “Good shot, Green!  VERY GOOD!”