How did ‘political piranha’ become ‘Mr. Nicely?’

Munem (center) in "The Sound of Music"

For those who still can’t fathom Joe Munem, once known as the “political piranha,” playing wholesome roles in community theater, Munem has kindly provided us with a video blog.

Not that the former campaign strategist would ever engage in self-promotion, but the 3-minute video is mostly Munem, talking about Munem, most of the time. He does get in a few plugs for the Richmond Community Theatre’s production of Guys and Dolls, opening tonight, in which he plays the role of “Nicely.” (Ah, the air is thick with irony.)

But the former political consultant, who produced some of the most outrageous campaign literature ever seen in Macomb County, still knows how to lay it on thick when going through his shtick. The video shows Munem hamming it up with a bit of self-deprecating humor as he recounts his 11-year career on local stages.

The politico-turned-thespian, now the PR guy for a trash hauling company, also demonstrates on tape that his salesmanship skills are still intact. After all, if you can sell people on politicians, that’s not a bad bit of background and experience for making people feel comfortable about garbage.