Infinite Reality: The Hidden Blueprint of Our Virtual Lives

by Jim Blascovich

Mr. Redenbacher passed away in 1995, but there was enough video and photographic material from decades of his public life to build a 3-D model of his head and body, and to use sound clips to create a persuasive analog of his voice. Consequently, in a surprising move, in 2006, the owner of the brand, ConAgra, released a commercial with a virtual Orville Redenbacher dancing around with headphones on, popping popcorn, and exclaiming, “Can you believe this little baby holds thirty gigs?” as he held up an iPod. The avatar-like spokesman was attempting to make a comparison to the lightness of his popcorn. Other commercials in the past spliced video together by taking actors out of context—for example, by overlaying a Dirt Devil vacuum cleaner on Fred Astaire’s dance partner. However, Redenbacher was perhaps the first major example of someone reanimating a completely novel action on a reconstructed 3-D model of a deceased public figure. It may be the case that Mr. Redenbacher would have been excited about the idea; perhaps he even endorsed similar ideas before passing away. His grandson, Gary, claimed that “Grandpa would go for it. He was a cutting-edge guy. This is a way to honor his legacy.”