“Ambush” Interviews

This article asks: “Have ambush interviews gone too far?”

I say No. The more the merrier. This article is talking about Bob Etheridge’s world-famous tantrum the other day. I never did see the YouTube video, and now I can’t find it anywhere. In any case, if he can’t take the heat he can get the fuck out of the kitchen.

Same with Rand Paul. He’s been taking Sarah Palin lessons and now he wants reporters to submit all of their questions in writing, ahead of time, instead of ambushing him during a press conference.

Sarah Palin, as you remember, was constantly getting ambushed by trick questions like “what do you think of the Bush Doctrine?” and “what newspapers do you read?” Don’t answer that! It’s a trap!

With everybody and his brother having a cell phone camera, every politician — everybody who’s famous — is likely to get “ambushed” as soon as they step out in public. Every mis-step, every faux pas, might get recorded, uploaded to the Internet and go viral. That’s the way it is. Get over it.

In 1991, those four L.A. thugs didn’t know anyone was looking (or videotaping) when they beat the shit out of Rodney King. There was a joke going around (or was it?) that L.A. Police Chief Darryl Gates wanted a three day waiting period before anyone could buy a camcorder.

And how much sympathy do you have for rock stars and Hollywood celebrities who keep having run-ins with the Paparazzi? “I want to be famous, I want to be a star, I’m important, get those fuckin’ cameras out of my face, wait, get my good side…”

Politicians are probably longing for those days when they could say one thing to a certain audience, then say the exact opposite to a different audience, and nobody ever found out. Those days aren’t coming back.

So, my take on ambush interviews is: Bring ‘em on! What say you?