Winnebago Man

The green band trailer for Winnebago Man. Jack Rebney is the most famous man you've never heard of a Winnebago salesman whose hilarious, foul-mouthed outbursts circulated on VHS tapes in the 90s before turning into a full-blown Internet phenomenon in 2005. Filmmaker Ben Steinbauer goes in search of Rebney and finds him living alone on a mountain top, unaware of his fame. WINNEBAGO MAN is a laugh-out-loud look at viral culture and an unexpectedly poignant tale of one man's response to unintended celebrity.

The red band trailer for Winnebago Man. Jack Rebney is the most famous man you ve never heard of an RV salesman whose hilarious, foul-mouthed outbursts circulated underground on VHS tapes in the 90s before turning into a full-blown Internet phenomenon in 2005. Today, the Winnebago Man has been seen by more than 20 million people worldwide, and is regarded as one of the first and funniest viral videos. Filmmaker Ben Steinbauer goes in search of Rebney and finds him living alone on a mountain top, unaware of his fame. Winnebago Man is a laugh-out-loud look at viral culture and an unexpectedly poignant tale of one man s response to unintended celebrity.

Following a two-week shoot in August 1988 for a Winnebago sales ad, a 4-minute outtakes reel surfaced and eventually came to be known as 'Winnebago Man.' While the finished sales ad was sent to Winnebago dealers to promote the 1989 Itasca Sunflyer motorhome, copies of the 'Winnebago Man' outtakes were being passed amongst the crew and their friends on VHS tape. Eventually the video fell in the hands of videotape collectors, who began copying and trading it, sparking an underground phenomenon that turned Jack Rebney into a cult hero. When the online video revolution took off on YouTube and other websites, Jack Rebney became one of the first viral video superstars. Today, the 'Winnebago Man' clip continues to attract new fans from around the world, including a notable following in Hollywood. The 'Winnebago Man' has been quoted in movies and on TV by everyone from Ben Affleck to Alec Baldwin to SpongeBob SquarePants. Conan O Brien named the Winnebago Man video as one of his all-time favorites on YouTube, and Spike Jonze (Where the Wild Things Are) is rumored to have sent out copies of 'Winnebago Man' as Christmas gifts. Iron Man 2 features a scene with Tony Stark s dad, inspired by the Winnebago Man outtakes. There s even a painting of Jack Rebney as Shrek that hangs in offices of Dreamworks Animation!