Local Man Tries to Set Conan O'Brien Straight

A northwest suburban man got some publicity on national television last week when he tried to set the record straight with late night talk show host Conan O’Brien. 

O’Brien runs a segment called “Fan Corrections” in which viewers submit video clips pointing out errors made on the show.

When Joel Ohrlund of Arlington Heights heard O’Brien crack a joke about a pharmaceutical company creating cinnamon flavored insulin, Ohrlund felt as though he had to intervene.

“As a pharmacy student, I couldn’t let this go because I know that insulin is a protein and would get broken down if taken orally, so it’s only available via subcutaneous injection. So, you’re wrong,” he stated in the video he submitted to the show.

Ohrlund, a Buffalo Grove native and 2006 graduate of Buffalo Grove High School, earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Millikin University. He now attends Roosevelt University’s College of Pharmacy, from which he expects to graduate in 2014. 

His correction aired Jan. 10. While his statement was clearly backed up by science, Conan refused to back down. The show created a commercial for a fictional “insulin juice box” purported to both cause and treat diabetes.

Conan went on to poke fun at Ohrlund, saying that he was “sure you’re an excellent ‘pharmacy student,’ but you’re dead wrong.” He also took at a jab at the origami butterfly mural visible behind Ohrlund in his apartment, telling him, “I see you got the new Silence of the Lambs home decorating kit.”

Ohrlund said he found humor in O’Brien’s responses. 

“I thought it was very funny. I expected to be the butt of a few jokes, that's how most of the corrections end up,” he said. “Overall, it was a great way to have some fun and promote my profession at the same time.”