March 17th, 2009 / 11:27 am
 Author Spotlight

Literary Doppelgangers: Douglas Coupland/Norm MacDonald

Levi Asher, over at Literary Kicks, linked to Jimmy Chen’s post on literary doppelgangers, but seemed disappointed by Jimmy’s not having mentioned Douglas Coupland/Norm MacDonald.

Well, Levi, it took me a long time to find a suitable Douglas Coupland picture, so here you go.

I have never read any Douglas Coupland, though I have seen some Norm MacDonald. Men At Work is one of my favorites. Man, when they shoot that guy in the butt with an air rifle. And then they think they killed him. And so they stuff him in a trash can. Hilarious.

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Both Doug (can I call him Doug?) and Norm are from Canada. Wikipedia tells me that Norm’s father, Percy, served in the Canadian Army during WWII and helped liberate the Netherlands. Maybe that’s where Norm gets his sense of humor?

Doug seems to have changed his hairstyle since having the above picture taken. Now he’s bald and serious:

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Douglas Coupland, author of SHAMPOO PLANET

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, it was Dirty Work? Goddamn it.

 

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25 Comments

  1. March 17th, 2009 / 3:58 pm Gian—

      Am I fucked up or do these two guys look absolutely nothing like one another? Maybe it’s me. I’m willing to accept that.

  2. March 17th, 2009 / 11:58 am Gian—

      Am I fucked up or do these two guys look absolutely nothing like one another? Maybe it’s me. I’m willing to accept that.

  3. March 17th, 2009 / 4:04 pm Adam Robinson—

      I was pretty into Douglas Coupland 12 years ago. I think Shampoo Planet is okay. Generation X ends on a sublime note. Life After God was my favorite I think. Then I read All Families Are Psychotic.

      All Families are Psychotic is the worst book of all time.

      I read an interview with him. He says that he really values a good night’s sleep. Like, above everything else. He’ll skip all obligations if it means he doesn’t get a full 8 hours, or something. That, I think, is really cool.

  4. March 17th, 2009 / 12:04 pm Adam Robinson—

      I was pretty into Douglas Coupland 12 years ago. I think Shampoo Planet is okay. Generation X ends on a sublime note. Life After God was my favorite I think. Then I read All Families Are Psychotic.

      All Families are Psychotic is the worst book of all time.

      I read an interview with him. He says that he really values a good night’s sleep. Like, above everything else. He’ll skip all obligations if it means he doesn’t get a full 8 hours, or something. That, I think, is really cool.

  5. March 17th, 2009 / 4:08 pm peter—

      Men at Work? What are you talking about? Men at Work is Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen. Are you thinking of Dirty Work, a horrible, stupid Norm film. but you didn’t just get the name wrong, you reference a scene that is obviously absent one Norm MacDonald. So you’ve never read one’s work, you think the other is emilio estevez, and someone this is all worth posting.

  6. March 17th, 2009 / 12:08 pm peter—

      Men at Work? What are you talking about? Men at Work is Emilio Estevez and Charlie Sheen. Are you thinking of Dirty Work, a horrible, stupid Norm film. but you didn’t just get the name wrong, you reference a scene that is obviously absent one Norm MacDonald. So you’ve never read one’s work, you think the other is emilio estevez, and someone this is all worth posting.

  7. March 17th, 2009 / 4:14 pm Gian—

      I do like the part in Billy Madison where Norm and the fat guy are floating in the pool and the fat guy asks, “What day is it?”

      Norm responds, “November.”

  8. March 17th, 2009 / 12:14 pm Gian—

      I do like the part in Billy Madison where Norm and the fat guy are floating in the pool and the fat guy asks, “What day is it?”

      Norm responds, “November.”

  9. March 17th, 2009 / 4:36 pm Ryan Call—

      thank you for commenting

  10. March 17th, 2009 / 12:36 pm Ryan Call—

      thank you for commenting

  11. March 17th, 2009 / 5:21 pm Jonny Ross—

      I see it. Though a younger pic of McDonald would make it more obvious. Somethig from his Weekend Update days?

      P.S. What the hell happened to Norm McDonald?

  12. March 17th, 2009 / 1:21 pm Jonny Ross—

      I see it. Though a younger pic of McDonald would make it more obvious. Somethig from his Weekend Update days?

      P.S. What the hell happened to Norm McDonald?

  13. March 17th, 2009 / 6:30 pm Matthew Simmons—

      They seem to sort of have the same smirk in the top two pictures.

  14. March 17th, 2009 / 2:30 pm Matthew Simmons—

      They seem to sort of have the same smirk in the top two pictures.

  15. March 17th, 2009 / 6:32 pm Ryan Call—

      i am a failure

  16. March 17th, 2009 / 2:32 pm Ryan Call—

      i am a failure

  17. March 17th, 2009 / 6:45 pm Blake Butler—

      yes to Billy Madison

  18. March 17th, 2009 / 2:45 pm Blake Butler—

      yes to Billy Madison

  19. March 17th, 2009 / 6:46 pm Blake Butler—

      um, dude, Dirty Work is the shit. get outta my face.

  20. March 17th, 2009 / 2:46 pm Blake Butler—

      um, dude, Dirty Work is the shit. get outta my face.

  21. March 17th, 2009 / 8:38 pm peter—

      i would waaaay rather listen to or watch norm macdonald than read any douglas copeland

  22. March 17th, 2009 / 4:38 pm peter—

      i would waaaay rather listen to or watch norm macdonald than read any douglas copeland

  23. March 17th, 2009 / 8:57 pm davidpeak—
  24. March 17th, 2009 / 4:57 pm davidpeak—
  25. March 17th, 2009 / 8:04 pm pr—

      haha Nice post Ryan. I liked Gen X but I read it 15 years ago when it was “timely”. I have no idea bout any of the movies anyone mentions because I am assuming there were no vampires involved and I only watch movies with vampires.