Another Off-Topic Post: How Not To Live
If you’re the kind of person how sometimes second-guesses how he behaves around other people, I want to call your attention to this remarkable video, as it’s one of the best examples I’ve ever scene (outside of the U.S. presidential election) of atrocious manners and senseless hostility to others. And for what? Now, the world (or at least many millions of people) will remember this once-respected person as a hateful moron. Not a great move, IMO.
From a public speaking perspective, I have to admire the interviewer. A caller into a talk radio program on which I was speaking called me a cockroach on the air, and I was calm, but I can’t imagine that I would have had that level of composure for all seven minutes. Yowza.
Craig,
This interview with Jerry Lewis reminded me a little of the 1965 press conference with Bob Dylan.
The interviewer was obviously out of his depth dealing with an irascible 90 year old, with a reputation for being difficult to interview.
The interviewer was clearly unprepared and had spent inadequate time before the interview putting his subject at ease and comfortable.
I guess at 90 Jerry Lewis felt he didn’t have time for such an amateurish interview.
LOL… Can’t I be right about something….once?
Craig,
Oh, c’mon, haven’t you ever seen that excruciating ’65 inter veiw with Dylan ? (it’s on U tube).
Yes, I’ve seen it. It really is a tragedy–and an inexplicable one at that–that Dylan isn’t a kinder person.
Craig,
That’s a very interesting reaction, and the first time I’ve encountered such an opinion.
Surely there’s a time when a interviewee has the right to be candid and honest with the arrogance of incompetent, inept, ill-mannered, asinine and sometimes crazy interviewers ?
People like Dylan have a right to expect interviewers and journalists to be accurate, well-prepared and relevant. No interviewee wants to be asked the same, shallow, trite questions endlessly repeated.
Both Interviewer and interviewee have an obligation to the viewer to provide an interesting informative interview, with accurate, candid and opinions from the interviewee. An interviewee who takes a poorly prepared or asinine interviewer to task, may not be kind, but he’s at least keeping faith with the audience.
In Dylan’s case he provided an insight into his thinking and isn’t that the point of an interview ?
In Dylan’s case, he was being difficult because of lots of different things (in addition to his fractious personality): the counterculture of the day, the absurdity of some of the questions, etc. In this case, there was no reason for it at all. Now perhaps this was brought on by a disease associate with old age, or perhaps old age itself.
The reason I brought it up is not to call out an individual act of repulsive behavior, but to point out (perhaps the obvious) that treating people poorly in any setting is a bad idea, and especially in a setting in which millions of viewers are left asking themselves, “How did this guy, who had every conceivable advantage in his favor, become such a hateful moron?”
I don’t want to be remembered like that, and I’m sure you feel the same.
Craig,
Perhaps, but then again I wonder if you see the irony you create by calling Jerry Lewis a “hateful moron” for being less than polite ?
Never mind, I’m currently flying the long haul between the Australia and the UK. I envy my daughter her ability to sleep on aircraft. Yes, the new flatbed seats are more comfortable than ever, especially in a suite configuration, but I’m still embarrassed to realize that others must put up with my snoring!
Surfing the net, I came across a series of compilations consisting of media and individual reactions immediately following the announcement of US Presidential result.
The wave of excessive emotion and disproportionate anguish, already looks so absurd and comical even before the President-elect has taken office.
The manner in which the US and world, has so rapidly adjusted to a new political dynamic, provides a great tribute to the value of of strong,flexible,democratic institutions. Once all the hysteria and media hype dissipates, most people are already seeking ways to achieve beneficial results within the new dynamic.
The advancement of new technology is relentless. Hopefully, the Swiss and South Korean scientists and engineers can continue to advance with Fussion technology, while US and European engineers can build an airliner to cut the time from Australia to London to less than four hours.
In the meantime I’m just grateful to be alive a such an eventful and interesting time.