We seem to be in the middle of an interrupting crisis. I’m not sure how we got here. I blame Steve Price.
No, that’s not true. I don’t. But he does seem to have sparked a new movement where a certain type of person (white, male, middle-aged) is struggling with the idea of being interrupted. I’ve noticed it with men of that age in my own life and when I mentioned it to a couple of friends, they agreed.
It’s like at a certain age, men become unable to cope with how conversations are fluid and how interrupting is not necessarily a ‘screw-you’ act of aggression but sometimes just how things go when several people are rushing to communicate information at the same time.
I think we’ve all become more aware of interrupting after Donald Trump and also with all the post-election conversation about bubbles and people trying to shut down opinions different to their own.
But on TV, it's becoming a bit silly.
I was watching Q&A last night and it sparked me to write this on my Facebook page:
Look, I'm an interrupter. It's not my greatest quality. I'm not like, Donald Trump bad, but it's something I have to watch in my regular life (also when I'm interviewing people for No Filter). Here is the proof, a comment someone (very politely, thank you Julie) left underneath my Facebook post:
But this spate of men becoming upset at being interrupted on live TV panels is silliness. I've been on hundreds of TV panels in my career, including The Project and Q&A and there's a rhythm and an art to it.
It's harder than it looks.
A lot of giving good panel is about getting out of the way. But you have to add value by saying something.
But try not to interrupt. But speak your mind. But don't talk over anyone. But make an interesting point.