The internet is a strange, strange place, one where knowing what the hell you’re talking about takes a distant back seat to Google thinking you know what the hell you’re talking about.

Case in point: “Bubble Boy,” VW’s new commercial for the upcoming Beetle Convertible. Since I praised it in a post here about a week back, over a thousand unique visitors have found their way to this site searching for information about the spot. Further, quite a few have emailed in for additional information – What other commercials has the director shot? What film stock was used for the vintage look – to which I’m forced to reply: I have absolutely no idea. None. I’m in no way connected to the shooting of the commercial or to Volkswagen (though my little brother does, in fact, own a Passat). The entire extent of my expertise on the matter is encapsulated in the four previously posted smarmy paragraphs.

Still, such Google-appointed expertise isn’t entirely without benefit. Among the emails I received was one from Billy Briggs, the actor who played the lead in the commercial, who wrote in to thank me for my kind words (and I must say, he took my “poor-man’s Jake Gyllenhaal” ribbing exceedingly graciously.) Doing what any movie producer would, I asked him for a headshot – I’d absolutely love to stick him into one of Cyan’s next films.

Weblog-based casting. Another technology breakthrough brought to you by self-aggrandizement.com.