Joy

You may have read news stories about the rise of AI chatbots as companions, therapists, creative partners, or simply digital friends. Well, sorry, Sam Altman; someone already beat you to the punch 40 years ago.

His name was Ben Hollis, and for the full 42 minutes of his VHS tape Rent-a-Friend, he became your new buddy, Sam.

Originally released in 1986, the obscure Rent-a-Friend was available for purchase through ads in the back of magazines. It would be mailed to your home, whereby you'd pop it into your VCR and have instant companionship for the next 45 minutes.

Hollis plays Sam, a gentle, friendly guy who sits in a comfortable chair and directs a casual chat with the viewer. He starts with introductions, telling you his name and a little about his family, before asking you the same. Hollis's Sam leaves pauses for the viewer's responses, nods along, and offers natural replies like "Oh, that's interesting" or "Yeah, I can see that" to keep the conversation flowing and feeling natural.

Sam tells you about his childhood and asks you about yours. He invites you to play a game called "Blockhead."

The original packaging on the tape reads, "He talks to you. He listens to you. He drinks with you. He even lends you money!"

The video, performed in a single take without any cuts or interruptions, is at times warm and comforting and at other times creepy and cringeworthy. But above all, it is extremely earnest. And that's probably why, even though the tape is strange and niche, it was eventually picked up for coverage by CNN, David Letterman, and even Oprah, who declared it "Unbelievable!"

A few years later, Rent-a-Friend was the inspiration behind a psychological thriller called Rent-a-Pal, which definitely checks out.

Today, you can watch the whole thing online. If you can get over the very 1980s sweater and the old-fashioned telephone, Sam is ready and willing to be your friend, even in the year 2025.

- YouTube www.youtube.com

As silly as the whole thing seems, Hollis recalls legitimately wanting, at the time, to help people feel less alone. That was in large part because he himself was dealing with significant personal challenges when he took on the project.

In a 2024 essay on his Substack, Hollis writes that as the video goes viral, it's been hard for him to reconnect with the feelings he had at the time, "when my first marriage teetered on collapse, when I grasped onto this project to make this video as a creative and emotional salve."

"I was aware that maybe this odd little video might make someone smile, or feel a little less alone," he adds. "If so, wow. Even a laugh would be nice. Laughter reduces depression, after all."

An interviewer recently asked Hollis what he saw in himself when he rewatched the video after all these years, and he said he could see the pain he was hiding as clear as day: "I told him I couldn't help but see a neediness in myself, even a desperation in my on camera schtick. It was 1986, and, however unconscious, I so desperately wanted you to like me."

Loneliness is not a modern invention. Photo by Tim Foster on Unsplash

Loneliness is often discussed as a modern epidemic, but it has always been a challenge for many people, long before social media, AI, today's divisive politics, and other aspects of 2025 culture that can feel isolating.

More and more people are leaning on AI to fill their loneliness gaps today, though research says it doesn't work very well. The more you talk to AI, the more lonely you become.

Similarly, Sam was never intended to be your permanent best friend. After all, how many times can you play "Blockhead" and hear the same stories about his tough upbringing? But what's beautiful about Rent-a-Friend is that Hollis channeled his own sadness into creating something new with the intent of helping others. Unlike talking to ChatGPT, doing kind things for others has been proven to increase our happiness.

Hollis says he's still proud of the work he did on Rent-a-Friend, and he's thrilled that it continues to reach people today, even if they're laughing at it or finding it just a little unsettling.

"It's rather surreal to have made this video over 30 years ago and it's reaching people in a way of envisioned, but didn't know it would happen in such a delayed, time-released way!" he writes in a YouTube comment under the video. "Very sweet. Grateful! Loneliness is still growing. Glad this might offer a short breath of relief"

The reposted video of Rent-a-Friend on YouTube has over 100,000 views and counting. Many people jump into the comments to make fun of it or call it weird, but every so often a comment like this rolls in: "You were my friend today Sam when i was feeling down. thank you!"