Now, I don't know Piers personally and I don't even know anyone who knows him, so I won't pass too much judgment. He took over the Larry King talk show about a year ago, and I've enjoyed some of the interviews he's done, once I learned to ignore the smarm and brown-nosing. Recently though, he's gone 180 degrees in the other direction as far as his guests are concerned.
Did I mention he feels very strongly about the gun situation in the USA? He's on a mission at the moment, with most of his nightly shows taken up with the issue. You only have to search to see how active he is. The people who disagree with him are a fairly, er, highly strung bunch and really, really don't like him. They even got a petition together to have Piers deported; it was dismissed by the White House, but things were looking dodgy for a while when Brits in the UK petitioned not to allow him back in. (That bit was made up.)
So, as someone who's been in the States for 22 years, I say "Piers mate, put a sock in it. You're doing more harm than good." Not that I've changed my mind about guns and things, but he's ruining the cause by acting like a complete newbie -
So here's my advice for Piers -
You may be British but we're not in control any more, nor are all Americans descended from us. You're not even a citizen for crying out loud. This is akin to someone from France or Russia settling in England and then going on the rampage about the binge-drinking. Yes, its an important discussion to have, but if they insulted half the nation in the process, you'd probably be first in line to tell them to P**s off back to their own country.
You have to appreciate that people are allowed to have guns in the USA. They have had them for a couple of hundred years and they're not giving them up any time soon. Coming out with both barrels loaded (pardon the pun) will only make them dig their heels in. You need to have some respect for the history of this country and stop talking about the UK and its own crime rates.
You know how the radical element of the pro-gunners like Ted Nugent (yes, that Ted Nugent) look all shouty and unhinged when they get going? You're beginning to sound a little temperamental yourself. You can't bring guests on, whatever their views, and then say "You're an unbelievably stupid man, aren't you"?
(Oh yes, he did.)
You need to watch a few clips of Jeremy Paxman being tough on guests. By all means "lambast" them (always a good thing) but "Show, don't Tell". Calling people "stupid" doesn't actually convince your audience that that's the case.
Watch, listen and learn.And another thing about Americans - they don't like the word "stupid". It's much more offensive here than it is in the UK, although I'm sure you were going for maximum rudeness in the above clip. However, such unprofessional journalism and sloppy interviewing technique might make some people just switch off.
You're welcome.
