# Bad interviewees
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-interviewees/597310
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [September 23, 2011, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-interviewees/597310 "2011-09-23T06:10:00Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 4
### Author:  [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2011, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-interviewees/597310/61 "2011-09-27T19:43:47Z")
glad someone mentioned Kristen Stewart. probably a nice person but she comes off so horribly in interviews that there are youtube parodies of her [Speak Like Kristen Stewart - YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKKAVYI7vdU)
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### Author:  [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2011, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-interviewees/597310/62 "2011-09-27T19:48:45Z")
> [@gallows\_fodder](#):
>
> Exene Cervenka, who is awesome in her own right (half of the legendary punk band, X)
I think you mean one quarter of the legendary punk band, X.
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### Author:  [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)
#### Post date: [September 27, 2011, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-interviewees/597310/63 "2011-09-27T20:23:31Z")
> [@EvilTOJ](#):
>
> There was one interview I saw of James Brown that was just awful(I don’t remember who the interviewer was). He was very obviously drunk/high/cracked out and answered every question in song lyrics. Sung song lyrics. Badly.
[Here ya go](http://youtu.be/vsJOntdB9Bc)
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### Author:  [@Moirai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moirai)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2011, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-interviewees/597310/64 "2011-09-29T15:50:54Z")
Norm Somebody, used to be on SNL. Interviewed by Dennis Miller on his old talkshow, and he was so stoned it was a joke. Even Miller finally just said “fuck it” basically, and asked him how his high was going.
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### Author:  [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)
#### Post date: [September 29, 2011, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-interviewees/597310/65 "2011-09-29T15:55:21Z")
> [@Moirai](#):
>
> Norm Somebody, used to be on SNL. Interviewed by Dennis Miller on his old talkshow, and he was so stoned it was a joke. Even Miller finally just said “fuck it” basically, and asked him how his high was going.
[Norm Macdonald?](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbieZNGLdjw)
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### Author:  [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2011, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-interviewees/597310/66 "2011-09-30T00:54:29Z")
> [@Acsenray](#):
>
> [Norm Macdonald?](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbieZNGLdjw)
Oh man. I have not laughed that loud and that long in forever.
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### Author:  [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2011, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-interviewees/597310/67 "2011-09-30T01:06:33Z")
Robert De Niro is very bad on talk shows, but I don’t think he does many.
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### Author:  [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2011, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-interviewees/597310/68 "2011-09-30T02:25:07Z")
> [@voguevixen](#):
>
> Oh man. I have not laughed that loud and that long in forever.
Yeah, I’m not so sure that that qualifies as a “bad” interview.
“They don’t like fucking and I don’t like dinner!”
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### Author:  [@Jaledin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaledin)
#### Post date: [September 30, 2011, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-interviewees/597310/69 "2011-09-30T21:57:10Z")
Shocked to hear about Chuck Jones – maybe he just had an off day. A friend loaned me _Chuck Amok_ (by him) so I could learn some basic goofy drawings, and he’s witty and generous with the anecdotes throughout.
Vic Vinegar says:
Jacques Derrida, Jacques Lacan, Nicolas Cage (natch)
Hugh Honey says:
Gilles Deleuze, Louis-Ferdinand CELINE, and Raoul Hausmann’s “Imaginary Interview with the Lettrists” – the Lettrists held their own.
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### Author:  [@helpful55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/helpful55)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2014, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-interviewees/597310/70 "2014-03-16T00:23:54Z")
The mention of Richard Lewis takes me back. I remember that “interview”, but not all the specifics. As I remember Richard just seemed to be pissed at life that day and making angry rants. I thought it was schtick at first, but no it sure wasn’t. Tom as great as he was handled it really well and just let Richard make a fool of himself. I am actually a Lewis fan. Does anyone know where I could get access to that show? I personally had never heard that kind of thing and it has stuck in my mind for over 20 years. I know exactly where I was when I heard that show. Thanks anyone.
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### Author:  [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2014, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-interviewees/597310/71 "2014-03-16T01:57:48Z")
Richard Lewis was a heavy drug user for many years, including a stint sniffing meth, I believe. He credits that for a long period in which his career stalled.
But other than that, Lewis pretty much does rely on his constant disgruntlement as his shtick, not only on stage, but apparently in his own life too. Marc Maron has commented on it.
For what it’s worth, I’ve always enjoyed that shtick.
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### Author:  [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2014, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-interviewees/597310/72 "2014-03-16T02:10:22Z")
I remember Charles Grodin being on Carson’ tonight show. He would just sit there and stare off into space and answer with yes’s and no’s. But I also remember him being on more than once so I think that was a bit.
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### Author:  [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2014, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-interviewees/597310/73 "2014-03-16T02:41:36Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#):
>
> I remember Charles Grodin being on Carson’ tonight show. He would just sit there and stare off into space and answer with yes’s and no’s. But I also remember him being on more than once so I think that was a bit.
Yeah, I think it’s pretty well understood at this point that Grodin’s behavior on Carson was his schtick. Johnny seemed to get a kick out of it, at least on occasion, and he certainly had Grodin on often enough. Carson wasn’t the kind of guy to put up with a misbehaving guest, and wasn’t shy with the banhammer, as they say these days. If he didn’t like you, that’s the last we saw of you.
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### Author:  [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2014, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-interviewees/597310/74 "2014-03-16T03:04:38Z")
> [@carlotta](#):
>
> The worst interview I ever heard was [Gene Simmons (of Kiss) interviewed by Terry Gross on NPR’s Fresh Air.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXMpo6rrUcI) It wasn’t boring, but he came across as the world’s biggest boor and pretty much confirmed every preconceived notion I had of him as a self-centered misogynistic asshole.
I love that interview. That’s a great interview. Unless Gene Simmons is really a warm, humble and respectful person; then it was a total flop.
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### Author:  [@nevadaexile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevadaexile)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2014, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-interviewees/597310/75 "2014-03-16T03:10:27Z")
Some of the worst I have seen:
**Gary Coleman** was on _ **The Tonight Show** _ with Bill Cosby hosting years. Coleman was 11 or 12 at the time but was acting like a spoiled little shit. I think that Cosby wanted to haul him backstage for a well-deserved spanking.
**Jack White** , the guitarist, was on The Colbert Report one time and it was an excruciating interview. He didn’t have much to say and seemed like he didn’t want to play along with Stephen faux interview style. Even his fans probably would have been disappointed.
Another awful interview was Colbert’s recent interview of **Ronan Farrow**. Farrow came off as both creepy and dull. He didn’t have anything to say and Stephen basically had to make the interview keep going forward.
**Kristen Stewart** is always a terrible interview. She just isn’t a very interesting person and she seems not to be able to relate to others when they talk to her. I have yet to see an interview with her that the host didn’t have almost answer the questions \*\*\*for \*\*\*her.
**Jimmy Walker** was particularly obnoxious on an episode of _ **Geraldo** _ many years ago. He was on stage with a bunch of other “Where are They Now?” 1960s and 1970s “celebrities” and he acted as if this was somehow beneath him. When asked to do his famous _ **Good Times** _ line he stated that" **he wasn’t being paid enough to do it."**
Complete jerk.
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### Author:  [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2014, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-interviewees/597310/76 "2014-03-16T04:42:25Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#):
>
> Yeah, I think it’s pretty well understood at this point that Grodin’s behavior on Carson was his schtick. Johnny seemed to get a kick out of it, at least on occasion, and he certainly had Grodin on often enough. Carson wasn’t the kind of guy to put up with a misbehaving guest, and wasn’t shy with the banhammer, as they say these days. If he didn’t like you, that’s the last we saw of you.
I remember those interviews on _The Tonight Show_. I always thought they were really funny.
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### Author:  [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2014, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-interviewees/597310/77 "2014-03-16T05:58:08Z")
Wow, I forgot that I even started this thread. Wish I could add some more examples, but I haven’t seen any bad interviews lately. Although to be honest, I watch and listen to a lot less interviews in general these days.
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### Author:  [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Face_Intentionally_Left_Blank)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2014, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-interviewees/597310/78 "2014-03-16T07:48:33Z")
> [@Accidental\_Martyr](#):
>
> I remember those interviews on _The Tonight Show_. I always thought they were really funny.
Yeah, my friends and I got a lot of laughs from them. In fact, it was largely because of those Carson interviews I went to the theater to see “[Last Resort](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091387/reference)”, one of the worst comedies I ever saw. “Hey,” I reasoned, “Grodin’s funny. It’s gotta be at least SOMEWHAT enjoyable.” I was wrong.
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### Author:  [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2014, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-interviewees/597310/79 "2014-03-16T08:08:04Z")
> [@Face\_Intentionally\_Left\_Blank](#):
>
> Yeah, my friends and I got a lot of laughs from them. In fact, it was largely because of those Carson interviews I went to the theater to see “[Last Resort](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091387/reference)”, one of the worst comedies I ever saw. “Hey,” I reasoned, “Grodin’s funny. It’s gotta be at least SOMEWHAT enjoyable.” I was wrong.
I liked him in _Midnight Run_.
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### Author:  [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)
#### Post date: [March 16, 2014, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-interviewees/597310/80 "2014-03-16T14:29:25Z")
> [@Bob Ducca](#):
>
> Harrison Ford is a notoriously bad interview subject.
I remember when Good Morning America had a new host, who came on with some fanfare…Harrison Ford gave an interview - it was awkward and excruciating to watch, and that new host left soon after. She received the blame for the bad interview - it tanked her career! I never saw her on TV again.
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