Look up ask in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Ask may refer to:

• The active verb for a direct (interpersonal) question, (i.e. "to ask," "[they] asked" "[are] asking").

In places:

• Ask, Akershus in Gjerdrum municipality, Akershus, Norway
• Ask, Hordaland in Askøy municipality, Hordaland, Norway
• Ask, Buskerud in Ringerike municipality, Buskerud, Norway

In music:

• "Ask" (song), a song by The Smiths
• "Ask", a song by Avail from Over the James
• Ask (Swedish song) (Ash), a Swedish children's song puclished in Barnens svenska sångbok

Other uses:

• Ask blogs, a type of blog wherein followers send questions to moderators to answer, mainly run from Tumblr
• Ask.com, a web search engine, formerly Ask Jeeves
• Ask price in finance markets
• Amplitude-shift keying in telecommunication and computing
• Ask and Embla, in Norse Mythology
• Ishq or Aşk, love
• Ask (restaurant), a British casual dining chain

See also[link]

• ASK (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Alex Albrecht
Albrecht in Phoenix, Arizona in May 2011.
Born	(1976-08-14) August 14, 1976 (age 35) Vienna, Virginia
Occupation	Podcast host, Actor, Director, Writer
Website
http://www.alexalbrecht.com/

Alexander Jennings Albrecht (born August 14, 1976 in Los Angeles, California) is an American television personality, actor and podcaster who resides in Brentwood a suburb of Los Angeles, California. He is best known for co-hosting the former G4techTV television program The Screen Savers, an hour-long computer and technology variety show, as well as the weekly podcast Diggnation and the weekday podcast The Totally Rad Show on the Revision3 network. On July 15, 2008, he released his new podcast/website Project Lore, all about World of Warcraft. Albrecht has expressed a penchant for dressing up as characters from Street Fighter, most recently appearing as Guile, although a much less muscular version.^[1]

Early life[link]

Alex is the son of Dr. Mark Albrecht, former President of ILS, and Kathe Hicks Albrecht, past president of the Visual Resources Association, director of the Visual Resources Association Foundation, curator at American University in Washington, DC.^[2] Alex went to elementary school at Burgundy Farm Country Day School,^{[citation needed]} and graduated from American University with a degree in computer science. He was a member of the Delta Chi Fraternity. Whilst at college Albrecht was a keen male cheerleader, with ambitions of becoming a professional mascot. To this day these dreams remain unfulfilled.^[3]

Career[link]

Albrecht worked for the RAND Corporation as a programmer and IT person and later worked for the Science Applications International Corporation developing multimedia programming for British Petroleum.^[4]

In 2001, he founded the improv-comedy troupe The Misfit Toys, which performed live in L.A. until 2003.

Albrecht appeared as a contestant on the gameshow Russian Roulette in 2002. He also appeared on Beat the Geeks.

Albrecht was hired by G4techTV to be the co-host alongside Kevin Rose (replacing Patrick Norton) of the television technology show, The Screen Savers, for the first G4techTV episode airing from Los Angeles. The first Los Angeles based episode of The Screen Savers aired on September 7, 2004.

On November 11, 2004, Albrecht announced on his personal blogs that G4 had decided to revamp The Screen Savers by making it more pop culture, Internet, and gaming-oriented. Alex Albrecht, Yoshi DeHerrera, Dan Huard, executive producer Paul Block, and the show's entire staff (consisting mostly of former TechTV employees) either resigned, made separation deals with G4, or were officially terminated.^[5]

Rose and Albrecht presenting Diggnation's live show in San Jose as part of nVision 08.

On August 5, 2005, Albrecht joined Revision3. Albrecht co-hosted Diggnation, a video podcast that summarizes a selection of the top stories submitted by Digg users, with former The Screen Savers co-host Kevin Rose. Albrecht also contributes to other projects for the company. He co-hosts a podcast called The Totally Rad Show, with Dan Trachtenberg and Jeff Cannata. The first episode was released on March 27, 2007. Albrecht also hosted Ctrl+Alt+Chicken, a weekly cooking show that lasted 8 episodes before being canceled in the fall of 2006.

Albrecht was featured in "SWGack", a weekly podcast on the popular MMORPG, Star Wars Galaxies. On March 4, 2006, he and Joshua Brentano announced on their last episode that they would discontinue the podcast due to disenchantment with the game itself.^[6]

Albrecht and Rose also appeared in a Super Bowl ad for GoDaddy.com during Super Bowl XLI. Albrecht has appeared in a Domino's Pizza commercial eating Domino's pizza in a house being raided by the "flavor" police. Alex has also appeared in a Dell commercial, advertising the line of High-Definition Dell LCD televisions; Alex has stated that this commercial was ad libbed. He has also mentioned doing an audition for an advertisement for McDonald's that was never aired in the US, but he has said that it was for British television.

On December 4, 2007, Alex guest hosted Attack of the Show (the show which succeeded his old show on G4, The Screen Savers).^[7]

Alex's newest project is Project Lore, which launched Tuesday, June 17, 2008. Project Lore is all about the popular video game World of Warcraft. On the show, Alex and friends have shown off all of the five main dungeons available in the game's first expansion pack, The Burning Crusade, starting with the lower levels, and working up. Before World of Warcraft's second expansion pack, Wrath of the Lich King was released, the Project Lore team were allowed to showcase some of its new beta content. Project Lore has since been abandoned; there have not been any blog posts for some time and a potential revamp proved too costly and the Project has been turned over into the hands of the volunteer bloggers in hopes that they will continue on their own.

Alex revealed on Totally Rad Show that he was in the pipeline to host NBC's version of Top Gear but the role was ultimately given to somebody else. NBC has subsequently cancelled their plans for the show.

In 2009, Alex started an iPhone app company called App Dragon which released one app later that year called Duel.

In March 2010, Alex flew with the U.S. Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron (Blue Angels) in the back seat of Blue Angel #7 (frequently used for media and public relations flights).

July 2010, Alex seeks funding for the short film "Neverland" through Indiegogo.com. Alex is named director. Shooting started July 30, 2010 according to Alex's Twitter account.

He is part of the long form improvisational comedy group Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em,^[8] which uses the clap-in format created by director, Stan Wells.^[9]

Albrecht has also guest-starred in season 3, episode 4 of an Internet-based live-action parody of The Legend of Zelda called The Legend of Neil. Albrecht's character "Todd" was a member of a small group of soldiers from the elven army, which was led by Zelda's brother Tyrelda. In the series, Zelda is, much to Link/Neil's surprise, black skinned, rather than white. Her brother Tyrelda and the rest of the elf troops are black as well and make constant reference to Alex Albrecht's character being the token white guy. A number of stereotypes associated with African-Americans in the real world are reverse-applied to Todd and the white elf race in the land of Highrule. By the end of the episode, Todd appears to have died along with Tyrelda and the rest of the gang, making for a short-lived but noteworthy contribution made by Alex to the series.^[10]

See also[link]

• Diggnation
• The Totally Rad Show
• Project Lore
• Revision3
• TechTV
• Kevin Rose
• The Screen Savers
• The Legend of Neil

References[link]

External links[link]

• AlexAlbrecht.com
• Diggnation
• Ctrl+Alt+Chicken
• The Totally Rad Show
• Project Lore
• Revision3.com
• Open Source version of the 'Alefox' web browser
• Alex Albrecht SMS Sound Effects
• Alex Albrecht at the Internet Movie Database

This article is about the fictional character. For the candy company, see, The Willy Wonka Candy Company.

This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. It needs additional citations for verification. Tagged since February 2009. It needs attention from an expert on the subject. Tagged since February 2011. Its introduction may need to be rewritten to comply with Wikipedia's lead section guidelines. Tagged since February 2011.

Willy Wonka is a major character of Roald Dahl's 1964 children's novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and the film adaptations that followed. The book and the 1971 film adaption both vividly depict an eccentric Wonka — a feature arising from his creative genius. He bewilders the other characters with his antics, but Charlie enjoys Wonka's behavior. In the 2005 film adaption, Willy Wonka's behavior is viewed more as a (sympathetic) character flaw.

Appearances[link]

1971 film adaption[link]

Candy maker Willy Wonka has hidden five Golden Tickets amongst his Wonka Bars. The finders of these special tickets will be given a full tour of his tightly guarded candy factory as well as a lifetime supply of chocolate. The contest sets off a global craze with everyone desperately seeking out the tickets. They are eventually found by five different children from around the world.

Wonka greets the winning children and their guardians at the factory gates. He immediately shows his unpredictability by slowly hobbling towards the gate with a cane, then pretending to fall, only to do a somersault and spring back to his feet with a flourish. Once he and his visitors are inside, Wonka requires each to sign a contract before the tour can begin. The tour progresses though many fantastic rooms and labs in the factory, all run by Wonka's crew of Oompa Loompas. Along the way, four of the children misbehave against Wonka's warnings, resulting in serious but comical consequences and removing them from the tour.

Eventually, Charlie Bucket is the only remaining child. Wonka informs him that the tour is over, politely dismisses him and Grandpa Joe, and disappears into his office without mentioning the promised prize of a lifetime supply of chocolate. Grandpa Joe and Charlie enter the office, where Wonka tells them that Charlie does not get the prize because he broke the rules. When questioned on the existence of the said rules, Wonka irritably reveals the forfeiture clause of the contract Charlie signed. Charlie's part in the theft of Fizzy Lifting drinks earlier in the story means that he violated the contract, and therefore he receives nothing. Now seemingly enraged, Wonka again dismisses them with a furious "Good day!".

When Charlie subsequently returns a gobstopper to Wonka that he initially planned to give to an industrial spy, Wonka joyfully tells Charlie that he "won" and begs his guests' forgiveness. He reveals that the spy "Slugworth" is actually an employee named Wilkinson, whose offer to buy the gobstopper was a morality test for the Golden Ticket winners, and Charlie was the only one who passed. Wonka leads Charlie and Joe to the "Wonkavator", a multi-directional glass elevator, and fly out of the factory in it. As they soar over the village, Wonka tells Charlie that his actual prize is not just the chocolate but the factory itself, as the Golden Ticket search was created to help Wonka search for an honest and worthy child to be his heir. Charlie and his family will reside in the factory and take over its operation when Wonka retires.

2005 film adaption[link]

Willy Wonka, the owner of a famous chocolate factory, has long closed access to his factory due to problems concerning industrial espionage that ultimately led him to fire all his employees, among them Charlie's Grandpa Joe. One day, Wonka informs the world of a contest, in which five Golden Tickets have been placed in five random Wonka Bars worldwide, and the winners will be given a full tour of the factory as well as a lifetime supply of chocolate, while one ticket holder will be given a special prize at the end of the tour. After all five of the tickets are found, Wonka greets Charlie and the other ticket holders outside the factory and leads the group into the facility. During the tour, Wonka tempts each of the bad children to disobey his orders with something related to their individual character flaws. Wonka then invites Charlie to come live and work in the factory with him, and reveals that the purpose of the Golden Tickets and the tour was to make the "least rotten" child the heir of the factory itself, so he can have someone carry on his legacy when he dies. The only condition, however, is that Charlie must leave his family behind, because Wonka believes family is a hindrance to a chocolatier's creative freedom, a philosophy Wonka developed due to his dentist father, Dr. Wilbur Wonka, denying his son candy because of the potential risk to his teeth. After secretly sampling some candy, Wonka was instantly hooked and ran away to follow his dreams. After being refused Charlie's offer, Wonka falls into a state of emotional depression and returns to Charlie to seek advice. Wonka soon reunites with his estranged father and allows Charlie's family to live in the factory, forever.

Concept and creation[link]

2005 film adaption[link]

Early on in the production of the 2005 film, Nicolas Cage was under discussions for portraying Willy Wonka, but lost interest.^[1][2] Warner Bros. president Alan F. Horn wanted Tom Shadyac to direct Jim Carrey as Willy Wonka, believing the duo could make Charlie and the Chocolate Factory relevant to mainstream audiences, but Roald Dahl's widow Liccy Dahl opposed this.^[3] After Tim Burton was hired as director in May 2003, Burton immediately thought of Johnny Depp for the role of Willy Wonka, who joined the following August for his fourth collaboration with the director.^[4]

Burton and screenwriter John August worked together in creating Wilbur Wonka, Willy's domineering dentist father. "You want a little bit of the flavor of why Wonka is the way he is," Burton reasoned. "Otherwise, what is he? He's just a weird guy."^[5] Warner Bros. and Burton held differences over the characterization of Willy Wonka. The studio wanted to make Willy Wonka the idyllic father figure Charlie Bucket had longed for his entire life. Burton believed that Wonka would not be a good father, finding the character similar to a recluse.^[6] "In some ways," Burton protested, "he's more screwed up than the kids."^[7] Prior to Burton's involvement, Warner Bros. considered or discussed Willy Wonka with Nicolas Cage, Jim Carrey, Michael Keaton,^[1] Brad Pitt, Will Smith^[5] and Adam Sandler.^[3] Johnny Depp was the only actor Burton considered for the role,^[7] who signed on without reading the script under the intention on going with a completely different approach than what Gene Wilder did in the 1971 film adaptation.^[8] "Regardless of what one thinks of that film," Depp explained, "Gene Wilder's persona, his character, stands out."^[3] Reportedly, Depp cited Marilyn Manson as his inspiration for his portrayal of Wonka.

Comparisons were drawn between Willy Wonka and musician Michael Jackson. Burton joked, "Here's the deal. There's a big difference: Michael Jackson (d. 2009) likes children, Willy Wonka can't stand them. To me that's a huge difference."^[6] Depp explained that the similarities with Jackson never occurred to him. "I say if there was anyone you'd want to compare Wonka to it would be a Howard Hughes, almost. Reclusive, germaphobe, controlling."^[9] Burton agreed with the Hughes similarities, and additionally supplied Charles Foster Kane in Citizen Kane as inspiration. "Somebody who was brilliant but then was traumatized and then retreats into their own world."^[7] Depp wanted to sport prosthetic makeup for the part and have a long, elongated nose, but Burton believed it would be too outrageous.^[5]

Critical analysis[link]

Wilder's performance as Willy Wonka was well received and remains one of his best-known roles. Time Out Film Guide called it "Great fun, with Wilder for once giving an impeccably controlled performance as the factory's bizarre candy owner."^[10] Critic Jeffrey M. Anderson, of Combustible Celluloid, wrote "...when the movie does actually reach the factory, and Gene Wilder takes the stage, the movie is saved. Wilder was in the middle of an incredible run of subtle comic performances... and he was at the height of his powers here."^[11] Regarding Wilder's effect, Anderson wrote "If you're a kid, Wonka seems magical, but watching it now, he has a frightening combination of warmth, psychosis, and sadism."^[12] Kevin Carr, of 7M pictures wrote "This is Gene Wilder's legacy. He was perfect for the role, and it was his mixture of childlike wonder and bitter, deserved vengeance that made the character so compelling."^[13], while critic Widgett Walls simply called it "Probably Gene Wilder's finest, most manic hour." ^[14] Wilder received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for his role as Willy Wonka, but lost to Chaim Topol as Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof.^[15]

Critical response to Johnny Depp's performance as Willy Wonka was often enthusiastic but more mixed overall. Critic Andrew Sarris, of The New York Observer, who did not enjoy the film's style in general, wrote "I wonder if even children will respond to the peculiarly humorless and charmless stylistic eccentricities of Mr. Burton and his star, Johnny Depp."^[16] However, Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly wrote that "Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka may be a stone freak, but he is also one of Burton's classic crackpot conjurers, like Beetlejuice or Ed Wood."^[17] Mick LaSalle from the San Francisco Chronicle found that "all the laughs [in the film] come from Depp, who gives Willy the mannerisms of a classic Hollywood diva".^[18] Roger Ebert wrote "Depp, an actor of considerable gifts, has never been afraid to take a chance, but this time he takes the wrong one. His Willy Wonka is an enigma in an otherwise mostly delightful movie from Tim Burton,"^[19] while Peter Travers wrote in Rolling Stone magazine that "Depp's deliciously demented take on Willy Wonka demands to be seen. Depp goes deeper to find the bruises on Wonka's secret heart than what Gene Wilder did."^[20] Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post also criticized Depp's acting; "The cumulative effect isn't pretty. Nor is it kooky, funny, eccentric or even mildly interesting. Indeed, throughout his fey, simpering performance, Depp seems to be straining so hard for weirdness that the entire enterprise begins to feel like those excruciating occasions when your parents tried to be hip."^[21] Joe Lozito of Big Picture Big Sound questioned the intention as well, writing "Depp's Wonka exudes none of the gravity required for the role. It's as though he didn't take the role seriously. Rather than an intimidating candyman teaching brats a lesson, this Wonka is simply a freak."^[22] Depp received a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for his role as Willy Wonka, but lost to Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line.^[23]

References[link]

External links[link]

• "Willy Wonka" the stage musical
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory film website
• The Willy Wonka Candy Company