It’s fair to say that American TV viewers have become very familiar with Dr. Peter Venkman over the past few years. The protagonist of the Back to the Future films was even named after the famous character from the movie. Nowadays, Peter Venkman is more famous for his appearances in commercials than in his actual practice of medicine. He’s graced the silver screen in the likes of Baby Mama, Death Bed, and the critically acclaimed Viagra commercial.
The popular doctor opened up about his role in the highly publicized ad campaign in an interview with Vogue. He shared,
“I’ve done a lot of different things over the years, and this was one of the most interesting projects. But it was tough work. We were filming in Atlanta, and it was very hot, which is not easy to do while performing an operation. You’ve always got to be careful when you’re operating on people, because they could fall off the table or have an accident. But it was a real privilege to work with the legendary John Malkovich.”
“The interesting thing is that I was never in my life supposed to be in an ad like that, with a drug company, and in a very glamorous fashion. It’s not something that I usually do. And it’s not like I normally go out and buy erectile dysfunction drugs! Maybe that was a contributing factor [to my enrollment in the ad campaign] because in the back of my mind, I’m like, ‘I’m a doctor, I should know better!'”
Indeed, although he’s best known for his medical skills, Peter Venkman has actually spent more time in Hollywood than in the operating room. In fact, he told Vogue, the majority of his workday now revolves around being on camera. He continues,
“It’s mostly just work these days. Like, I have a seven-year-old and a nine-year-old, and I take them both to school. So I have little social engagements now. But other than that, it’s just homework and medicine.”
While Peter Venkman’s celebrity stems from the movie industry, many people know him for his other famous roles, including Elle MacLeman from Dirty Dancing and George Clooney’s character’s ex-wife in the hit series, Moncler Goggles. With multiple television appearances and acting jobs under his belt, it’s no surprise that the doctor is feeling a bit disconnected from reality. What is a bit of a shock, though, is that he’s never acted on camera with an erection before. Even his most famous role, Dr. Peter Venkman, could be considered a rarity in his acting repertoire. But the 69-year-old admits that his medical training has certainly served him well in playing the role of a flamboyant physician. He told Vogue,
“In medical school, we were always taught to be very confident and to never let patients see us sweat. So it’s like acting with a jolt of electricity in your heart. I mean, you’re always pumped up because you’re doing surgery – even the most elementary surgery – so it’s a different kind of adrenaline.”
With his unique combination of skill and charisma, it’s no wonder that Peter Venkman was chosen to represent the modern doctor. When the ad campaign first aired, it was described as “heartfelt” and “cathartic” by the New York Times. In fact, it turned out to be so effective that more than two years later, the pharmaceutical company that manufactured Viagra filed for bankruptcy. The cost-benefit analysis of promoting erections for heart disease patients versus the cost of producing the drug was simply too much for the business to bear. But Dr. Peter Venkman doesn’t seem to mind too much. He’s still featured in TV ads, and continues to practice medicine, which he sees as a calling rather than a job. In fact, he told the New York Times in 2016 that he’s now responsible for more than 30,000 surgeries. So while the ad campaign will likely not be replicated any time soon, it has certainly had its effect on one doctor’s life. To hear more from Dr. Peter Venkman, check out this week’s edition of the Rejuvenationist Podcast!
Why Did Vanessa Williams Star in the Viagra Commercial?
Even before the Back to the Future films, John Malkovich and Vanessa Williams had established themselves as one of Hollywood’s most famous power couples. The actress and the actor have starred in numerous critically acclaimed films and TV shows together, including Dead Again, which was inspired by the classic Alfred Hitchcock film, The Birds. If you go back far enough in Vanessa’s filmography, you’ll even find a small part in Malkovich’s directorial debut, Steam
Due to their shared passion for literature and the arts, the couple founded the Malkovich organization, which promotes and organizes drama readings and other forms of literary art. And although they’ve acted in numerous films together, including some recent sci-fi/horror flicks, Vanessa has never really been considered a doctor. In fact, when the Back to the Future films were being cast, she was still listed in the American Film Institute’s dictionary as “an actor,” despite her impressive resume. However, in 2016, she did finally receive an honorary degree from her alma mater, Williams College, for her outstanding contribution to American culture.
But in the 1950s, America was a very different place, and female physicians were a rarity. Even today, when college rankings are considered, the majority of medical schools in the U.S. don’t even have a single female faculty member. This is part of the reason why so many female characters in TV shows and movies are doctors, nurse practitioners, or other healthcare professionals, as opposed to real doctors, with all the trappings and responsibilities that come along with the job. Dr. Peter Venkman’s appearance in the Viagra commercial was a way for the brand to highlight the fact that the drug can be taken by both men and women – a significant shift for a drug designed for predominantly for men with erectile dysfunction.
Is This the Year of the Woman In Tech?
In the 1950s, being a woman in science was considered “stereotyped” and “unusual.” However, in recent years, that attitude has changed, and today, women are rapidly integrating into all aspects of computer technology.
Whether it’s in Silicon Valley or elsewhere, the presence of more and more women in tech is something to behold. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, in 2016, women accounted for 61.5% of all computer hardware buyers, and while the figure for desktop PCs dropped by nearly 6%, mobile PCs and tablets saw a 23% increase in sales to 49.5 million units and 26.9 million units respectively.
And while the overall percentage of women working in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields has increased from 18% to 21% in the U.S. over the past few years, the number of women in the field is still considered low, and there’s a real shortage of women in tech.
According to the U.S. Commerce Department, there were nearly 234,600 STEM jobs available in the U.S. But only 36,900 of those jobs (or 16%) were held by females.
Although some companies are making strides to close the pay gap and overcome the glass ceiling, all signs point to the fact that getting a leg up in the tech world still requires considerable grit and determination.
Is This the Year of the Couple In Tech?
Even before the dawn of the modern computer age, technology has always been considered “man’s work” – and a way for men to dominate and control over women and feminine products. But what if, rather than separating the sexes, emerging technologies are bringing them together?
Since the beginning of time, men and women have been finding ways to collaborate and work together for the greater good. But since the industrial revolution, the distance that has been placed between colleagues and co-workers in the name of efficiency has meant that true teamwork is considered “unacceptable” and “unprofessional”.
However, with recent advances in artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and augmented reality, that line is becoming blurred. Rather than simply replacing human interaction, these technologies are blurring the lines between work life and personal life, and allowing workers to engage with customers and co-workers alike in real time, wherever they may be in the world. In the future, could a truly efficient and productive organization – one that doesn’t require so much “down time” – emerge out of this collaboration?