Tom Clancy put an excellent depiction of this sort of “interview” in his novel Executive Orders. Broadly, the “interviewer” either conceals or lies about his agenda until the cameras are rolling, at which point he brings out the questions he knows the interviewee does not want to answer...possibly because he said so before the “interview” began. The highly accomplished Robert Downey, Jr. recently experienced such an interview:
Downey has no desire to talk about his politics. It’s easy to understand: In Hollywood, revealing oneself as anything but a left-liberal entails severe consequences, and Downey had given an earlier interview in which he’d allowed that a left-liberal, he’s not:
“I have a really interesting political point of view, and it’s not always something I say too loud at dinner tables here, but you can’t go from a $2,000-a-night suite at La Mirage to a penitentiary and really understand it and come out a liberal. You can’t. I wouldn’t wish that experience on anyone else, but it was very, very, very educational for me and has informed my proclivities and politics every since.”
As we saw in this other piece, the prominent who disavow left-liberalism are not allowed any peace. Downey grasps this and wants to avoid discussing his politics or his earlier experiences with drugs. It’s a mark of prudence, even wisdom...but the “interviewer” he faced would not be deterred.
Downey terminated the interview. What else could he have done? Of course, that alone will raise the ire of the left-liberal thought police. I hope Downey is prepared for what will follow.
2 comments:
At 5:58 you can see Downey understands where this is going and he's shifting gears. That stare he gives, this is a man who will not be screwed around with, and it rattles the already wussy interviewer. Downey starts breathing heavy, he's in fight mode, and he's waiting to see what's the best way to shut the schmuck down and not get on the headlines as "Downey Punches Reporter"
Notice, too, the interviwer says "You don't have to answer these questions" and yet when Downey isn't answering, he presses Downey to answer.
Downey showed far more class to that clown than what was deserved.
When Downey leaves he says something that I couldn't catch. The Youtube commentari have this transcription "You seem ok, it's just getting a little Diane Sawyer, and you're... kind of a schmuck."
Boom!
The interviewer's and camera man's expressions are priceless.
"I hope Downey is prepared for what will follow."
Man's been through his own self-made Hell and back. I'm betting he doesn't give a rat's rear-end about the thought police.
He seems to have grown up.
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