Well, *bleep* me!
Mar. 22nd, 2004 07:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jere7myI was bleeped! I used the word "bitch" during my interview with ABC-7, quoting salt-and-pepper (now known to be Paul Elrod, which is a matter of public record at this point), and they bleeped it out. I've never been bleeped before. I feel like I've lost a purity point.
The NBC-4 interview came on just after Kendra got home, so I was able to surprise her with my big mug (and our livingroom) on the screen. They actually did quite a nice three-minute piece, with good shots of our marquee and lengthy, in-context quotes from me, although the cheesy voiceovers were unnecessary: "But Thorpe...wasn't scared off." "As head projectionist, he's used to seeing blood and gore on the big screen...but not in the lobby."
Fox News was lying in wait for me when I got to work, though they didn't seem to know anything that had happened; I had to relate the whole story, trying to be clear as to what was second- and third-hand information. I taped an interview with them outside the theater, and they asked the worst questions so far: "How awful was this?" "How happy are you that they were able to catch him?" And we did one of those fake "reporter-walking-with-interviewee" shots that Fox always uses.
Throughout, I tried to be as matter-of-fact as I could, erring on the side of boring, but of course the actual reports managed to sensationalize the events without technically twisting my words. I support the concept of a free press, so I wanted to tell them what I'd seen, but there is an aspect of the vulture about them. It was an interesting experience, this small degree of fame, but not something I'd seek out.
I was surprised, but pleased, when Mr. Elrod himself called the theater tonight to apologize to me. More or less. Partly, he wanted to give a mile-a-minute account of his side of the story, which may or may not be accurate; he said that the victim attacked him first and pulled his jacket over his head, and that he blacked out from a punch the victim threw, and that he couldn't possibly have thrown popcorn at him because he has an intestinal problem that won't let him eat popcorn, although his wife did have popcorn.... I'm not sure how internally consistent it was, but I appreciated that he was genuinely contrite and scared, and I tried to be conciliatory; I thanked him for calling, and said I felt better knowing both sides of the story, which seemed to ease his mind a little. At the end of the day, though, he collapsed someone's lung and left the scene of the crime before the police arrived; I feel a little bad for him, but it's a hell of his own making. At least I don't feel I need to watch over my shoulder now; I don't think he's still angry at me.
The NBC-4 interview came on just after Kendra got home, so I was able to surprise her with my big mug (and our livingroom) on the screen. They actually did quite a nice three-minute piece, with good shots of our marquee and lengthy, in-context quotes from me, although the cheesy voiceovers were unnecessary: "But Thorpe...wasn't scared off." "As head projectionist, he's used to seeing blood and gore on the big screen...but not in the lobby."
Fox News was lying in wait for me when I got to work, though they didn't seem to know anything that had happened; I had to relate the whole story, trying to be clear as to what was second- and third-hand information. I taped an interview with them outside the theater, and they asked the worst questions so far: "How awful was this?" "How happy are you that they were able to catch him?" And we did one of those fake "reporter-walking-with-interviewee" shots that Fox always uses.
Throughout, I tried to be as matter-of-fact as I could, erring on the side of boring, but of course the actual reports managed to sensationalize the events without technically twisting my words. I support the concept of a free press, so I wanted to tell them what I'd seen, but there is an aspect of the vulture about them. It was an interesting experience, this small degree of fame, but not something I'd seek out.
I was surprised, but pleased, when Mr. Elrod himself called the theater tonight to apologize to me. More or less. Partly, he wanted to give a mile-a-minute account of his side of the story, which may or may not be accurate; he said that the victim attacked him first and pulled his jacket over his head, and that he blacked out from a punch the victim threw, and that he couldn't possibly have thrown popcorn at him because he has an intestinal problem that won't let him eat popcorn, although his wife did have popcorn.... I'm not sure how internally consistent it was, but I appreciated that he was genuinely contrite and scared, and I tried to be conciliatory; I thanked him for calling, and said I felt better knowing both sides of the story, which seemed to ease his mind a little. At the end of the day, though, he collapsed someone's lung and left the scene of the crime before the police arrived; I feel a little bad for him, but it's a hell of his own making. At least I don't feel I need to watch over my shoulder now; I don't think he's still angry at me.
