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Local Best Buy Clerk's Lower Back Tattoo Alienates Fellow Employees By Angelo Bowers BUFFALLO-John Gunther, a dedicated Best Buy employee for over two years, has been receiving extreme backlash and awkward silence from his friends and employees since getting his tattoo. “I really don’t know why people think my lower back tattoo of Howie Mandel is gay. I’m not gay. I’m just a huge Howie Mandel fan,” said Gunther, as he sorts through used Adam Sandler DVD’s. Gunther, who also attends Buffalo City College, resents the fact that his co-workers call his tattoo “creepy.” “Well, when he bends down, which he tends to do a lot, you can see Howie Mandel above his ass crack. You can see Howie’s eyes and I swear to god I’m not making this up but, it’s like their staring into your soul. They’re like demon eyes. Sometimes I can see them in my sleep,” said Andrew Showsky, who also works the trash compacter with Gunther. “Ya, John will bend down for like up to five minutes, even if there’s nothing on the ground. Then you’ll lock eyes with Howie and, dude, it just f***s with your head,” said co-manager Larry Baptiste. Gunther, who’s 38 and still lives with his parents, got the Howie Mandel tattoo seven months ago. Despite his feminine demeanor, he claims to be able to quote every episode of Bobby’s World on command. “It’s not the fact that he has a picture of Howie Mandel on his ass. It’s just that it’s Howie Mandel circa 1986, with his fucking greasy, Canadian hair and that banshee smile of his. To be honest. It just creeps everyone out,” said Showsky during a recent cigarette break. After work Gunther usually heads back to his room (in his parents basement) to listen to old Howie Mandel comedy records. His other hobbies include watching anime cartoons and studying Latin at the nearby city college. Despite all the harassment, Gunther (pronounced Gun-Fur) is currently saving every paycheck for his next lower back tattoo. “Next time I’m gonna get a tattoo of Gallagher, which will go right above Howie. It’ll kind of be like a male totem pole of comedy superstars. Oh (pauses for a second), I didn’t mean male totem pole in a gay way.”
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