The Little Caesars' Rocker

An interview with Memphis' newest landmark

A few weeks back, I did my weekly headline on the little caesar's guy that rocks the corner of park and mendenhall for hours on end. (you might want to read it before going fwd with the interview.) Amazed that something like this could have escaped my radar, I put out a call to the registered users of this site to do some homework and find out what is really going on here. Within a week I had not only multiple photos of the guy, but a full blown interview - an rv.com first! Apparently AJ took it upon herself to call the Eastgate Little Caesars', find out the guy's name and work schedule, and then drive over there armed with pencil and paper. What happened from there is listed below. Enjoy.

Who : Robert "The Little Caesars' Rocker", 17 year old male, Overton High School

When : December 14, 2006 (significant because they did this for AJ's second month wedding anniversary)

Where : Corner of Park and Mendenhall in Memphis, TN (Eastgate Shopping Center)

So Robert, thank you for taking the time to meet me out here this evening and letting me get to know you a little better. I'd like to start out by asking you if you have any particular hobbies?

Well, I play around on the computer and customize software and stuff. I also like to kick it with my best friends Casey and Eric.

PC or Mac?

Mac all the way.

What bands do you listen to?

A hippie once told me to never tell anyone which bands you listen to. He said that I should keep it a mystery.

Are you in a band?

No, but my friends are trying to get me to be their vocalist even though I can't sing. They seem to think that I could bring in a big crowd because I'm the LIttle Caesars' guy and all.

Do you play the guitar?

Yeah, "Guitar Hero"

(Confused) What is Guitar Hero? (worth the click)

A game on Play Station.

Oh, well if we could raise money for you to take guitar lessons, would you want to take them?

I probably wouldn't have the time.

Are you listening to a tape, cd or Mp3?

Mp3

How do you maintain your intensity? (This is the "900 lbs gorilla in the room" question that everyone wants to know. Way to go Aj. That took some guts! If you weren't so talented, you could actually be a reporter.)

Basically I drink a lot of Gatorade. You also have to keep a lot of new music on your player.

What if your favorite fast food restaurant?

(Looking over his shoulder and leaning in) Actually, Papa John's is my favorite. I feel like such a traitor. (AJ - what is your favorite topping?) Pepperoni all the way.

Coke or Pepsi?

Definitely Coke.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years? (This particular question was submitted by the webmaster.)

I don't know. Later? Out of college and in a digital art design position or maybe as a comedian. I really want to be a comedian.

Who is your inspiration?

Actually, it is the person who gave me my nickname. When I was a freshman in high school, I was like 4 feet 8 inches tall and shy. I met these three girls the first day of school. They basically thought that I was funny, and a joke led to my nickname. The three girls said that I was so cool,

and for that reason they called me "fresh-meat". So sophomore year I was "sof-meat". Now that I'm senior they call me "Sr. (sir) meat."

How would you describe yourself?

Funny, goofy, hopeless romantic.

Ok, back to being the Little Caesars' Rocker. What rewards do you get from this job?

I get great tips from the street. One time a guy offered me $20 bucks to leave. It was actually the end of my shift anyway, so I took the $20 and left.

What makes you qualified for this job?

I've never cared what other people think about me.

Which is more important? Creativity or efficiency?

That's a hard question because you can't have one without the other. One's not worth anything if you don't have the other.

What have you accomplished that show your initiative and willingness to work?

I once had a woman flash me from the passenger seat.

If you could let everyone know one thing about you, what would it be?

I would like everyone to know that, contrary to popular belief, I am not on drugs.

Anything else you'd like to add?

Yes, I'm looking for a single female who is 16 and up. I would like her to have a sense of humor, be nice, honest and secure.

At this point, the interview concluded with a few pictures. However, with AJ being a teacher and all, she asked "off the record" (I guess we have one of those now that we are taking interviews) if he had any college plans. He said that he would like to go to MTSU but has yet to apply. Furthermore, he was still needs to take the ACT. AJ explained to him that there were deadlines for things like this and offered to stir up the rv.com populous for a little help. Clearly, Robert is a great kid who is working hard and doing well at a job to make money. AJ was impressed at his intelligence, and frankly, I'm impressed with anybody willing to do what he does just to try and carve a little niche for himself.

So assuming AJ didn't make this whole interview up in a desperate attempt to gain some post-wedding attention, let's pass the hat and get this guy to take the ACT. It can be this year's chili-n-blankets. So please send me either an email or registered message (I'm rvining) if you would like to help.

To conclude this adventure, I'd like to say well done AJ! A tour bus load of RVPR points are certainly in order after that stellar effort. I would also like to thank loh1974 for her photo contributions to this story as well. What remains to be seen however is whether or not the Memphis Flyer, or any other legit news service that apparently trolls rv.com for content, will attempt to lift this story. If so, I seriously doubt it will be the same guy from the Memphis Flyer whom, after plagiarizing my T-Flowers expose, received a "shock-and-awe" like email bombing from you people. Good work, and keep the content/photos/suggestions coming.

rvining

- 12/19/2006 5:46:18 PM
remember the 'little caesars rocker' headline article a week or so ago? well, in an rv.com first, aj conducted an interview with the guy. i think you will be suprised to see what this kid is really like. (at least, what he is really like with somebody like aj asking him questions) check it out!

kristen

- 12/19/2006 6:00:33 PM
AWESOME JAN! I AM SO IMPRESSED AND THINK YOU NEED TO LOOK INTO THE TODAY SHOW ASAP. LOOK OUT NEW YORK!

loh1974

- 12/19/2006 7:33:39 PM
'kick it' yall...

joeizme

- 12/19/2006 7:49:04 PM
We need to get this guy off the street and into school before Nancy Grace interviews him and he jumps in front of a bus.

- 12/20/2006 9:33:40 AM
this kid needs to take the ACT and move on to college....yal would be so impressed with him!

- 12/20/2006 9:50:56 AM
i've sent emails to david letterman and the today show

rvining

- 12/20/2006 12:05:48 PM
did you just send them the interview file, or did you send them a link?

- 12/20/2006 12:35:28 PM
link...your website might as well get some attention

- 12/20/2006 12:35:43 PM
they're never going to look at it though

rvining

- 12/20/2006 4:06:41 PM
i dunno, dan patrick of espn looked back when the tyson v lewis fight was in town. (i offered up my guest house as a 'secure place of residence' for him)

loh1974

- 12/20/2006 7:28:54 PM
I laughed today when I passed by Poplar and Erin and saw the Holiday Ham guy holding a sign.. He was jsut standing there... He had earphones on but no air guitar!

kristen

- 12/21/2006 9:10:34 AM
Oh ye of little faith. You are a TPIR wheel spinner and toaster winner. You will prevail and succeed.

loh1974

- 12/22/2006 11:32:09 AM
pizza, pizza!

rvining

- 12/23/2006 9:44:52 PM
was in the area this afternoon and saw that Quizno's had run some guy out to the corner just one block up. this guy had a large oval car dashboard sun screen looking thing that he was waving over his head while acting like his hair was on fire. it was odd and pathetic all at once. made me think of the 'they are the golden arches, we are the golden arcs' line from 'coming to america'.

hankword

- 12/29/2006 4:38:47 PM
They've got the Big Mac, we've got the Big Mic.

robthompson

- 1/18/2007 8:33:39 PM
Good one Hank. Real original.

robthompson

- 1/18/2007 8:34:28 PM
Jan, this is the best thing to happen to RV.com since Hank crashed the site. Way to go. Now if Rich would just pay you to make his web site interesting all the time...

- 1/18/2007 10:26:41 PM
points....and tshirt. rich, how about the points?

- 2/5/2007 1:28:23 PM
Robert is officially signed up to take the ACT in April! Hooray!

rvining

- 2/5/2007 2:05:10 PM
do we wanna be cruel and start an over/under line? somebody toss a line out there.

loh1974

- 2/5/2007 2:48:33 PM
if I had it to do all over again i would go the GED route and go to college early!

- 2/5/2007 6:15:09 PM
23....over/under

rvining

- 2/6/2007 8:43:02 AM
i have no idea what a good score even is anymore since they inflated it in an attempt to make everybody feel better about themselves. what do base level state colleges require? Alabama, LSU, Tennessee, Memphis, Old Missed, etc

loh1974

- 2/7/2007 1:32:40 PM
I shouldnt admit this BUT I made a 17 and i have a college degree... sooooooo

- 2/7/2007 3:36:14 PM
tests don't measure intellectual ability anyhow....you're a teacher at westminster!

loh1974

- 2/8/2007 9:28:31 AM
much agreed! besides I took the ACT at 17 and I was young and dumb and didnt care.... Maturity changed that attitude!

rvining

- 2/8/2007 10:33:18 AM
21 regular, 24 with 'extended time'. that was good enuff for roll tide U, but was on the old ACT score system. i'm going to take the UNDER on the 23 only because there is a chance he still doesn't take it and he doesn't HAVE TO score THAT well to get into most schools. and by the way, a 21 gets you 'lottery money' for TN. thank you steve cohen.

- 2/8/2007 7:10:24 PM
i got a 12 in the 7th grade

- 2/12/2007 3:32:09 PM
which i believe was the same score at penny hardaway back in the day or something close to it....

rvining

- 2/12/2007 5:50:42 PM
i remember that. not sure if it was penny... but i do remember that being a dinner table conversation. i think it was the conversation right after the one where ed and i hole punched red construction paper dots and stuck them on our noses to commemorate your first zit.

- 2/12/2007 9:44:39 PM
i remember that! brothery love is the best!

rvining

- 2/26/2007 6:01:29 PM
hey - go youtube 'guitar hero' and watch the idiocy that ensues. apparently XYZ by Rush is like the top top level of the game.

- 2/27/2007 8:35:13 PM
somehow the tiny guitars on the video degrade the game - good find

- 2/27/2007 8:35:21 PM
somehow the tiny guitars on the video degrade the game. good find

rvining

- 8/11/2007 12:03:18 PM
AJ - any update on this? Is the guy going to school? Did he take the test? Or are you just older and more hardened by life now and really no longer care about America's youth?

kgarrett

- 8/11/2007 10:54:38 PM
I did somehow run across this video the other day. (Dont ask why)
http://youtube.com/watch?v=23cTCi15CRI

- 8/12/2007 12:06:17 AM
He took the test. I've tried several times to catch up with him to find out about his scores, but he hasn't been working when I have been driving by. He was going to apply at MTSU...that was the latest info. His chemistry teacher was helping him study for the ACT. I know that he took the test in April.

- 8/12/2007 12:09:17 AM
kgarrett...great find!

rvining

- 3/3/2008 12:13:38 AM
the family truckster ran by the park at mendenhall/mt moriah/quince/rhodes intersection the other day and saw this guy doing his deal at full force as usual. any update? persistance has got to be worth something.

- 3/3/2008 12:28:00 AM
different kiddo

rvining

- 9/11/2008 2:33:06 PM
guess who was in the paper this morning...

- 9/12/2008 1:02:35 PM
do tell!

The Little Caesars' Rocker

An interview with Memphis' newest landmark

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