Actor and writer B.J. Novak wrote several bestselling books, such as “Modern Romance” and “Slutever,” about dating and sex and how men and women have different attitudes toward it.
So it’s not surprising that he’s also written the forward to a book called “A Bunch of Friends.” The forward, it turns out, is one of the most ubiquitous images in the industry, with millions of copies printed and many more sold via word of mouth, and that picture on the cover? Decades old.
Novak, a 43-year-old man who was previously married, was approached by a product producer who wanted a photo of him for this product as a promotional tool. Novak said he thought the photo was “kind of snazzy,” but wasn’t sure why they wanted it.
The product has now expanded to hundreds of other countries and is sold on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Walmart, Walmart.com, Whole Foods, CVS, and nearly 60 other sites. Novak, who said that he gave much thought to if there was something creepy about his face being used on something like this, said that he felt liberated by the positive response and that the image has probably made him happier than he is otherwise.
This interview has been condensed and edited.
