ThatGuy.com Educates About Problem Drinkers

Are you That Guy? Have you ever been That Guy? Do you know someone who was That Guy? I do. I've been That Guy before and vow to never be him or his many incarnations again.

Whom I am referring to is a special person that needs help, and he can be found everywhere You see, That Guy isn't popular, yet he shows up to many parties. No one really likes being around That Guy for a long time, yet he can be in many public places. That Guy thinks he's funny, but he's sad. When he's sad, no one wants to be around him. He thinks he's brave, but he scares us. That guy is an alcoholic with his own website, http://www.thatguy.com

Thatguy.com was launched in the fall of 2006. The Department of Defense spent $2 million in an effort to curb alcoholism amongst its military and hope that members don't become "that guy", the one who has too much to drink and acts stupid. Becoming "that guy" can lead to injuries, assaults, and deaths. Even though the target was young military members, the site grew in popularity amongst everyone and won a Webby in 2007 under the category of Health, eschewing 8,000 other nominees for the award.

So what can you expect from thatguy.com? It's not your usual "don't drink and drive" campaign, filled with car crash pictures and victim testimonies. In some aspects, thatguy.com seems to focus on the male ego and how he could look to others if he drinks too much. It combines humor with realism so effortlessly that you could find yourself laughing one minute at one of the "that guy" sections, and then lost in deep though about "hey, I was that jerk once."

Thatguy.com has a multi-media depth to it, offering video testimonies from people who have seen others act like "that guy". There is also a link to a blog for people to leave their "that guy" stories of things they've done or seen happen. One of the more interesting ones I read was about a guy who was so drunk he passed out on his friend's couch and peed on himself. What's worse was that he woke up late for a flight and was running out the house to catch a flight for the airport, except his flight was 2 hours away and he wasn't late. When he tried to get back in, he realized he had locked himself out of the house. So he stood outside in urine-soaked clothes for three hours with no phone, no wallet, and no keys. Ouch.

The sobering statistics are there, targeting everything from the basic health facts to the sexual performance information. According to the website with information pulled from a University of Michigan Study, "Drinking can make you unaware if you are performing poorly in bed". Not a reputation anyone wants.

Thatguy.com is a very attractive site with so many layers you could view it for hours. There's a section where people enter their best "you might be that guy if..." endings. Links for the Chris Farley Foundation are also present, an obvious tribute to the late comedian who reportedly was more than once too drunk or too stoned. "He was a hilarious guy, but when he had 'a few too many', lots of his friends would tell you he just wasn't very funny. Often, it was hard to watch" said his brother, Tom Farley, who is president of the Chris Farley Foundation.

And that seems to be the driving point for thatguy.com: You may think you are entertaining people by being that drunk, but really, you are hurting yourself and endangering others. Click on the "Who is that guy?" sign and look under "Anatomy of that guy," and you will be in for a treat of realism. Inside the "anatomy" are several action dolls that represent the incarnations of "that guy": The Comedian, the Angry Guy, the Dancer, the Downer, the Drama Queen (you could be that GIRL, too!), and the Life of the Party, the Player, and the Risky Guy. Each one explains why people watch, the risk factors of being around that person, and even sound clips of some things that those people have said. "Honestly, I don't even know why I go out anymore" moans the downer guy. Yep, I've heard THAT one many times!

Two-million dollars might seem like a lot to spend on an anti-drunk campaign, especially out of taxpayer money, but this site looks to be around for awhile and has enough realism to it that many may get the point: don't be a belligerent drunk and if you know someone like that, let them know. In fact, each one of those dolls has a tab next to them that allows you to e-mail a friend and let them know "hey, you were the Dancing Guy" and leave a message. This seems to be an excellent way to promote people being aware of the dangers of alcohol to themselves, their peers and others. Check out thatguy.com and see where you stand.