tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9908604.post116388135735341249..comments2024-03-01T00:27:42.852-08:00Comments on Hammer Of The Blogs: MaheronicHeywood J.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05627748699423939682noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9908604.post-1164497624059476942006-11-25T15:33:00.000-08:002006-11-25T15:33:00.000-08:00Good points, Susan. Though Maher's interviewing sk...Good points, Susan. Though Maher's interviewing skills are stronger than Dennis Miller's (pre- and post-dark side), they have the same problem -- even when interviewing or discussing, regardless of format, they don't entirely turn off their comic lizard brain. They're focusing on timing and impact more than substance. They have to. So if they're hanging on to a riff or punchline, either waiting to drop it at the right time, or they stumble across one, that becomes their focus, and they gloss right past the other person's point.<BR/><BR/>That seemed to be especially the case with the Lear segment. Maher had packed the segment too tightly with his own questions and pre-conceived observations, and he left himself no time to consider and react to the profound knowledge Lear was trying to drop on him.<BR/><BR/>It didn't help that Richard Dreyfuss, as insightful as his civics lecture truly was, threw the pacing of the round-table segment completely off, as well as sucked a significant portion of the oxygen out of the room. Still, he was right, and they were vital points that need to be iterated mroe often, so he deserves credit for that.<BR/><BR/>I actually feel bad criticizing Maher, because I like him, and I think he's right far more than he's wrong. And even his occasional dilettantism is light-years ahead of most "serious" news people on their best night. But sometimes when he's wrong, it's just a big ol' punch-bowl floater, and this was one of those times.Heywood J.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05627748699423939682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9908604.post-1164051659123216622006-11-20T11:40:00.000-08:002006-11-20T11:40:00.000-08:00In the final episodes of Real Time this season, Bi...In the final episodes of Real Time this season, Bill Maher seemed to be pulling his punches on the big issues. There were several times in the season finale where it seemed like he missed the chance to get some real insights. It was annoying when he changed the subject with his guests several times just as they were ready to get to some new information.<BR/><BR/>Lear's abbreviated comments on the reasons liberal and conservative are virtually meaningless as they are used was one example.<BR/><BR/>One thing I would have liked to see on Real Time was the video to which Norman Lear referred of his 1981 interview with Dan Rather.<BR/><BR/>Given the show's topic was the role of the media and Dan Rather had been on earlier, it would have been a great fit. We could have watched him ask the 4th estate followup questions one more time in low-def.Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12254208265574775450noreply@blogger.com