Jack Rebney, the man who unwittingly became an internet sensation and embraced his unexpected fame, has died at 93. In 1988, Rebney, a former journalist, found himself in front of the camera filming promotional videos for Winnebago RVs. Little did he know that his candid, profanity-laden outtakes would make him an early internet viral phenomenon years later. Rebney's journey from obscurity to notoriety was immortalized in the documentary Winnebago Man. In 2004, Boing Boing was among the first websites to share the viral video and later, in 2010, the film's trailer.
EW:
Ben Steinbauer, a friend of Rebney's and the director of the 2009 documentary Winnebago Man, confirmed the news to EW. The cause of death is unknown at this time.
"Jack has been living on the coast of Southern Oregon for the last several years, listening to MSNBC, CNN, ABC, and CBS on Sirius radio. And was preparing to produce some podcasts of a political nature," Steinbauer tells EW. "He had a faithful dog, Kiri, and a community of neighbors who looked after him. He hated flies right up until the end."
