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Samizdata quote of the day – the reality of television

…and Piers Morgan is someone who literally his entire career is now fuelled by this sort of nonsense. And as you know I have been on Good Morning Britain four times now. I have always found it to be a deeply unpleasant experience even when I’ve “won”. Because the way it happens – and most people won’t know this – but when you are backstage they keep you separate from the guests that you are supposed to be debating. They try and psych you up. They try and say “You should feel free to interrupt as much as possible” and the one time I was on with Peter Tatchell who for all his flaws I deeply respect and I didn’t want to be a dick and interrupt him all the time they actually basically had a go at me afterwards and that clip was never even put on the internet because it was not seen as being inflammatory enough. So the whole purpose of these shows is to create conflicts and create soundbites and create all this nonsense and Piers Morgan is like a parasite feeding off the carcass of civil discourse.

– about 14 mins from the beginning of a Triggernometry “RAW” live stream from c. March 2021. Piers Morgan, of course, left GMB in a row over Meghan Markle. Earlier this year he appeared on Kissin and Francis Foster’s Triggernometry podcast.

7 comments to Samizdata quote of the day – the reality of television

  • bobby b

    Personally, if I see two individuals who are at opposite ends of a spectrum of opinion – big state or small? – woman or trans-man? – CAGW or no? – I think I get more valuable information from them in an all-out dogfight than when they politely take turns and merely speak their opinion. Debate versus serial explanations. You certainly are more able to spot the truly contested points that way. I’d get more information – certainly more entertainment – from a Trump-DeSantis debate/fight than from a polite duologue.

    (Unless I know next to nothing about the topic, in which case the basic take-our-turn explanatory model is probably a better way to get up to speed.)

  • Steven R

    I don’t mind the arguments, but I hate the interruptions, talking over each other, and trying to score “gotcha” points. It’s okay tp disagree, but how is the public supposed to be informed when neither side will shut up long enough to let the other guy speak a complete sentence or a whole thought at one time before jumping in and going to the next point?

  • Kirk

    I’ve never seen the point of watching some low-grade intellect like Piers Morgan debate anything with anyone. It’s an exercise in frustration as you watch them argue over points that make little to no sense, and you’re sitting there going “But, what about X? Ask them that, dammit…”

    You get two equals discussing something, who’ve got some actual intellectual horsepower? You can actually learn things; the majority of the time in modern media, what you’re looking at is a battle of mismatched mental midgets who actually make you dumber with what they’re saying…

    Not a fan, TBH. I’ve yet to see anything on mass-media television that was worth watching for the intellectual content.

  • Mr Ed

    Not had a TV for around 12 years, don’t miss it. It’s really not worth watching and the BBC has lost around £1,400 in income from that, not quite one day’s pay for a major newsreader.

    However, now that we can see how far AI has come, the time has come to replace humans with AI and they could save millions and avoid the risk of scandals, what’s not to like?

  • Paul Marks.

    Mr Morgan is a flawed human being (we all are flawed) – for example he tried to “stich up” Donald John Trump by selectively editing a video, to make it look like President Trump ordered them to turn the cameras off and leave after he (Mr Morgan) had asked a rude question – President Trump did not such thing, indeed he answered politely. It was only when the interview was over (long after this question) that he said – time to turn the cameras off now.

    However, Mr Morgan was right about Meghan Windsor – clearly a deeply dishonest person who keeps alleging “racism” to advance her own interests.

    By the way – why do people call this lady “Meghan Markel” – is there some question as to whether the marriage is legally valid?

  • bobby b

    “By the way – why do people call this lady “Meghan Markel” – is there some question as to whether the marriage is legally valid?”

    Prince Harry Markel would probably take offense at that.

  • Paul Marks.

    bobby b.

    Well Harry Windsor’s grandfather, Prince Philip, was not allowed to give his name (Mountbatten) to his wife (the Queen – the name of the Royal House remained “Windsor” not “Mountbatten”) he said “I am the only man in England not allowed to give his name to his wife and children” – he was not exactly happy about it.