Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images
Hundreds of fans on Saturday filled the parking lot and lined up halfway down the block outside of the Herbarium Recreation Dispensary in West Hollywood for a chance to meet director Kevin Smith and his friend and frequent collaborator Jason Mewes as they premiered three new weed strains to promote their upcoming film Jay and Silent Bob Reboot.
Despite their humble beginnings, Jay and Silent Bob have proven to be some of the most enduring characters in film history. First appearing in Smith’s directorial debut Clerks in 1994, the stoner comedic duo have since made appearances in over a dozen films, television shows and music videos stretching over 25 years.
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Smith spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about why the characters have had such a long pop culture shelf life.
“I think it has everything to do with Jason Mewes. He’s one of the most original people I’ve ever met and people respond to him in this weird way,” he said. “There’s a familiarity to him and a comfort factor to him, and there’s something to be said for being around for a quarter-century. People are like, ‘Oh, you’re still here?’ But if you last long enough, people are like, ‘Hey, good to see you again.'”
Rap music blared in the Herbarium and the store had a dance-party feel as white-coated clerks grooved to the music. In addition to a wide variety of buds and edibles, there were also vending machines well stocked with munchies ranging from Doritos to candy bars, making the store one-stop shopping for hungry stoners.
The new strains were developed in conjunction with Caviar Gold and are named Snoogans, Snoochie and Berzerker, which were catchphrases coined by Mewes in the original Clerks.
Although Mewes is sober now, he spoke with THR about what it means to have his own weed strain and what it’s like to go from counterculture icons to mainstream bud businessmen: “It’s amazing. It’s cool because the movies have been based on our characters. They sold weed and they did it illegally. When Kevin wrote Clerks, he based Jay on me 100 percent. That’s what I acted like, that’s what I did. Everything but sold weed. So it’s really cool that so many years later that Jay can actually sell weed and sell it legally. It really made the character come full circle, and made me Jason Mewes come full circle.”
Added Smith, “After 25 years of being fake weed dealers, it feels nice to be real weed dealers. It’s amazing. In terms of the movie, I was always hoping that when the movie comes out, the weed will be out there. And the movie will go away quicker than the weed ever will, so I’m kind of hoping that the weed just kind of keeps going. It would be a nice legacy for the flick.”
Few directors have worked as hard to form a personal connection with their fans as Smith, and it showed not only through the massive turnout but the number of fans who came dressed in his signature combination of oversized jean shorts and a hockey jersey.
Smith and Mewes made every smoker’s dream come true when they worked the counter and sold their new strains to the first few fans to make it through the door. Smith also took plenty of time to sign autographs and pose for pictures.
Daniel Fitzgerald from Arleta, California, spoke to THR about why Smith has never lost connection with his fan base.
“Even though he’s been big for almost 30 years, he’s still very much one of us,” Fitzgerald said. “He’s still very much a part of nerd culture. He’s still approachable. His humor hasn’t changed over the last 30 years. He’s still pretty much the same guy that made Clerks 30 years ago.”
Jay and Silent Bob Reboot is set to hit theaters Oct. 15.
