Winnebago Man

Meet the grumpiest man on Earth!

This October, ReelTime @ The Radio Room delivers loads of laughs when it presents WINNEBAGO MAN, a hilarious new documentary about the man behind America’s first YouTube phenomenon.

WINNEBAGO MAN is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 21 at 7 pm in the KAFM Radio Room.

In 1988, Jack Rebney unknowingly carved a path to stardom during a Winnebago sales video shoot where his wildly funny and temperamental antics stunned fellow cast and crew members.

Shortly thereafter, an outtakes reel emerged and passed among crew members and their friends. Eventually, the tape fell into the hands of tape collectors and dubs of Rebney’s outrageous outtakes began circulating nationwide.

In 2005, the advent of YouTube catapulted Rebney to worldwide fame and cult hero status. Footage of his incendiary outbursts became regarded as the first and funniest viral videos.

But Rebney himself -- by now living an isolated existence on a remote mountain top -- was oblivious to his newfound fame.

WINNEBAGO MAN follows director Ben Steinbauer as he tracks down this self-proclaimed “grumpiest man on earth” in an unexpectedly poignant tale of one man’s response to a meteoric rise from obscurity to celebrity.

“Rebney turns out to be much more than a powder keg, a buffoon or ‘the world's angriest man.’ He's all of us.”

- PLAYBOY

To this day the “Winnebago man” clip attracts an ever-expanding audience and fan base. Its admirers include a laundry list of famous entertainers from Ben Affleck to Conan O’Brien and Rebney’s explosive persona has evolved into a pop culture reference highlighted in mainstream entertainment such as Spongebob Squarepants and Iron Man 2.

With WINNEBAGO MAN, director Ben Steinbauer digs deeper to reveal the true nature of the man behind the irascibility. What emerges is a portrait of a man more intelligent and charismatic than most had imagined.

Rebney in fact possesses many magnetic qualities and proves his unintentional stardom is well-deserved.

"An intriguing meditation on character, celebrity, and the filmmaking process itself."

- THE NEW YORKER

WINNEBAGO MAN is the feature directorial debut for Steinbauer, who currently teaches film at the University of Texas, Austin. In addition to creating short films that have played South by Southwest and aired on PBS, in 2007, Steinbauer received the Princess Grace Foundation Award for filmmaking. WINNEBAGO MAN is a triumphant debut, a fascinating character study and meditation on YouTube culture hailed by critics and audiences as one of the funniest, most touching documentaries ever made. The film has won awards at numerous festivals across the country including South by Southwest and Hotdocs.

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