通过问愚蠢的问题能挖掘出名人内心深处的想法吗？

 

Chat shows are the staple¹ of late night entertainment TV in many countries. The US has some of the most famous hosts and the shows are syndicated worldwide.

 

Jon Stewart does comedy; Oprah Winfrey goes for heartfelt conversation. But what makes a good interview? Is it catching² the guest off guard? Will they reveal something more personal - some juicy gossip that will have us chatting away on social media?

 

Larry King is a veteran. For more than 25 years he's been hosting nightly shows in which he interviews movie stars, politicians and ordinary people, who are thrown into the spotlight³. And the secret to getting the best out of an interviewee? King says: "If you ask good questions and elicit⁴ thoughtful answers then you learn more about the person. If the interview's hard – if I begin by saying: 'Why did you do that?' I'd make you defensive⁵. That may be thrilling television, but you don't learn a lot."

 

King adds that he's learned that the more he draws back, listens to the answers, and cares about the guest the more he gets from the person. "You make the camera disappear", he says.

 

Another thing Larry King does is ask open questions. He explains: "I don't want a 'no'. I don't want a 'yes'. I want a 'why'. So in other words, I want to be a little kind of dumb, I ask "What do you mean by that?'"

 

Being amiable⁶, courteous⁷ and curious about the person in front of them – maybe that's what makes a good chat show host. Their biggest talent is making the guest feel at ease. Another famous American host, David Letterman, seems to know it. He once said: "I cannot sing, dance or act; what else would I be but a talk show host." Good idea: let others do the singing – just make them relax and they'll tell us everything!

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