Do You Know the Why Guy Mike Castellucci?

Have you heard of the Why Guy? If you haven't, then you aren't watching weeknights at 5 pm on Channel 8. There you will find the Why Guy, chasing down the stories from the most touching to the most unique. He will do almost anything for a story. In the past, he's sent words of encouragement to the Dallas Mavericks, climbed a tree to interview Dallas mayor Laura Miller and even went to Paris, Texas in search of Bigfoot.

Thankfully, getting an interview with Why Guy Mike Castellucci did not require me to climb a tree. He graciously took time out of his busy day to answer a few questions.

TW: I watched the special, Why TV, which you did last June. It was great!
MC: Wow, you watched the special...I'm impressed! Thanks!

TW: So, where did you go to college?
MC: I didn't go to college, but I almost made it through Longfellow Elementary. Actually, I went to the University of Northern Colorado, where I majored in Communication, minored in journalism.

TW: Where was your first reporting job?
MC: My first reporting job came in the wonderful metropolis of Grand Junction, Colorado, market 190. I believe they've climbed to market 189 though.

TW: How many stations have you worked for?
MC: I've worked for five TV stations: Grand Junction; Colorado Springs (market 99); San Diego (market 23); Los Angeles (market 2); and Dallas (market 6).

TW: Out of all of them, which place did you like the best (work and story related)?
MC: I liked Grand Junction because we were all young and hung out together morning, noon and night. All we did was work, then go to the Rodeway Inn by the airport and dance to "You spin me right round baby right round like a record baby right round round round." As far as stories and work go, I'd have to say L.A. was my favorite. It was a love/hate relationship though. You can imagine all the material out there.

TW: I have to ask this question, and I'm sure you've been asked this quite often, but where do you get your story ideas?
MC: I get my story ideas from co-workers coming up to me after seeing something...from emails...from just keeping my eyes peeled. It's easier telling you where I DON'T get story ideas-the police. Well actually that's false, they called me about a cat that had been living in the building that housed stolen and recovered items, drugs, and guns. He was a mouser that got caught in one of their swinging doors. He had surgery and was recovering when they called me. The story went to CNN.

TW: How did "Why Guy" get started and how long have you been doing it?
MC: Why Guy started in a meeting with bosses and consultants...they said "What do you think about Why Guy? It's short, it rhymes, and people might remember it." That was 4 years ago.

TW: Which Why Guy story is your favorite?
MC: I can never answer the favorite story question. All of them are unique in their own way. My goal with every story is to get one moment that's memorable, touching, or humorous. Given that, some that stand out in my mind include- Mr. Winkle. I did this story on a dog that looks like an alien in LA...whose owner started shooting him for a calendar. Leno saw it and had him on. He went to NY for the Today show. He became a star. He even has his own movie out. It was kind of neat to see it take off after we "discovered" him. I also like flying with the Blue Angels. We went faster than the speed of sound. We did rolls and spins. We flew upside down. I puked.

TW: How did you end up doing a story about Bigfoot in Paris, Texas?
MC: The Bigfoot story came about after I got a release from the company called Searching For Bigfoot.com They said they'd be traveling to Texas from California because of local reports that Bigfoot had been seen in a swampy ear north of Paris. We contacted them, set it up and spent the day with them.

TW: I'm sure that there is a story behind your comment "I like paste" on your page at WFAA. What is it?
MC: This is the story behind the I like paste line. I just put those things in to find out if people read them.

TW: Tell me about Background Man.
MC: They wanted me to do video blogs most everyday. From where my camera sits on my desk, it looks directly into Background Man's office. He was in the background on most of the early blogs. Then he became a character. We had Background Man t-shirts made and gave them away to viewers. They are highly coveted and in a very limited edition-like 25.

TW: Are there some things that you just won't do for a story? I'm thinking of the story you did with Laura Miller up in the tree. (I mentioned to him my recent rash of injuries, from pulled ligaments, strained shoulder and a broken toe, and that I would be hesitant to do some of the things he does!)
MC: I sure can understand about not wanting to do as much as we get older! Something's always wrong with me. I'm not stupid, but I'll do most things. I think the most dangerous these days is what the high school cheerleaders have me do at the Alarm Clock Pep Rallies. They throw me around like a rag doll. Have you seen an Alarm Clock Pep Rally?

TW: Usually you do a 2 - 4 minute segment for a newscast. How hard is it to do a half-hour special?
MC: Our real passion is doing the half hour shows. I think we're on to something with them and wish we could do more. Like you said, our segments on the news are very short, and we wanted to be able to do longer form stories and the only way to do it was with our own shows. The preparation for those is extensive. The preparation for segments on the news can range from a couple hours to a couple days depending on when they want a story on and how timely it is.

TW: You mentioned in one of your video blogs that you were going to have Background Man do a cupcake taste test. Any chance I can tag along and cover this historic moment?
MC: I think I'll go get cupcakes today! I'll save you a Red Velvet!

I want it noted for the record I never received my Red Velvet cupcake from Sprinkles, a new bakery in Dallas. I think Mike and Background Man ate it!

I'd like to send a big thank you to Mike Castelucci for talking with me. Tune in to WFAA (Channel 8 in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area) weeknights at 5 pm to see what Mike is up to. Check out his video blog at WFAA's website, where you will also find his weeknight segments.