Revealed: The identity of the BBC's latest star | the Daily MailWe're all used to the talking heads that impart their wisdom on the cable news shows every night. Somebody with specialized knowledge responds to questions about the hot stories of the day. Sometimes we mutter to ourselves about these so-called experts who tend to pontificate ad nauseam, knowing that millions of people are watching.
That's why it was so delightful to watch the mess that the BBC got in this week when they interviewed the wrong "Guy" in a story on Internet legal issues. Instead of Guy Kewney, an information technology specialist, the BBC asked questions of taxi driver Guy Goma, thinking it was Kewney. Apparently there was a mix-up in the waiting rooms and Goma, who was there applying for a job, got ushered into the studio for a live interview. Take a look at the video feed--the expression on Goma's face when they introduce him is absolutely priceless.
But the wonderful part of it is that Goma seizes the day and proceeds to answer the questions as if he knew what he was talking about. The comely anchor pressed on, perhaps thinking her guest too deep for her to fully comprehend his meanings on such technical matters. It isn't known if anyone made adjustments to their technology stock portfolios based on Goma's views.
So the question is this. How do we know that the opinions of a taxi driver on music downloads are less worthy of note than those expressed by someone's idea of an expert? Experts make bonehead statements at times. Sometimes they're flat out wrong. Once someone gets labeled an "expert" their views take on an implied stature that may be overblown and perhaps dangerously mistaken.
You could see Mr. Goma suck air when he heard himself being introduced as an expert on Internet technology. But he warmed to the task. What the heck! A guy learns a lot driving people around in a taxi. Might as well share some of that wisdom. Nice of the BBC to ask.
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Apparently he isn't a cab driver either. It is too funny of service. Of course anyone of us who is a blogger secretly would love to be interviewed on national TV, even if it isn't a topic we don't know anything about.
ReplyDeleteInfo from the the real "Guy":
http://www.newswireless.net/index.cfm/article/2708
I saw that and thought it was hilarious too.
ReplyDeleteThe thing that boggles my mind is that way so called "experts" talk about things they know nothing about like the FEMA/Katrina disaster, blaming the mess up all on FEMA.
FEMA is not now, nor has it ever been, a first responder. Your first responders are the police, fire department, Salvation Army and Red Cross. Also, the coast guard is a first responder and as we all know they worked day and night to rescue people who should have been evacuated by the city of New Orleans in their disaster preparedness plan. That was the mayor's responsibility. The next responsible person was the governor. It is the responsibility of the governor to petition the federal government for a declaration of national emergency. They were to have sent in the National Guard to keep order. Unfortunately, many of the guard were in Iraq.
FEMA's mission is to come in a week or so later and start to do mitigation and the paperwork necessary to get people into temporary housing and supply them with the basics of life until they can begin to get their lives together again. Those who were given temporary housing were expected to try to get jobs and find new housing of their own as soon as they possibly could so they could start rebuilding their lives.
Many, many of the people who were evacuated after Katrina simply settled into the cruise ships, motels and later the trailers and decided to let the government take care of them as long as humanly possible. Many never even attempted to get jobs and make a new life for themselves.
After my husband left New Orleans he was sent to Kentucky for the rash of tornados there. They set up a service center and thought they would be there for at least a month. The people of Kentucky had insurance, families, churches and independence and for the most part did not avail themselves of FEMA's assistance. The service center closed after two weeks.
But to hear these "so called" "experts" talk..the whole thing and probably the hurricane too was FEMA's fault.