NPArrrgh!
Is anyone else with me that NPR talk shows are a terrible disappointment? If only the rest of radio wasn't so awful, I wouldn't be forced to tune to public radio and listen to host after host ruin interviews with otherwise perfectly interesting guests.
Host: So tell me how you first got interested in philosophy.
Guest: Actually, I've discovered the profound meaning of life and was hoping to reveal it on your show right now. I am so excited to finally get this out...
Host: Aaaaand at 15 past the hour you're listening to my show. Now an NPR news break!
or
Host: We're talking with noted author John Smith. Now John, what was it like spending a weekend in a cabin with Kurt Vonnegut?
Guest: It was very interesting. I have a bunch of funny stories.
Host: (moving on to next question on pre-prepared list) Ok great. So what challenges have you experienced as a minority trying to make it in the world of letters?
It seems to me that the whole point of a non-commercial format is that if people have a good conversation going, they could let it continue. And it also seems to me that the whole point of having your own talk show would be because you have the conversational skills to engage the guest in an interesting discussion, or have the desire to learn new things and actually research your topic beforehand. These NPR hosts fail on all counts.
3 comments:
This is so true. Terry Gross is so bad. She gets the best interviews but just goes down a list of questions; no conversation at all.
In my opinion the best talk show hosts are the ones that do converse: Jon Stewart, David Letterman, and Regis Philbin (I serious about Regis). On the other end is Conan O'Brien who is totally funny, but just makes fun of himself most of the interview.
It's a pervasive disease, even for Jon Stewart, who purportedly cares about this issue. I was so excited to see Christopher Hitchens' latest interview on The Daily Show (about is new book, God Is Not Great), but it was horrible. He wouldn't allow Hitchens to finish what he was saying, and steered the interview towards humor instead of content. Compare that interview with Hitchens on CNN with Lou Dobbs, which was surprisingly good.
It's true. Jon Stewart often goes for laughs over dialog. Other times he is very insightful, but he is inconsistent. I have never watched Lou Dobbs. Maybe someday.
The best host of all: Ira Glass!
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