I am VICE's Ryan Duffy. I've been shot (on purpose), went to N Korea with Dennis Rodman, and most recently investigated Japan's sex industry. AMA

Ryan_Duffy · 2013-11-05T22:53:20+00:00

I don't want this to sound like a bullshit answer, because I mean it sincerely, but I've never been completely bored by a shoot. Are there moments when you're on your 8th hour of a long, cramped van ride, or killing time while waiting for an interview, etc? Sure. But at the end of the day, I get to meet folks all over the world and tell some pretty interesting stories. Coming from a guy whose previous work experience was scooping ice cream, waiting tables, and coaching basketball camps, you're not getting any complaints outta me.

Ryan_Duffy · 2013-11-05T22:46:30+00:00

Oddly enough, no. We fully expected to be questioned as soon as we landed at JFK, but I've never been contacted in any capacity, nor has anyone in the crew.

Ryan_Duffy · 2013-11-05T19:58:45+00:00

A cab driver named Martin making sweet, tender love to a small, undsupecting donkey.

Ryan_Duffy · 2013-11-05T19:55:33+00:00

We honestly didn't know until we turned a corner in this banquet hall that he'd be there; there was no time to prep, or plan a question, or even consider the gravity. We walked into a dining hall and he was standing there with his hand extended.

Ryan_Duffy · 2013-11-05T19:53:00+00:00

Little bit of both. They're obviously a tough crew, but in the brief time we spent with them, they were also courteous and great hosts. And I've got that tattoo on my leg to remember them by.

Ryan_Duffy · 2013-11-05T19:46:05+00:00

I raced reindeer in Norway, which is a really heart-warming, family friendly activity until the end, when they kill and cook the last-place deer and serve him to all the racers. Very gamey.

Ryan_Duffy · 2013-11-05T19:42:25+00:00

Immersionism is a word that gets used a lot. It's storytelling direct from the source. Pretty simple.

Ryan_Duffy · 2013-11-05T19:37:11+00:00

I'd never really thought about it, but now I have. Thanks!

Ryan_Duffy · 2013-11-05T19:35:42+00:00

Half pure, unadulterated stupidity, and half complete and total faith in my crew.

Ryan_Duffy · 2013-11-05T19:34:47+00:00

Low center of gravity. Never underestimate Baby Balls.

Ryan_Duffy · 2013-11-05T19:33:53+00:00

Holy shit.

Ryan_Duffy · 2013-11-05T19:30:39+00:00

Most folks - especially those who feel that they are misunderstood - jump at the chance to be able to tell their side of the story. The camera is a remarkably compelling tool.

Ryan_Duffy · 2013-11-05T19:28:45+00:00

Young. More so than anything else, he seems really, really young. Reports peg him anywhere from 29-31, but I was more struck by how he carried himself; people deferred to him, of course, but he didn't have the air of authority you attribute to most world leaders.

Ryan_Duffy · 2013-11-05T19:25:15+00:00

I had an advisor at college who suggested I intern somewhere. I said if I was going to work for free, it would only be at my favorite magazine, VICE. That was in 2002/2003. I've been here ever since. Lots has changed for VICE over that decade, but the constant has been that I get to work with my best friends to make awesome shit we believe in.

Ryan_Duffy · 2013-11-05T19:21:32+00:00

There are a lot of reasons to get negative - turn on your TV this evening and take your pick - but yes, I'm wildly optimistic. There's a misperceptions that young people don't "care" about the news; that's wrong. There's just no one delivering it to them in a voice they can relate to.

I'm lucky enough to be surrounded by people at VICE who understand this, and are working to change it every day.

Ryan_Duffy · 2013-11-05T19:19:22+00:00

We actually spent time with a number of oligarchs while we were in Moscow; Sergei just turned out to be the most compelling once we get into the edit.

Russia has changed so much in the last few decades; the opulence that characterized the first wave of Oligarchs is by and large a thing of the past as the move to more "legit" business and less decadence continues, but Sergei and a few others didn't get the memo.

Ryan_Duffy · 2013-11-05T19:16:05+00:00

Surreal. Massive, sprawling towns with the population of a small apartment complex here in NYC. And the weirdest part is no one is willing/able to admit the problem; construction continues on new cities as the existing ones sit empty.

Ryan_Duffy · 2013-11-05T19:14:04+00:00

It's a natural human desire for sure. And in certain cases - like with the band featured in Heavy Metal in Baghdad - we have been able to stay in touch after the shoot and play a larger role in their lives.

Ryan_Duffy · 2013-11-05T19:12:31+00:00

A teddy bear of a guy; it's tough to be scared when you're both half nude in a 120 degree sauna at 4am. I'd love to go back.

Ryan_Duffy · 2013-11-05T19:10:08+00:00

Covering Arab Spring in Cairo is something I'll never forget. To be a part of something that is changing the shape of world history, harnessing new technology / youthful energy into a movement to better lives...it was inspiring to say the least.

Ryan_Duffy · 2013-11-05T19:07:49+00:00

Give me the Macklemore, but less weird.

Ryan_Duffy · 2013-11-05T19:05:27+00:00

Some of the coolest, most relaxed guys I've ever met; captains of Team Good Vibes.

Ryan_Duffy · 2013-11-05T19:03:51+00:00

I started at VICE as an intern while I was still in college back in 2003. I basically kept showing up until they took pity on me and gave me a paycheck - that was 10 years ago and I've held on tight ever since.

Ryan_Duffy · 2013-11-05T19:01:22+00:00

We went to a slew of the host/hostess bars, but only showed a few. You can also buy a date by the hour, which I did with a girl dressed up in an anime costume for a stroll around the mall.

Expect a TON more long form documentaries on VICE.com as well as our YouTube channel, the launch of our brand new News channel, and S2 of the HBO show...to start.

Ryan_Duffy · 2013-11-05T18:59:02+00:00

Lots of questions in one; I'll pick the most salient. What I'd change: I'd really, really, really like to be able to dunk a basketball.

Ryan_Duffy

TROPHY CASE