Okay, I take back the "fake stoner" comment

Remember the character of “Steven”, from the previous generation of Dell Computer commercials? The guy who epitomized commercial fake-stoner-chic? Turns out that he’s not so fake after all…

New York, Feb. 10 (Bloomberg) — Actor Benjamin Curtis, who plays Steven, the young man who said “Dude, you’re getting a Dell!” in Dell Computer Corp. advertisements, was arrested in Manhattan for carrying a small bag of marijuana, police said.

Of course, arresting someone for possession of a drug as benign as weed is, in this accordion player’s opinion, silly. I worked as a DJ at a bar for five years and have played gigs for past ten and have had a chance to see people both drunk and stoned, and the stoners by far are a more pleasant crowd than the drunkards. In three years of busking, I’ve ended up breaking a dozen fights between guys who’ve had too much to drink; meanwhile, the most anti-social thing that someone who’s smoked up has done to me is eat all my fries when I told him he could have some (Drummer Slut Drew, I’m looking your way).

Well, best of luck with the legal battle, Steven/Benjamin. If you ever come Toronto way, do drop me a line and we’ll have…um…brownies or something. And — if you computer spokespeople do hang out together — bring that cute Janie Porche with you. I’ll bet she’s into accordions.