Admittedly, Norman's career is a rather strange one, including documentary films, work for a now-defunct online entertainment site and his latest project, a Pat Paulsen-like run for the presidency built on a platform that includes a national "pizza night," extending summer by two weeks and making procreation "a privilege."
Norman's agent, Richard Lawrence, hopes there is a TV special or series in documenting the presidential run, which Norman, at least, appears to be taking seriously. Even Lawrence struggles in trying to characterize him.
"He just looks at life differently," Lawrence said, adding in regard to the way the TV landscape has shifted, "There's a need for people doing unusual things."
"I'm definitely not an actor," Norman said. "I never really knew what to call myself. A provocateur, I guess.... I've always enjoyed interacting with the unsuspecting public."
Although rarely as protracted as what he tried to pull off in Boise, the hidden-camera pranks Norman specializes in are clearly less innocuous than, say, "Candid Camera."
A "Spy TV" stunt, for example, involved getting pizza deliverymen to help perform a mock surgery (although they didn't know it wasn't real) in a seedy motel room. One became so unnerved at the grisly spectacle that he abruptly exited through the window.
Some have decried this programming trend as being mean-spirited, among them Peter Funt, son of the late Allen Funt and overseer of the "Candid Camera" franchise. Still, hidden-camera shows have proliferated, including the WB's comedic "JKX: The Jamie Kennedy Experiment," Fox's upcoming "Meet the Marks" and MTV's "Celebrity Undercover."
For his part, Norman dismisses any criticism, suggesting that the public accepts and understands that the shows are designed simply to entertain. As for the risk that someone could be hurt, he said, "I didn't expect anybody to jump out a window, and I don't think any reasonable person would."
Jeff Boggs, the executive producer of "Spy TV," said Norman and the program's other regular contributors possess the improvisational skills necessary to make the genre work--unlike many of the more traditional sitcom actors who come in.
"He's probably the furthest thing in Hollywood from a leading man--kind of a cross between Gavin MacLeod and Chris Elliott," quipped Boggs, who previously worked on Tom Green's MTV show and who calls Norman a friend.
As for the prospects of a TV show chronicling Norman's transformation from unlikely TV presence to presidential candidate, his agent expressed confidence someone will eventually take the plunge. After all, it should be unusual--and reasonably priced.
"I think we'll get to do it," Lawrence said. "Like everything else in TV, it's just a question of when."
