Robin Williams on Terry Gross - FIRST of all.....

[johnaries]

I have to say, I always like Terri's interviews, although I don't always listen because so many of her subjects are - well, unknown to me or not that interesting to me. But I always appreciate her ability to interview.

It looks like they've posted it. You've GOT to listen!
http://www.npr.org/templates/rundowns/rundown.php?prgId=13

Her interview with Robin Williams convinced me that she is the best Interviewer on the planet!

You know, Robin Williams - Mork, Mrs. Doubtfire, the guy that nobody can get any insight into because he's always "riffing", always making going off on tangents, always getting the interviewer laughing so hard and so distracted they don't know what to do or say next.

Terri got him to open up - yes, she laughed a lot of course. She even confessed at the end of the interview that she didn't know "how it would go", and thanked Robin.

But I got to hear Robin Williams talk about himself "as usual" in his normal comedic way, and still learned more about him in this 40 minutes than I ever learned in all his other interviews combined. Miraculously, Terry was able to get a very personal interview from the man who is the very, very best at deflecting personal interviews. And made him feel good about it!

Terri: I apologize if I've Aleda gotten too personal - I meant to tell you please stop me if I cross the line.
Robin: 8 inches. Oh, that wasn't the question? Actually, I was wanting to go Metric: 820 sounds ....

But the part that got to me the most was when she asked about his tours of Afghanistan and if his politics affected his reception from the troops.

In a nutshell - no. Everyone knew his politics. He made his jokes about the conditions, the things that the Troops were actually going through.

I don't want to spoil it, because if NPR posts the interview you need to listen to it. But one of my favorite parts was when Terri asked him about the Vietnam draft. He said that his number was 351, which meant that he would be called if the Viet Gong attacked from Kansas. If he had been drafted, he would have joined the same unit as W. Because that was the same unit that Bigfoot belonged to. W. was sighted at his unit as often as Bigfoot was! :rofl:

[Ilsa]

1. Oh, that is awesome, thanks! I love that Bigfoot joke!

[Grateful for Hope]

2. That Bigfoot joke has me rolling!

hilarious!

Thanks!

[Crunchy Frog]

3. Did you ever listen to the interview she did with Bill O'Reilly?

The one where he threw a temper tantrum and stomped off mid-interview? That one was hysterical.:rofl:

[jedr]

8. All staged to show Terri as a "libural.."...

she handled it well and showed him to be the pompous ass that he is.....However Howard Stern is still the best interviewer that there is. Get over the sex B.S. and he digs deep into personalities.

[johnaries]

10. Can you at least... hello? hello? Well, I guess you're gone.

:rofl: All over a Bumper Sticker "comment"!!!!
A review that O'Lielly tried to spin as "positive" as Terry called him on it. "Bumper Sticker rhetoric". Billboob thought it was a compliment, and was offended when Terry suggested maybe, well just maybe, it wasn't so "comlimentary"

What a "Maroon"! What a Moran!

Terry Rocks! She does her homework, she knows what to ask, she's so nice she slips the hard questions in and they never even see it coming.

Larry King? Chris Matthews? etc. Amateurs! Dave Letterman can be surprisingly good under the right circumstances (he has a 'Comedy Shoe' to do, after all).

I've watched all of them try to get "personal" with Robin.

Only Terry got him to tell things we never heard him say on the other shows. Although he sounds like he was bursting to say them!

Sorry - I am still laughing over the Bigfoot National Guard joke! It's making hard for me to type!

[Orrex]

4. Terry Gross is awesome

Usually I can't stand more than five minutes of a Robin Williams interview because his way-over-the-top persona just isn't funny anymore. It's the same schtick we've been seeing for 25+ years, and aside from an occasional zinger, he just sounds like the annoying coked-up asshole that no one can remember inviting to the party.

But Terry handled him with great skill, as always. You nailed it exactly--rather than simply tumbling into helpless (and predictable) spasms of laughter, she kept letting him run on his leash but then returned to the question.

Great stuff.

[Kire]

5. Thanks for the link

But you ruined so many jokes. Shame on you.

[hlthe2b]

6. Nonsense.... The OP just made me want to listen all the more...

Giving out a few of the jokes only convinced me. :toast:

[izzybeans]

7. I thought the interview was great but...the interfviewee was the bees

knees.

[TreasonousBastard]

9. Caught the last half earlier today and it was one of her best...

and that's saying something 'cause she's damn good.

Sweet, innocent, and sounding a lot like a lightweight, it's like talking to your Aunt Millie until you realize she's shot into your vitals with deadly aim.

The best interview subjects, like Williams today, see too late what's happening but go with it, admiring her skill and genuine interest-- not just quick a interview to fill time or get ratings points, but she's really interested in her subjects.

My favorite Williams line... "...got fired from the Suicide Hotline for saying 'Well, life isn't for everyone.' "

[badgerpup]

11. --> ...was in love with Robin Williams as Mork from Ork...

I loved the way he turned accepted social mores and values on its collective ear.:silly:
I know a lot of people saw him merely as an over-the-top ethnic joke..."Look at the stupid mistakes the Foreigner is making! How droll!"
It stimulated me to actually LOOK at some things and ask "Hey, wait a minute...WHY?" instead of just going baahhhh!! along unquestioningly with everything.