A Fear Of Death

Leonard Cohen doesn’t give bad interviews.
The full forty minutes can be seen here.
It is quite dull and boring, because the questions are often silly and dumb, but there’s the occasional good one thrown in.

The only moment that had any impact came after the interview was over, and it was a very good one.
As is so often the case, that’s where the interview should have started.

5 Comments

  • Anonymous says:

    Dude, Jian Ghomeshi is no better or worse than Barbara Walters, and Barbara is the queen of her game, ie. the deep/lite celebrity interview.

    What exactly do you want Jian to be, Allan? Who is your idea of a great entertainment reporter?

    Jian Ghomeshi may have his foibles, but he is pretty darn good.

    (And I still think you’re jealous …)

  • Allan says:

    It’s here that for the first time, Ghomeshi becomes an intriguing human being, in his own right.
    I like this moment a lot, and I’m actually impressed with Jian’s willingness to be frank, and speak about a vulnerability.
    I’m thankful that they left it in. It says a lot to me.
    That’s why I chose to make sure you saw it.

  • Allan says:

    Possible jealous. Possibly extremely jealous.
    Yet who else, anywhere in the world, is bothering to discuss the role and performance of this person? Nobody.
    So we do a few posts about him. Is it a crime to care so much about Jian and George when no none else does?
    How can we hope to advance unless we talk about things?
    Things that are otherwise ignored.

    You consider his questions to be excellent.
    Were you listening to them?
    They ranged from bad to good to ridiculous.
    For the most part they were vain and childish. Sometimes outright stupid.
    Ask dumb questions and you end up with a poor interview, such as in these 40 minutes.
    Leonard makes every effort to roll with it, and like most poets gives very measured, considered answers. But it can’t be easy having to cope with such inane questions with a straight face.

    Kurt Cobain? Are you kidding me???
    What time warp are you stuck in, Jian?
    Of all the people to bring up. That says a lot about the concerns of an immature generation.

    Jian asks the probing questions that puzzle a nation.
    Is your home your haven?
    No, Jian, I hate it here.After you were swindled, was it important to you to re-build that nest egg?
    Only if I needed a place to stay and food to eat.What do you do when you first get home from being on the road?
    I usually pee and then make a sandwich.Have you thought about selling your home?
    In this economy?Are you surprised how well the tour is going?
    Yes, I am totally surprised. Who would have thunk it.When did you feel you saw yourself as a legitimate songwriter?
    Around about the time that I sold a million records.Do you think love is empowering?
    Ah, that explains a lot. So you’ve actually never read any of my poems or heard my songs.How important was writing to your survival?
    It was really, really, really important. Like, super important.What do you consider your darkest hour?
    Since you ask, we did agree that this interview would only go for twenty minutes, right?

  • Anonymous says:

    Would you all please stop obsessing about Jian. We should all be counting the lifeboats not prattling on about a douchebag who fronted the worst fucking children’s/novelty band ever.

  • Anonymous says:

    It’s a very good interview, it’s fascinating, and the questions are excellent.

    Allan is jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous jealous.

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