He has been called “The Great Imposter,’’ a man who has been introduced to audiences
across the country as Dr. Robert Payne, a
bumbling bureaucrat from Washington, D.C.
But his real name is Durwood Fincher, and
the late Allen Funt, of Candid Camera, once
dubbed him “Mr. Doubletalk.’’ After he hits
his audiences with a one-two punch of sense
and nonsense, syllables and silliness, they
realize why he is such a special entertainer.
He has been a mainstay on the corporate
speaking circuit for more than 25 years,
and there’s no other comic personality in
America with his blend of humor, inspiration,
philanthropy, spirituality and patriotism.
He has appeared on dozens of television
shows, including NBC’s “The Today Show”
and “Live With Regis and Kelly.’’ Posing as a
sportscaster, he once doubletalked the entire
roster of the Atlanta Braves. After delivering a
flurry of frenetic phonetics in the direction of
TV game show personality Vanna White, she
begged him: “Can I buy a vowel?’’
His wild and wonderful collection of
stories have been captured and tamed by
award-winning newspaper columnist Ed
Grisamore in Once You Step in Elephant
Manure, You’re in the Circus Forever:
The Life and Sometimes of Durwood “Mr.
Doubletalk” Fincher.
Included with the book is an original 35-minute DVD with hilarious highlights of Fincher's colorful career in doubletalk and a touching photographic tribute to Payne City featuring Pieces of Our Past, by Allen Levi.
Fincher grew up in the Macon (Ga.) cotton
mill village of Payne City beneath the apron
strings of the most influential person in his life
– his mother, Ella Mae Fincher. The hilarious
and inspiring story chronicles Fincher’s life as
a high school teacher and as the inventor of
Toe Floss, a gag gift invented for people who
stick their foot in their mouth.
Grisamore takes the reader on an
emotional roller coaster as he writes about
the personal struggles and magical moments
of a man who is now a member of the prestigious
Washington Speakers Bureau. We are
introduced to the lives Durwood Fincher has
touched and the lives who have touched him.
It’s a story that needed to be told. Now it
has been.
Testimonials
"I love people who can do humor in a clean, fun way. That's why I'm friends with people like Durwood and Jeff Foxworthy. I admire them both."
- John Smoltz, Atlanta Braves pitcher
"Here's a guy, Durwood Fincher, who has double-talked through his whole life and had a wonderful time doing it. I loved when he did the same on my show."
- Regis Philbin, host of Live With Regis and Kelly
"You start so that I know you're saying something real, and then it's . . . (gibberish). It's very much like what happens in my brain."
- Al Roker, NBC's The Today Show
"A lively account of a man who is an imposter, a philosopher, an entertainer and a joy to all those whom his life touches. Listen to the Fincher gospel; it's a thought-provoking laugh riot which is too tickled to be tamed."
- Robert L. Steed (Author of Money, Power and Sex, A Self-help Guide for all Ages and Ship Without an Udder
"Ed Grisamore is an astute and engaging observer of the human race. Durwood Fincher is one of its most colorful members. Their collaboration on this book is a gift to all of us. It is, for these difficult days, a much-needed story of inspiring good nature, kind-hearted laughter, and pure gladness."
- Allen Levi, singer/songwriter
Inside the Book
Read the Table of Contents, Foreword and Chapter 1 of the book:
Once You Step in Elephant Manure You're in the Circus Forever: The Life and Sometimes of Durwood "Mr. Doubletalk" Fincher
by Ed Grisamore Indigo Publishing, Publisher 2008
Included with the book is a 35-minute DVD with highlights of Fincher’s hilarious career in doubletalk.
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About Durwood Fincher
Durwood Fincher has been a mainstay on the corporate speaking circuit for over twenty-five years. His formula is simple - he makes people laugh! A consummate entertainer, he has regaled most of the Fortune 500 and is frequently featured on such network staples as The Today Show and Live with Regis and Kelly. Fincher’s hilarious take on corporate culture is personalized for each of his clients, their business, and even their attendees who become the true stars in the hysterical video finale. The result is a clean and unique production that works every time.
About Ed Grisamore
Ed Grisamore is a columnist for The Macon (Ga.) Telegraph and a graduate of the University of Georgia. He is the author of five other books: True Gris, Once Upon a Whoopee, More Gris, Smack Dab in Dog Crossing and It Can Be Done: The Billy Henderson Story. His audiobook, Gris & That was nominated for a Grammy in 2006 in the “Spoken Word” category. He lives in Macon with his wife, Delinda, and sons Ed, Grant and Jake. To learn more about Ed, visit his website.
Durwood Fincher has been a mainstay on the corporate speaking circuit for over twenty-five years. His formula is simple - he makes people laugh! A consummate entertainer, he has regaled most of the Fortune 500 and is frequently featured on such network staples as The Today Show and Live with Regis and Kelly. Fincher’s hilarious take on corporate culture is personalized for each of his clients, their business, and even their attendees who become the true stars in the hysterical video finale. The result is a clean and unique production that works every time.
Ed Grisamore is a columnist for 