Chuck got it going on

August 15, 2007 1:24 PM

Charlie Rose's new website has been in development over a year as technicians worked with Google to archive over 4,000 hours of interviews all culminating in 8,000 program segments including David Foster Wallace talking about David Lynch, Christopher Hitchens badmouthing religion, and Rem Koolhaas discussing recent changes in China.
posted by four panels (37 comments total)

Jackpot! Or should I say bonanza? I'll be mining this for a while.

So far I found Richard Dawkins (two times!) and David Milch.

All in lovely Google Video. Thank you so much!
posted by redteam at 1:55 PM on August 15, 2007

Sweet, no more waiting for Stephen Jay Gould reruns. Awesome! Who else they got?
posted by steef at 2:09 PM on August 15, 2007

This is great! Thanks for the post, four panels. I may not resurface for a while...
posted by McLir at 2:21 PM on August 15, 2007

Wallace has some odd facial mannerisms. Funny how he won't look Rose in the eye very much. Interesting character. I haven't read a lot of his stuff, yet, but the few short things I've seen are mostly really pretty good. So many people seem to react very negatively to him, though. I wonder what that's about.
posted by lodurr at 2:23 PM on August 15, 2007

Wallace tends to *whinge* a lot. Not a public person at all.

Wallace was also on 5/17/96 with Mark Leyner and Jonathan Franzen. Disappointing that Rose is pushing for sales here when these are all free on Google Video (or am I missing something??)
posted by mattbucher at 2:31 PM on August 15, 2007

Awesome, thanks.
posted by Divine_Wino at 2:32 PM on August 15, 2007

Wow, out of the 3, you've highlighted both my favourite architect and favourite author...and I've never seen either speak in public before. Lekker
posted by Flashman at 2:38 PM on August 15, 2007

But why is Wallace wearing that do-rag? Keepin it real?
posted by Flashman at 2:42 PM on August 15, 2007

But why is Wallace wearing that do-rag?

It is/was his signature thing. Do you ask where a muskrat gets his musk?? Why is the sky blue? I think that if it were ever marginally socially acceptable he would join the UHID and wear a veil across his face.
posted by mattbucher at 2:48 PM on August 15, 2007

Now I know where Wallace gets his musk.
posted by smackfu at 3:05 PM on August 15, 2007 [1 favorite]

Well, it's like Axl Rose's head on Angus Young's body.
But putting aside his headgear, and that ill-fitting shirt - he's more articulate and interesting an interview than I had dared hoped for. And so dry - he doesn't even allow a trace of a smile to betray his jokes. How do you know that? Can you read it on my face?
posted by Flashman at 3:22 PM on August 15, 2007

I love it. Charlie Rose: "So...what's the deal with the footnotes?"
posted by vito90 at 3:31 PM on August 15, 2007

And so dry - he doesn't even allow a trace of a smile to betray his jokes. How do you know that? Can you read it on my face?

Exactly, homeboy is dusty, fucking... parched.
posted by Divine_Wino at 3:32 PM on August 15, 2007

I may be biased because I like his work so much, but I highly recommend Rose's interview of Daniel Boorstin. Boorstin is already up in the years, and doesnt hear so good, but while the i/o is failing, the mips is still smokin'
posted by Andrew Brinton at 3:42 PM on August 15, 2007

Does this work? It looks like it works on preview... not being a dick; just a heads up for pb or whomever.
posted by chuckdarwin at 3:43 PM on August 15, 2007

Oh, cool: it doesn't work (the embed code).
posted by chuckdarwin at 3:45 PM on August 15, 2007

I highly recommend this interview with Stephen Colbert.

Also, this is beyond awesome.
posted by Optamystic at 3:49 PM on August 15, 2007 [2 favorites]

Charlie Rose was the first boring PBS show I ever liked.
posted by cortex at 3:59 PM on August 15, 2007

Vonnegut.
posted by Optamystic at 4:04 PM on August 15, 2007

BTW, despite the fact that they are trying to sell the videos, it seems that you can watch them for free in a normal sized window by clicking the "share" link, then pasting the link into your browser.
posted by Optamystic at 4:08 PM on August 15, 2007

That Christopher Hitchens interview is pretty amazing. Is there anyone in America he didn't piss off.
posted by seanyboy at 4:15 PM on August 15, 2007

I love the format of the show and the guest selection (other than the political ones -- like we need another show for conservatives to educate the rest of us with no cross examination), but Rose irritates me to no end. I don't care what answer he is expecting, but he MUST let us all know what he thinks the guest will say. I get it, Chuck, you are a clever boy. Now shut up and let the man (normally) talk!
posted by SkinnerSan at 4:27 PM on August 15, 2007

Oh my god I love you.
posted by Skorgu at 4:50 PM on August 15, 2007

I love the order of the categories:
World
US
Business
Entertainment
Art & Architecture
Science
Technology
Health
Religion
Sports
Other
Politics

After other. Finally someone who isn't afraid to put politics in its place.
posted by Deathalicious at 5:15 PM on August 15, 2007

Excellent!
posted by Thorzdad at 5:17 PM on August 15, 2007

Finally someone who isn't afraid to put politics in its place.

Personally I would have swapped it with religion.
posted by Webbster at 5:34 PM on August 15, 2007

I was going to say that I'm not really fond of old C Rose's know it all manner, but I think interviewers are generally haters, especially the smart ones (there are exceptions like young buck Jesse Thorn) anyway, old Chuck just has access.
posted by Divine_Wino at 5:39 PM on August 15, 2007

Charlie Rose got me through many a late night in the 1980s. I always enjoyed his interviewing style.
posted by Devils Rancher at 5:44 PM on August 15, 2007

yesterdays interview with Dyson was good - charlie rose and the softballs he throws his guests is kind of disheartening usually . .. the way he handled Wolfowitz a couple weeks ago was tepid at best.
posted by specialk420 at 6:04 PM on August 15, 2007

MUCH better are Ian Masters absolutely required podcasts/archives here:

http://www.ianmasters.org/


http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=5 - counterspin is regular fave as well - not to mention http://www.democracynow.org/

after getting some facts - then one can relax and consume Charlie's vanilla.
posted by specialk420 at 6:07 PM on August 15, 2007

Thanks for the post, I've been waiting for this. Charlie Rose is really good at what he does, and e has a wide range of guests on all sorts of topics. Bookmarked.
posted by Sailormom at 6:41 PM on August 15, 2007

BTW, despite the fact that they are trying to sell the videos, it seems that you can watch them for free in a normal sized window by clicking the "share" link, then pasting the link into your browser.

Or by clicking on "More Info..." (no pasting necessary!)
posted by howling fantods at 7:01 PM on August 15, 2007

This is like Charlie Rose coming back from the dead to interview people.
posted by Slap Factory at 8:54 PM on August 15, 2007

Most definitely best of the web. I'll start with the Harold Bloom series (about half a dozen over the course of 10 years).
posted by stbalbach at 9:21 PM on August 15, 2007

As much as I hate Charlie Rose, smug hater, the first time I saw his show I was flipping through channels and suddenly there was Joan Didion and her hubby, shooting the breeze. I was drop-jawed.
I know I'm failing at the giving context, but there has been no regular venue for thinking people to speak on American television maybe since Dick Cavett(?). So to suddenly see interesting people just talking about what interests them, was really something.
I watched regularly for years, until his smugness got too much (and a friend worked on his show as an intern and, well, too much information)

The only other time I've been impressed was when Joe DiMagio died and his guests were, Roger Angell (sports writer), Bill Gallo (NY Sports writer/cartoonist), Rock Positano (podiatrist and friend) and ... wait for it ... Henry Kissinger. (WTF? Kissinger?)

Thanks for the post.
posted by From Bklyn at 11:23 PM on August 15, 2007

Great show, great host. Too bad they chose Google video, which -- unlike youtube -- stops streaming at low bandwidths.

Out of touch?

posted by Twang at 11:30 PM on August 15, 2007

Rose isn't my favorite, but the website is beautifully executed and the guests are great.
posted by Phred182 at 6:45 PM on August 16, 2007