I ate too much. I got takeaways from the fish and chip shop and ate them in the park with a fellow blogger, and it was lovely, except for the mosquitoes, but I ate way too much. Oh yeah, and the bitey things. The good thing about having allergies is that you get Prescription Only Super Creams that are magic for treating itchy bites. Now I’m so full I can barely think straight enough to blog about anything. At least tomorrow’s entry is taken care of, because it is Blogapalooza Part The Second. Yay! Don’t know about you, but I’m excited. It’s kind of like opening presents…
That Kim and John Show
I have seen the evidence, and I have come to the conclusion that John Pilger acted like an arrogant prick. I’m sorry if I offend any of his devoted fans, and I know I am biased, being the president of the Wellington branch of the Kim Hill Adoration Society…
Yes, John has done some good work, and I respect him for those aspects of his work, but that doesn’t mean that I respect the way he behaves, as a person (oooooh flashbacks to another controversial journalist... who I will refrain from naming. Refrain. Refrain. This is hard work).
He had an agenda. He had Issues. And he wasn’t happy about the fact that he couldn’t just rant about them for the whole half-hour without having to justify anything.
He bases his views on assumptions. He sees them as facts, but then, doesn’t everyone? We all make assumptions, we have to. There is no Truth with a capital T, it’s all subjective. Truth depends on the assumptions you make about the world. Kim tried to question one or two of his assumptions, and he couldn’t handle it.
John kept saying that she hadn’t done her research, but I think she had probably done a lot of research, she’s usually very thorough, but John didn’t give her much of a chance to show her preparation, as he was being so argumentative. I think he also assumed that she meant the things she was saying, and so he got angry at her. In fact, I think she was asking questions to try and get him to justify his arguments… because if he just ranted, then the converted would agree with him, and the heathens would just switch off. She was trying to get him to explain his views to people who weren’t already sold on his basic assumptions.
Perhaps towards the end, Kim was a little bit rude too, it could be argued, but she must have been very frustrated. He was being so incredibly difficult. It’s understandable that she snapped. In fact, it’s even understandable that he was angry and rude. It was a bad day. Most people were frustrated and angry and upset.
Someone should have given them both a pillow to take out their frustration on before the interview, and then maybe the interview would have been different.
Still, I’m not knocking Kim off her pedestal just yet. In her shoes I would have thrown the book at John before the first ad break.
Posted by Fionnaigh at March 25, 2003 12:39 AMJust how many mosquitoes did you eat then?
A pillow fight before an interview sounds like a great idea.
Posted by: wickedgood at April 14, 2003 12:48 AMI so *fully* agree about John Pilger. In fact, I happened to see Kim Hill (namedrop namedrop) the next day in the caff at RNZ and I told her so - I said 'I thought you handled that really well last night, I thought John Pilger behaved like a prick.' She said thank you. I said 'It's a real shame because I was really looking forward to hearing what he had to say...' and she said 'You and me both!' I said 'Anyhow I thought you did a good job in very trying circumstances...' and she said 'Ooooh, I don't know, might have to have some good solid therapy for quite a while....'
But yeh, props to Kim, boo, John. Get a grip, man, it's the game ye have to play. Apparently (more RNZ caff gossip) he is quite well known for being a very difficult interviewee, depsite being an excellent interviewer.
xx
Hinemoana