And I say that despite the fact that I think that there’s no way that this can be real: this has to be an elaborate prank on Froma Harrop’s part.
Look, nobody’s this dumb, or has this level of lack of self-awareness. I mean, it’s believable that Froma Harrop – a Lefty head of a ‘civility group’ – would later go and call Tea Partiers terrorists. All that requires is the capacity for hypocrisy, which Democrats (OK, fine, pretty much everybody) can easily manage. But not getting that she was in a gotcha interview with the Daily Show? No, I can’t believe it. Interviewer John Oliver did everything except break out trepanning equipment to drill the point* into her skull, and… it just rolled off of Harrop like water off of a duck’s back. He even asked her for advice on how to deal with people who are just like Froma Harrop in their intemperate language, then repeated it right back to her. No luck. I can only conclude that Froma Harrop has a plan: to wit, make herself a laughingstock for the sake of the Message. Which I suppose is noble of her.
Either that, or Froma Harrop is as sharp as a sack of wet mice. Oh, wait, was that uncivil? Probably. Give me a break: I was provoked.
Moe Lane
*As Drew M of AoSHQ notes (he thinks that Harrop really is this clueless):
In fact, she double-downed again, *accusing the Tea Partiers of having difficulty recognizing irony. Oliver clarified, to paraphrase, “You mean, even where there’s almost a dictionary definition of it right in front of them, they don’t get it?” Her response, “Absolutely.”
Point of order:
The Daily Show edits the heck out of every interview and makes them look like whatever they want it to look like. I’m very willing to bet that the interview went NOTHING like it was portrayed.
Further, every shot that showed the back of “Harrop’s” head and showed Oliver face-on was likely a re-shoot in a TDS studio.
See, e.g., LaShawn Barber’s experience.
Point of order? Are we in the House of Commons?
I thought blog comments were governed by Robert’s Rules. No?
PWNED by Daily Show!! When will the idiots learn?!?!
This is the internet. It’s governed by whoever’s site you’re on. As for Moe, he’s…..informal…shall we say. http://moelane.com/about/
The John Oliver satirical send-up interview of Froma Harrop is a must see-to-believe event. The woman’s sincerity for her political cause is indisputable.
Unless Ms. Harrop is the single greatest living actress in the world today, I challenge anyone to view the interview and then not conclude that she was completely oblivious to what the Daily Show producers were doing to her.
I think the gag worked so well because Ms. Harrop incorrectly assumed that she and Oliver were ideologically simpatico and were working toward the same objective. She was clearly wrong on this assumption. The real objective was to make her and people of her ilk look like clowns.
Never underestimate the power of human stupidity. It’s kind of depressing, actually. When 2 or more people on the left get together it actually gets worse.
“I thought blog comments were governed by Robert’s Rules. No?”
.
While I do rule, I do not rule comments.
I have to agree. I think this was a bit too pat. Unless she’s really that dense. It was funny as heck, but if she’s really that dense, then I’m very sad for her. I’m sadder that she’s getting paid to be as self-aware as a rock in print, but I’m still a little sad that she’s so dense.
Then again, maybe that’s her plan; a pity party. “Oh, they took advantage of me, woe is me.”
@Kresh: I believe she’s that dense.
I think she’s starting from the assumption that “it’s not being uncivil when I do it”. She expects everyone to accept her assumption and never question it, after all she’s a Liberal!
And Ms. Harrop (that name!) is today apparently pulling a Pee Wee–“I meant to do that.” To which I say, “Everybody’s got a big but.”
I don’t think it’s a matter of actual stupidity so much as it is arrogant, self righteous blindness….which is indistinguishable in result from stupidity.
I’m pretty sure that John Oliver did quite a lot of that with a stand-in head. The parts where he is asking her about not recognizing irony when it’s sitting in front of you? You’re seeing the back of her head. Many of his best lines are filmed with the back of her head to the camera, so it’s possible that Oliver did those in the studio and cut them in. I noticed that there are two different elevators at the end of the clip, so I’m pretty sure a LOT of editing was done.
That doesn’t take away from the brilliance of the piece, though.
RE: Pakard Day
Are you really copy and pasting your comment on every political blog and website on the internet? Really?