Saturday, June 6, 2009

I Want to be Your Viagra Guy

The Hard Sell - firming up the facts (ie. "peaking" at the book that inspired the movie)

Jamie Reidy is to the pharmaceutical business what Jerry Maguire was to professional sports and Frank Abagnale (Catch Me If You Can) was to bank fraud. (Hey Tom, Hey Leo!) He's the guy who's been there, done that, and walked away with the insider stories. You'll say cool guy and at the same time, you'll be shocked by the realities of the world that paid his salary.

The book is a witty expose of an industry that touches nearly everyone in contemporary America. It reveals the questionable practices of drug reps, nurses, and even physicians. Reidy traced his ups and downs as a rep for giant drug manufacturer Pfizer, maker of some of the most widely prescribed and used drugs in existence, including Viagra.

With equal parts self-confidence and self-mockery, he tells it like it is in the drug-selling trenches at local doctors' offices.

Making his rounds, using free food as a way of getting into the doctor's office behind the office staff. He learned which doctors like to be chatted up on sports, Pfizer's stock values, or his dating experiences. He was good at his job. He also learned to be good at faking being good at his job. He learned how to fudge his visit books and sample signatures to make it seem he was making far more calls than he really was. He was really really good at his job.


Most of the book is about becoming and being a drug rep, and just getting by as a slacker. It is only toward the end of the book that baldy blue Viagra ("Vitamin V") tales begin. Being a seller of Viagra came with the unexpected benefit that everyone was curious about his work and proud of the fine job he was doing; one doctor even introducing him to a waiting room full of men as "The Viagra Guy," which he got a standing O.

Now the movie is supposed to have Annie falling for Jake. Here's hoping that HW doesn't reformulate the story so much that it's so generic it doesn't get a rise.

13 comments:

destiny said...

Story in the NYT about Peter Jacksopn making his first appearance at Comic Con this yearN and Cameron is thinking about bringing Avatar. No mention of POP, although the complete film schedule is not set yet. You can bet everyone will be talking about Jackson and Avatar if it is shown.

No chance yet to see Austin's latest post, that will have to wait until I am bck from my mini vacay.

Florida Tom said...

Good move Destiny. Enjoy your mini vacay. keep the treat till you come back:-(

The girls in Boston better be having a good time.

Clarity said...

I second that Tom. I hope the girls are having a great time.

IHJ gallery said...

June 6 - Reeke "Shopping" In SoHo, NYC

m said...

That story line sounds boring to me. About as exciting as the Nailed plot line. Oh well, at least he got a job.

:) said...

Let's hope so.

So far Twitter is the only source, no confirmation from more reliable sources.

wow! said...

They look STUNNING!!












lol.

Florida Tom said...

The Clampetts in NYC. Nice shirt Jake. Why dont you try washing it. That dress looks like something my 90 yo Grandma wears. I cant take the glamour.

Meg said...

'The Clampetts in NYC'.. Jersey Tom, that really is very good.

They certainly don't look that fabulous do they, it says something the body guard / driver looks better than the a-listers he's protecting (and I know, where do they think they're shopping, downtown Medellin).

Hope you're enjoying your OMG get together.

Special K said...

Haven't they thrown out the old fashion rules that your hat,your purse and your shoes all must match? The only thing they really don't match is the style of dress. Then again maybe that was the point to be so incongruous to stand out even more. Still wonder if they actually spent time during the week together at all, or it was just a weekend photo op. Imagine that with filming starting soon that she is busy with rehearsals and preproduction that planner was all scheduled up.


Hopefully I haven't driven PG and Wicked too crazy, or dragged them about Boston too much yesterday. But have had a long day of fun yesterday and hopefully another day of ahead.

flf said...

Just boring....

prairie girl said...

The cool thing? I can get on here & type, type, type and know I'm not going to lose my comment because, hee, I'm typing on Special's laptop and I know the new post isn't going to come up and blow my comment!!

There aren't any hot Wi Fi spots in Special's neighborhood but that's okay because we haven't been here at Homebase a whole lot anyways.

Hi everybody!!!!
I sure miss talking on here with you all, but we are having a really good time so I hope you all forgive us for not being on here yesterday. I'm sure Wicked may have something to say on here as she doesn't even have her laptop with her.
Special & I took the ferry after I de-planed. It was a fantastic ride, though a bit chilly so we had to get under cover. We saw alot yesterday - Fenway, Quincy Market, and the north end was THE BEST!!!! I could live there! Quincy Market was fantastic, too - it is a fun, colorful, active place with alot of shops and their food court is AWESOME!!!! It is the ultimate of food courts. They have everything you can imagine and I felt like I could've eaten something from every single place if it wouldn't have cost me all the $$ I had on me, lol. I had a Greek gyro wrap that was so good and a taste of some pizza that Special had. I guess you fold your pizza here. It was cheese pizza and it was great. I didn't try Wicked's uh, curry thing because I can't do anything spicier than T-Bell Mild.

And it was the kick off for Gay Pride Week. It was a buffet of eye candy for this Midwesterner. Special just said that she's glad they could provide it for me, lol!!! Wicked told me not to even "go there" or get too excited because, it's not even within my shopping district, LOLLLL!!!!
I said hey, I can still look, can't I?
But not only that, but there are just all kinds of guys here and they're not all toting a woman & kids like they are at home. I swear, there are no single men at home. I think I need to move here.

Anyway, sorry to go on about that. Sounds pretty pathetic, huh?

prairie girl said...

I wanted to say just one (or 2) more things but I have to try to be fast because Wicked's probably on her way over here and I'm supposed to be getting in the shower.

But I have gotten to see most of these pictures. Austin's are kind of amusing. I mean, come on. If you sit & think about it and let reason speak to you, unless you're 20 years old, the usual guy doesn't go on a short trip and hook up with all kinds of ladies. You meet people. May even share dinner or lunch with someone. Have a nice convo. But you don't hook up alot, etc.
Anyway, I'm just amused. My comment now is getting a little jumbled because I'm feeling pressure to get off & hit the shower.

And those shopping pics are nothing new, are they? I must admit that Jake holding out the hand is soooooo irritating. But other than that, he just looks so unhappy to be there, doesn't he?

And Reese? Reese, you look ridiculous in the hat which we know isn't Jake's but you're trying to make it look like it's his.

And finally, a sweep of the hand to Her Withered-spoonness for holdin court as she was in these pictures.
You have Jake in front of you, holding out the stiff-arm and you have the big, bad bodyguard at your side so you have it all just the way you want it and need it, dontcha???

We know, girl. We know what you're all about and we're calling you out on your getting off.

That's it. Not getting worked up about it. It's just Chapter 313 in the repetitive novel of Reeke. And Meg, you're so right. Twitter has provided another opportunity for Reeke, circa Early Days. Lots of sightings and nothing to back it up. Whoever it was on here last week giving us that "Sneak Preview" of Reeke in NY, I'm just going to tell you that I don't believe it. I don't think they've been there until this weekend. They were plants and this consumer isn't buying what you were trying to sell last week via the Wide World of Twitter. I would expound on why but I gotta go.

Maybe later or something.