Nardwuar the Human Serviette (born John Ruskin, July 5, 1968), or simply Nardwuar, is a Canadian celebrity journalist and musician. He formed the Vancouver-based garage rock band the Evaporators in 1986, for which he serves as lead singer and keyboardist.
Nardwuar got his start in media at the University of British Columbia radio station, CITR 101.9 FM. His show has run from each Friday afternoon since October 1987. The program features a mix of eclectic music, along with interviews and commentary. Nardwuar's interviews have frequently been shown on MuchMusic's Going Coastal, and printed in Chart. Although Nardwuar most frequently interviews musicians, he has stated that he may interview any celebrity. He often appears as a guest interviewer on CBC Radio 3, and began his own weekly program on WFMU in 2009, which ran until 2013.
Noted for his excitable and eccentric persona, Nardwuar is known for performing extensive research on his interviewees to surprise and confuse them. A typical Nardwuar interview will begin with "Who are you?", followed by "From?" if the subject does not volunteer their affiliations. Each interview ends with "Keep on rockin' in the free world", and the "doot doola doot doo ..." of "Shave and a Haircut", to which the interviewee is expected to reply with the final "doot doo!" before the interview is concluded. Nardwuar would also freeze in place, holding the same surprised expression. Interviews also often close with Nardwuar asking the interviewee "Why should people care about [interviewee's name]?". When asked to explain his name, Nardwuar has said it is "a dumb, stupid name like Sting or Sinbad"; that "Human" came from the song "Human Fly" by the Cramps; and that "Serviette" came from the fact that "in the U.S.A. they don't have serviettes, they have napkins".
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