Latest news with #GetSmart
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Former FBI Agents Are Exposing The Wildest Secrets They Can Reveal Without Killing Us, And Holy Crap
As an avid Criminal Minds-watcher, I've always wondered what it was actually like to work as an FBI agent. A while back, Reddit user mr_squirell asked, "FBI/CIA agents of Reddit, what's something that you can tell us without killing us?" Here's what they said: Note: Obviously we can't confirm all of these stories, but these people are supposedly speaking from their own experiences as alleged government employees. 1."I worked with a woman who was a former NSA. We would always beg her to tell us stuff, but she never did. The one thing she did say, though, was that during training, they show them a video of a bunch of things they've found out about and stopped. She said she hardly slept for two weeks after watching that." —jseego 2."My dad worked for GCHQ in the '80s doing voice recognition, and he can't say anything more for another decade. The technology used that lets Siri and Alexa recognize you today was also being used in the '80s... Just a bit slower..." —arabidopsis Related: 3."I was an analyst, not an agent/officer. 85% of all classified material is classified because of how it was collected, not because it is juicy/useful. Yes, your boss and co-workers said that stuff about you." —ben70 4."We are all told never to use sites like Reddit. Social media in general is pretty much a no-go." —Throwaway93ee90299 5."An ex-Company man once told me that the movie Get Smart was more accurate than James Bond." —spiff2268 6."I talked with some CIA recruiters towards the end of college and almost applied earnestly after a large group Q&A and then a much smaller one. The thing that stuck out to me was that the guys said most CIA agents are out of shape and have limited combat training with guns or hand-to-hand. They made it clear that it's the military that uses force. If confronted, they were trained to immediately surrender or to drop their bags and run if possible." —dring157 Related: 7."If you go through the FBI interview process, it takes a while. Chances are, you're going to have to spend some time working on crimes against children, which is really tough, and most people don't want to do it." —thermobollocks 8."My dad worked for the government, and he told me that any time he had a meaningful interaction with someone who wasn't American (i.e. going over to my friend's house for Lunar New Year or going on vacation to Canada), he had to report it all, and if he saw anything suspicious." —AudiKitty "Yep. I went through a clearance upgrade and got asked about a couple of people that I know through friends who I didn't include on my paperwork and if I knew their background." —derpyfox 9."I worked with the Australian Federal police with the spider squad doing 'computer stuff' for them in regards to pedophiles and finding trafficking victims. It was the most heartbreaking work, but when you got the pedophiles, the office looked like NASA after a Mars landing." —dr_m_a_dman "I don't know if I'm allowed to say, but a mentor who definitely wasn't supposed to tell me used to be a white hat for the FBI. Apparently, all he did was search for pedophiles by tracking child sexual abuse images. He said he didn't stay for very long because it was messing with his mental health." —mastershow05 10."My spouse is an FBI agent. One of the things they had to do at the FBI Academy was go to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in DC. The lesson was what can happen if you blindly follow orders without ever questioning the morality/intent behind them. I found that pretty compelling, and I was glad to hear that it's part of their training." —bukunothing Related: 11."Not an FBI or CIA officer, but my sister is a district attorney, and over the years, she has prosecuted a number of animal-cruelty cases. This led to her having an ongoing partnership with the FBI for the last several years. It turns out the FBI started tracking animal abuse cases about 10-15 years ago due to the incredibly high correlation between abusing animals when you're young and becoming a serial violent offender as an adult." —TheDongerNeedsFood 12."I have a relative who retired from the NSA a few years ago. She has talked about a few things in generalities, nothing specific. Among them: Alcoholism in general is rife in the agency. When you cannot speak to anyone outside the agency about your work, it becomes nearly impossible to confide in anyone close to you. Even if you have close work friends or family, you have to be careful what you say because not everyone is read into every program. Two people can sit next to each other in the same office, working on the same subject for months, and never talk about it with each other, even though they're close friends outside the agency. So people turn to the bottle. Her husband worked for a different government agency and also had a Top Secret-SCI clearance, but she couldn't talk about her work with him (nor could he with her, but his didn't involve the intelligence community)." —NetworkLlama 13."Want to work for them? Prepare to do a fair amount of paper work. The form will ask for each of your employer's contact information, contact information of friends, your history of addresses, etc. They will then send an agent to interview a number of these people. Next, you have to take a psychological exam and be interviewed by a psychologist. Finally, you'll have one last interview with a polygraph and a professional lie detector." —Sw0rDz 14."The agency employs psychiatrists who are cleared to be read into almost any program. Going to them, though, is often seen as a mark of shame among other agency employees, so they are not used nearly as often as they should be." —NetworkLlama Related: 15."Properly secret programs and operations are never named in any way that indicates what they are actually about. They're generally just two words chosen at random and that would rarely come up in normal conversation, stuff like 'Cracked Gorilla' (which I just made up off the top of my head)." —xxkoloblicinxx 16."I applied to be an accountant at the FBI out of college. On the first or second page of the application, it asks if you have ever done any illegal drug. Not wanting to lie, I said yes, and it immediately ended the application process. It's shocking to me that there are so many FBI agents, and absolutely none of them have ever smoked weed." —scotchglass22 finally, "Anyone who is a US citizen can apply to join the CIA. It isn't that hard. If you have any kind of degree in computer science, statistics, engineering, or accounting, and don't have anything that would mess up your getting a clearance, getting a job would be relatively easy there. Working at the CIA is far more boring than you would think." —Intrepid-Client9449 Responses have been edited for length/clarity. So, to all the former FBI and CIA workers out there. What are some other secrets you can share about the job? Let us know in the comments below. Or, if you prefer to remain anonymous, share your submission in the form below. Also in Internet Finds: Also in Internet Finds: Also in Internet Finds:
Buzz Feed
2 days ago
- Buzz Feed
17 FBI Government Secrets From Former Workers
As an avid Criminal Minds-watcher, I've always wondered what it was actually like to work as an FBI agent. A while back, Reddit user mr_squirell asked, "FBI/CIA agents of Reddit, what's something that you can tell us without killing us?" Here's what they said: "I worked with a woman who was a former NSA. We would always beg her to tell us stuff, but she never did. The one thing she did say, though, was that during training, they show them a video of a bunch of things they've found out about and stopped. She said she hardly slept for two weeks after watching that." "My dad worked for GCHQ in the '80s doing voice recognition, and he can't say anything more for another decade. The technology used that lets Siri and Alexa recognize you today was also being used in the '80s... Just a bit slower..." "I was an analyst, not an agent/officer. 85% of all classified material is classified because of how it was collected, not because it is juicy/useful. Yes, your boss and co-workers said that stuff about you." "We are all told never to use sites like Reddit. Social media in general is pretty much a no-go." "An ex-Company man once told me that the movie Get Smart was more accurate than James Bond." "I talked with some CIA recruiters towards the end of college and almost applied earnestly after a large group Q&A and then a much smaller one. The thing that stuck out to me was that the guys said most CIA agents are out of shape and have limited combat training with guns or hand-to-hand. They made it clear that it's the military that uses force. If confronted, they were trained to immediately surrender or to drop their bags and run if possible." "If you go through the FBI interview process, it takes a while. Chances are, you're going to have to spend some time working on crimes against children, which is really tough, and most people don't want to do it." "My dad worked for the government, and he told me that any time he had a meaningful interaction with someone who wasn't American (i.e. going over to my friend's house for Lunar New Year or going on vacation to Canada), he had to report it all, and if he saw anything suspicious." "I worked with the Australian Federal police with the spider squad doing 'computer stuff' for them in regards to pedophiles and finding trafficking victims. It was the most heartbreaking work, but when you got the pedophiles, the office looked like NASA after a Mars landing." "My spouse is an FBI agent. One of the things they had to do at the FBI Academy was go to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in DC. The lesson was what can happen if you blindly follow orders without ever questioning the morality/intent behind them. I found that pretty compelling, and I was glad to hear that it's part of their training." "Not an FBI or CIA officer, but my sister is a district attorney, and over the years, she has prosecuted a number of animal-cruelty cases. This led to her having an ongoing partnership with the FBI for the last several years. It turns out the FBI started tracking animal abuse cases about 10-15 years ago due to the incredibly high correlation between abusing animals when you're young and becoming a serial violent offender as an adult." "I have a relative who retired from the NSA a few years ago. She has talked about a few things in generalities, nothing specific. Among them: Alcoholism in general is rife in the agency. When you cannot speak to anyone outside the agency about your work, it becomes nearly impossible to confide in anyone close to you. Even if you have close work friends or family, you have to be careful what you say because not everyone is read into every program. Two people can sit next to each other in the same office, working on the same subject for months, and never talk about it with each other, even though they're close friends outside the agency. So people turn to the bottle. Her husband worked for a different government agency and also had a Top Secret-SCI clearance, but she couldn't talk about her work with him (nor could he with her, but his didn't involve the intelligence community)." "Want to work for them? Prepare to do a fair amount of paper work. The form will ask for each of your employer's contact information, contact information of friends, your history of addresses, etc. They will then send an agent to interview a number of these people. Next, you have to take a psychological exam and be interviewed by a psychologist. Finally, you'll have one last interview with a polygraph and a professional lie detector." "The agency employs psychiatrists who are cleared to be read into almost any program. Going to them, though, is often seen as a mark of shame among other agency employees, so they are not used nearly as often as they should be." "Properly secret programs and operations are never named in any way that indicates what they are actually about. They're generally just two words chosen at random and that would rarely come up in normal conversation, stuff like 'Cracked Gorilla' (which I just made up off the top of my head)." "I applied to be an accountant at the FBI out of college. On the first or second page of the application, it asks if you have ever done any illegal drug. Not wanting to lie, I said yes, and it immediately ended the application process. It's shocking to me that there are so many FBI agents, and absolutely none of them have ever smoked weed." And finally, "Anyone who is a US citizen can apply to join the CIA. It isn't that hard. If you have any kind of degree in computer science, statistics, engineering, or accounting, and don't have anything that would mess up your getting a clearance, getting a job would be relatively easy there. Working at the CIA is far more boring than you would think." So, to all the former FBI and CIA workers out there. What are some other secrets you can share about the job? Let us know in the comments below. Or, if you prefer to remain anonymous, share your submission in the form below.
Hindustan Times
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
The Office actor Rainn Wilson says the show struggled after Steve Carell's exit: ‘It was a little bit chaotic'
American actor Rainn Wilson, best known for his role as Dwight Schrute, recently reflected on Steve Carell's departure from The Office and how it impacted the show behind the scenes. Appearing on the Good Guys podcast with hosts Josh Peck and Ben Soffer, the 59-year-old actor opened up about the shift in tone and dynamic after Steve left the series in 2011. Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute and Steve Carell as Michael Scott in a still from The Office 'When Steve left, then it was a little bit chaotic of trying to figure out the tone of the show and who's the lead and, how are we telling these stories without, you know, the comic engine of the show, which is Michael Scott, and without one of the greatest comic actors in American history at the center of our show. That was also a struggle,' Rainn said on the podcast. While the transition proved difficult, Rainn explained that Steve stepping away wasn't unexpected. 'We knew it was coming for a long time,' he said, adding that his co-star's movie stardom made it a natural progression. At the time of his departure, Steve was already making waves in Hollywood with films like Get Smart and The Incredible Burt Wonderstone. 'He was doing like Burt Wonderstone and these big comedies. I'm forgetting all the names of them at the time, but Get Smart, you know? (Movies) that were in 2,000 theaters at the multiplex. So, of course, he's going to leave The Office when he can,' he noted. Following his exit, Steve starred in a string of critically and commercially successful projects, including Crazy, Stupid, Love, Despicable Me, Hope Springs, and The Way Way Back. His performance as Michael Scott earned him six Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series, helping solidify his status as a major Hollywood talent—even though he never took home the award. The show ran for two more seasons without him and ultimately ended in 2013, with Steve making a surprise return in the series finale.
Buzz Feed
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Rainn Wilson: Making The Office After Carell A Struggle
At this point, the American remake of The Office is one of the most beloved TV sitcoms in the history of the medium. It's just a fact. A large part of what made the show work so well was Steve Carell's performance as Michael Scott. He effectively made the character iconic, and he even won a Golden Globe for his efforts in 2006. You probably also know that Steve left the show at the end of its seventh season, in 2011. The show would go on for two more seasons before closing out for good in 2013. Some believe that the show was never the same after Steve left, and it sounds like that includes Rainn Wilson, who played Dwight Schrute across all nine seasons of The Office. In a recent appearance on the Good Guys podcast, Rainn got real about how the cast tried to make it to the end without their effective lead anchor of a performance. 'When Steve left, then it was a little bit chaotic of trying to figure out the tone of the show and who's the lead and, how are we telling these stories without, you know, the comic engine of the show, which is Michael Scott, and without one of the greatest comic actors in American history at the center of our show," he said. "That was also a struggle.' Rainn also said that, for most of the show's cast, the writing had been on the wall about anticipating Steve's departure — and they were none too surprised when it took place. "We knew it was coming for a long time," he said, after noting that Steve was "such a big movie star at the time." 'He was doing, like, Burt Wonderstone and these big comedies," Rainn added. "I'm forgetting all the names of them at the time, but, Get Smart, you know? [Movies] that were in 2,000 theaters at the multiplex." 'So, of course, he's going to leave The Office when he can!' Fair enough! You can listen to the entire interview here.
Forbes
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Mel Brooks Turns 99: A Celebration Of An Extraordinary Career
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 21: Mel Brooks speaks onstage at the "Spaceballs" screening during the ... More 2024 TCM Classic Film Festival at TCL Chinese Theatre on April 21, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo byfor TCM) Mark your calendars - one year from today, Mel Brooks will turn 100! And today we wish the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award (EGOT) winner a Happy 99th Birthday! The irony of Brooks reaching age 99 is the classic sitcom Get Smart, which he created with Buck Henry in 1965 and featured Barbara Feldon as Agent 99. Get Smart, which aired through 1971 and won seven Emmys and two Golden Globe Awards, is just one of the endless accomplishments of Mr. Brooks, who is still actively working. Fun factoid: Don Adams as Maxwell Smart (Agent 86) talking on the shoe phone has been parodied by many comedians over the years. Don Adams (1923 - 2005) as Maxwell Smart/Agent 86 and Barbara Feldon as Agent 99 in the television ... More series 'Get Smart', circa 1965. (Photo by Silver Screen Collection/) Another fun factoid: Mel Brooks is one of only 21 entertainers to win the EGOT. Born Melvin Kaminsky on June 28, 1926, Mel Brooks began his lengthy career as a comic and a writer for the groundbreaking Sid Caeser variety show Your Show of Shows, which ran from 1950 to 1954. There he worked with eventual legends Neil Simon and Carl Reiner, whom he remained best friends with until Reiner's death in 2020 at age 98. Did you know?: Mel's last name, Brooks, is an adaptation of his mother's maiden name, Brookman. Promotional portrait of American comedians Sid Caesar (left) and Mel Brooks in 'The Sid Caesar, ... More Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner, and Howard Morris Special,' which was originally broadcast on April 5, 1967. The special was a reunion of cast members from 'Your Show Of Shows.' (Photo by CBS) NEW YORK, NY - [August 18, 2016: The Writer's Room located at City Center 130 West 56th street, ... More where YOUR SHOW OF SHOWS came to life each week from February 25, 1950 until June 5, 1954. The writing staff included Sid Caeser, Carl Reiner, Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Howard Morris, Mel Tolkin, Lucille Kallen, Tony Webster, Joe Stein, Danny Simon, Max Liebman and Woody Allen. It waslocated on the 6th floor. Photographed on August 18, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by) Sid Caesar then created sketch-comedy Caesar's Hour, which ran from 1954 to 1957 and included most of the same cast and writers, including Brooks and the arrivals of Woody Allen and Larry Gelbart (M*A*S*H). Then, after creating live act the '2000 Year Old Man' with Carl Reiner and appearing on The Steve Allen Show with it, the pair segued to three comedy albums, a 1975 animated TV special, and a reunion album in 1998. Trivia note: Brooks adapted the '2000 Year Old Man' character to create the '2500-Year-Old Brewmaster" for Ballantine Beer in the 1960s. 1974: Actors Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner pose for a publicity portrait for their program "2000 And ... More Thirteen Year Old Man" in 1974. (Photo by Michael) Brooks headed to Broadway with the creation of the musical All American in 1962. Then came Get Smart. And, for several years, Brooks explored the ideas of a musical comedy of the notorious Adolph Hitler, which turned into his first feature comedic film, The Producers, in 1968. Brooks won The Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, and his film career skyrocketed. 1968: Actors Gene Wilder, Zero Mostel and Lee Meredith perform scene in Mel Brooks classic movie ... More "The Producers". Winner of two Academy Awards. (Photo by Michael) Next was The Twelve Chairs in 1970, and two more collaborations with Gene Wilder: Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles, both in 1974. Fun factoid: the legendary actress Heddy Lamarr sued Brooks over the use of the name Hedley Lamarr in Blazing Saddles and settled out of court. Actors Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman and Teri Garr in a scene from the movie 'Young ... More Frankenstein', 1974. (Photo by Stanley Bielecki) Actor Mel Brooks (left) sits on the floor beside Harvey Korman as Cleavon Little kneels atop a desk, ... More in a still from the film, 'Blazing Saddles,' directed by Mel Brooks, 1974. (Photo by Warner Bros./Courtesy of Getty Images) Brooks undeniably struck a comedic chord with audiences. Young Frankenstein was the third-highest-grossing film domestically of 1974, just behind Blazing Saddles with a gross of $86 million. Heading back to television, Brooks created the 1975 sitcom When Things Were Rotten, a parody of Robin Hood. Despite only airing for 13 episodes, he resurrected dialogue from the comedy, and other Brooks films, for Robin Hood: Men in Tights on the big screen in 1993. Cary Elwes and Amy Yasbeck celebrate in a scene from the film 'Robin Hood: Men In Tights', 1993. ... More (Photo by 20th Century-Fox/Getty Images) Later Mel Brooks features include Silent Movie (1976), High Anxiety (1977) and, through his company Brooksfilms, Frances (1982), The Fly (1986), My Favorite Year (1982), History of the World Part I (1981), Spaceballs (1987), Life Stinks (1991), and Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995). There was also the one season TV sitcom The Nutt House with Cloris Leachman and Harvey Korman in 1989. And, in 2001, came the blockbuster Broadway musical The Producers, based on the earlier film. 388331 01: People stand in line outside the St. James Theatre in New York April 25, 2001 to purchase ... More tickets for the Broadway production of "The Producers". "The Producers," a $10 million stage version of Mel Brooks'' classic film comedy is Broadway's biggest hit since "The Lion King" with $100 ticket prices which are the highest on Broadway. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Newsmakers) Fun factoid: Brooks guest starred as Uncle Phil in four episodes of the Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt sitcom Mad About You from 1996 to 1999 and won the Emmy Award three times for Best Guest Actor in a Comedy Series. Not a bad gig! MAD ABOUT YOU — "The Penis" Episode 14 — Pictured: (l-r) Paul Reiser as Paul Buchman, Helen Hunt as ... More Jamie Stemple Buchman, Mel Brooks as Uncle Phil, Lawrence Mandley as Leon, unknown, Eric Allan Kramer as Skippy — Photo by: Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES: Comedian Mel Brooks points to his Emmy awardat the 50th Annual ... More Primetime Emmy Awards 13 Sept at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Brooks won his Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Uncle Phil in "Mad About You". . AFP PHOTO Kim KULISH/mn (Photo credit should read KIM KULISH/AFP via Getty Images) In recent years, Brooks published his memoir All About Me in 2021. He wrote and produced History of the World Part II, a follow-up series on Hulu, also in 2021. And just this month he announced Spaceballs 2 is bring produced with a release date targeted for 2027. Oh, and now there is also Very Young Frankenstein, a television project, for FX, that Brooks is producing. The moral of this story: Staying active is the 'secret sauce' for longevity. And today we wish Mel Brooks a Happy 99th Birthday! American film director Mel Brooks, New York, New York, July 1976. (Photo by Jack Mitchell/Getty ... More Images)
