Here’s a little known secret: Steve, co-founder of Panic, was actually born in the UK. His family immigrated to the USA when he was 6. He uses a British accent when he talks to his parents. When I met him, he actually pronounced vitamin “vit-uh-min”. In other words, Steve wasn’t technically an American.
Until now.
Last week, Steve filed the paperwork, took the interview, jumped through some bureaucratic hoops, and became an official American. Hooray!
I made a quick little video to document this fascinating and momentous moment — it was legitimately wonderful — and to illustrate some of Steve’s difficulties in adjusting to American life. As if in a sitcom. A sitcom where he hasn’t already lived here for almost three decades.
Welcome to America, Steve!
Cabel
1/26/2010 1:54 PMReserving the first comment… just in case. ;)
AnotherGuy
1/26/2010 2:12 PMCongrats Steve. Welcome to America. lol
Cobalt
1/26/2010 2:14 PMTerrific ! The presidential speech part is intriguing : is it longer than what wee could see ? What do they broadcast besides NASA (yay !) or military imagery ?
Cabel
1/26/2010 2:16 PMCobalt:Yeah, the presidential speech was much longer, as was the patriotic montage — maybe I’ll post the full clip for the curious at some point! It is definitely something you don’t get to see every day…
David Sinclair
1/26/2010 2:20 PMCongratulations Steve, and great video Cabel.
I remember going through the naturalization process myself a few years ago. It was certainly lots of paperwork and effort, but well worth it.
Steve
1/26/2010 2:32 PMUh-oh. There goes the neighborhood!
Lucien W. Dupont
1/26/2010 2:33 PMCongratulations Steve!
Toby
1/26/2010 2:33 PMCongratulations Steven – I myself am UK born but about to become a Canadian citizen. Viva la North America!
Jeremy Votaw
1/26/2010 2:42 PMThat’s awesome man. Good for you! Congratulations.
El Pocho
1/26/2010 2:42 PMSteven…never diss the flag lady. That’s patriotic rule number 732. But really, congrats!
Lifely
1/26/2010 2:42 PMAhh Some beautiful video made by cabel :)
Congrat to Steven and beauty used :)
dalas v
1/26/2010 2:45 PMI want to click “Like.”
phcranston
1/26/2010 2:55 PMGreat video. very well done. I even liked Obama – just for a minute.
Matthias
1/26/2010 2:59 PMHilarious, thanks for sharing!
Dusty
1/26/2010 3:08 PMCongrats, Steven! But that flag lady will never forgive you.
Floggy Bottom
1/26/2010 3:13 PMGreat video, loved the salad dressing bit. But I gotta say Steve, 1992 called, it wants it’s foppy hairdo back. :)
Ryan
1/26/2010 3:28 PMCongrats Steve! :)
Great video Cabel.
BBQ Sauce(?) over Salad Cream on salad. lol.
By the way, no matter what you make, programs or blog all is done well!
I especially like the faint panic logo on your posts and this wicked comment form.
duncan
1/26/2010 4:00 PMsame boat, immigrated to america at age 5 – 30 years ago this year (eek), though haven’t done the citizenship thing. the obama bit got me interested, the god-awful song after that convinced me to stick to the green card
SSteve
1/26/2010 4:29 PMAck! I hate that song! It actually makes me measurably less proud to be an American.
William Wilkinson
1/26/2010 4:42 PMCabel, you should just spend everyday making videos.
Martin Pilkington
1/26/2010 5:13 PMPoor Steve, he will never be able to google “lovely fanny” again and have it be NSFW.
LM
1/26/2010 5:22 PMCongratulations… but something’s bothering me: In second 18, there’s a Panic dude behind Steve with a Noby Noby Boy t-shirt that is eating is own bogeys?!
Wade
1/26/2010 8:00 PMLM: I can assure you that I’m in fact *not* eating bogeys. :) But rather simply playing with my mustache, which I’m prone to do from time to time.
Levi Figueira
1/26/2010 9:15 PMThe video is hilarious and really well done! Great job Cabel! ;)
Congrats Steve! :)
Cobalt
1/26/2010 9:22 PMThanks ! I’m definitely interested in seeing the whole footage.
Borat
1/26/2010 10:13 PMI will like to be American some day, too. The underwears are great & so are all the woman.
Borat
Elena
1/26/2010 10:53 PMOMG – this is so hilarious. I want to share with all of my friends it’s so funny. Do they really show Obama and play that proud to be an American song there? Or did you add that?! Hugs from Elena (& Matt)
tom(dB)
1/27/2010 1:23 AMTraitor to the crown!
Tristan
1/27/2010 5:22 AMWelcome to America!
And thanks for the montage. Man, today, I was sitting around, thinking, “I need a montage. Can I get a montage?” And poof! Here it came.
Christopher Downer
1/27/2010 6:15 AMOh no, we’ve lost another one to the nation…
Hilarious video.
ryanknapper
1/27/2010 2:41 PMWelcome to the U.S.A. I’m curious though, why did you do it? Was it a long-time desire? Was it just easier for living here? Was it a difficult decision?
OutKa5t
1/27/2010 2:55 PMhahaha lovely fanny. Love it!!!
The American welcome is very funny.
James Aitken
1/27/2010 8:03 PMJulia Roberts over Mrs Slocombe and her pussy… Best part of the vid!
Sam Grover
1/31/2010 2:36 PMThat song was so cheesy. I got my permanent resident card from that same center last year. Just a few blocks from my place. Welcome to the ‘hood, Steve :-)
muyiwa
1/31/2010 8:32 PMAwesome video! Some of the camera work reminded me of The Wrestler. Neat. Umm please don’t give up Heinz Salad Cream – I *always* have some in the fridge. Bad-ass on sandwiches too!
Kanaan
2/5/2010 4:00 PMCongrats, Steve. I was in the same boat as you a couple of years ago. It was worse though. The ceremony involved like 8 thousand people at the LA Convention Center. We had to wait in an un-air conditioned area where we stood line for half an hour waiting for double doors to open. It was either to the citizenship hall area or straight to a cargo plane and we would all be deported. But the worst part of all? The back to back videos of Bush Jr. and Lee Greenwood. It was all worth it though, being able to say you’re an American.
David Stewart
2/11/2010 7:46 AMI love the slow-mo iPhone camera pic. The mimicked pinch of an aperture on an LED is the flashbulb of the 21st century. Also, that the “I’m proud to be an American” song is used in official government communication to immigrants. I hate that song.
Collin
2/11/2010 9:54 PMBravo! Well done.
Now how about that Transmit v4?
(but congrats. The US tax laws should be reason enough… that’s what Nigel Mansell said.)
Jason
2/18/2010 3:03 PMWelcome Steve! Congrats!
And covering up Mrs. Slocombe with Julia Roberts was the best! (Tho’ I still think dinner with Mollie Sugden would have been cool!)
Jakub Steiner
2/18/2010 4:11 PMProps for embracing Ogg Theora! :)
Ian
2/19/2010 5:56 PMThat was quite amusing, but as someone who has lived in England my whole life, it just sounds wrong to say it any other way than “vit-uh-min”!
Lester
2/21/2010 3:26 AMI’m glad your husband is American now, Cabel.
Philip B.
3/6/2010 11:27 AMCongrats, even if I feel a little bit depressed that we lose another of our own citizens.
Eddie Forero
3/9/2010 5:00 PMWow, I think there’s a tear in my eye… yep! Congrats!
David Krug
4/5/2010 4:22 PMIt took me longer than I’d like to admit to figure out why music from The Abyss was an appropriate choice. Seriously, it was bugging me for days.
StuFF mc
4/11/2010 3:08 PMHolly… :-) It’s so unbelievable the patriotic aspect of *becoming* an American :-) Although I somehow *understand* it, it goes a little bit too far (the little flag they hand you out, for example). But it’s still *funny* to see, from an European perspective :) There’s just no way you would do that *this way* here :) That said, Steve, congrats – you’re welcome to become European whenever you’d like. What? you were? No buddy, you were British, not *really* the same :)
Thilo
9/26/2010 1:49 AMPoor Steve, didn’t Canada accept you? Had you never heard of Sweden or Norway? Would you have hated the mountains of Switzerland? Why would anyone choose THAT country? This question has got me really wondering for days.