The 'Can You Hear Me Now?' Guy's Perpetual Catchphrase Prison
You know exactly who Paul Marcarelli is, even though you don't know that you do. He's the "Can you hear me now?" guy. His be-spectacled face has graced dozens upon dozens of Verizon ads, which have bombarded you for nearly a decade of your life, whether you like it or not.
Spencer Morgan got Marcarelli, who's now being eased out as the face of Verizon, to speak on the—and we're editorializing a wee bit here—soul-sucking corporate slavery of life as a ubiquitous pitchman. It sounds awful. Especially with that loathsome line following you everywhere:
At a cousin's wedding, he wore "the grayest of gray suits," but still wound up feeling "like a cafone-Italian for "oaf"-when more people lined up to take pictures with him than with the bride. A few months ago, he attended his grandmother's funeral. As her body was being lowered into the ground, he heard the hushed voice of a family friend: "Can you hear me now?"
Now, Marcarelli's getting back into regular acting. He has a movie coming out. He's financially secure. But listen to me closely, Paul Marcarelli, when I tell you this: Can you hear me now? Hahaha, I got you so good! You were in those commercials, right? Hey, can I get a picture? Honey, it's that guy!