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Rachel Maddow talks to Charlie Rose about Iran, Twitter, gay rights, fame, and coming outAfterEllen.com reader Kerstin tipped us off to an interesting new interview Rachel Maddow did with Charlie Rose on The Charlie Rose Show this Thursday. During the 25-minute interview, Rachel gives Rose her take on Iran, American foreign policy, gay rights, President Obama, and Twitter, but also answers questions on more personal topics like the success of her TV show and her sudden fame. When Rose expands at length about how so many people have crushes on her (including "gays, straights, teenagers, rabbis, [and] Republicans"), she blushes and then deftly avoids responding. It's a very engaging, substantive conversation that covers a lot of ground. You can watch the entire interview here — the first 17 minutes are focused on politics and policy, the rest on her and her show: Some highlights: On the President's stand-back approach to Iran: "I certainly don't always agree with him on foreign policy issues [but] I think that he is doing the right thing in Iran." On why Twitter has played such a big role in the Iranian election protests: "Decentralized things are powerful things when you're talking about mass movements." On the economy: "Regulation isn't a dirty word, and government having a role in the clean functioning of markets is not something that should be resented, demonized, and minimized." On Obama's gay rights record in office so far: "The distance between his actions and his statements on gay rights have been actually a little bit shocking." On fame: "I try to pretend it doesn't exist." On how she realized she was gay: "I just sort of arrived at it through rational deduction." On being out: "Find your own way, but it is better to be out than to be closeted, and I can say that in terms of quality of life, and in terms of what's ethically right for your community. It is better for other gay people if you're out." Share your thoughts about the interview in the comments. Submitted by on June 19, 2009 - 7:41pm. |
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Yay, more Maddow stuff. My
Yay, more Maddow stuff. My obsession is at a high. It went Maddow>Emily Deschanel>Ana Marie Cox>Clementine Ford>Maddow>Sue Perkins>Maddow
Did anyone notice she kept talking really soft all of a sudden, as if she was upset or really concerned? She seemed almost vulnerable. I'm not used to it! But was kinda nice somehow too.. hmm
It was all interesting but esp. cute when he read out the stuff about crushes and soooo nice to hear her talking about coming out and being truthful and saying it wasn't easy but she was soo brave as were others who came out back when when they didn't know how friends and family would react
vid being jumpy,, net being slow, might rewatch another time for a smoother Rachel interview experience
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My AfterEllen/Bridget Video Game
"there's always time for a burrow..."
"We're getting fired, fired, fired, fi..
what a style star
I love Rachel
Good Job
Good job Kerstin (pronounced Cast-in to whoever was wondering... which no one was). Did you see this interview because you don't have cable?
http://jordan-writes.blogspot.com/
In awe, as usual
I am officially in love with
Great interview
I love Charlie Rose--listening to him read that excerpt from the Observer article was terribly endearing and, I imagine for Rachel Maddow, slightly embarrassing.
I must admit, and I'm probably alone in this, I prefer Rachel Maddow in long form interviews like this one or her past interviews with Nancy Pelosi, Colin Powell and Barack Obama. I wish she'd do them more often.
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Justice consists not in being neutral between right and wrong, but in finding out the right and upholding it, wherever found, against the wrong. - Theodore Roosevelt
I love Rachel
I love Rachel Maddow. I like listening to her talk about pretty much everything from politics to her personal life. She's gotten me interested in politics and watching other news shows with my parents. Actually she's gotten me so into all of this that my friends call me a nerd but I really don't mind. I hope she is on TV for 15 more years. I definately have a small (read: rather large) crush on her. I liked the interview.
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"Great. Not only do I feel creepy but now I look like I'm 1,000 and that I've been smoking meth all my life." -Sara Quin
<3
She is...
What a brain ...
First female President?
She may just be in with a chance if she continues to suck up to the Brzezinskis and Zellicows of the world. (IMHO deplorable recent Maddow conduct.)
At least she is mentioning civil liberties, or the lack there of. So, that's something I guess...
Not a fan I'm afraid.
Just Wondering
References
Why do I hate Brzezinski? My God, where should I start? His many instances of "intelligent manipulation" over the years? Take for instance this inglorious episode where the atheist Brzezinski, urges some poor Mujahadeen schmucks to follow God and go fight the Russians on behalf of him and the CIA.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJTv2nFjMBk
Or bang up to date, here he boasts and predicts how things are going to play out in Iran. I wonder how he can possibly be so confident? Another CIA 'Color Revolution' perhaps??? Most definitely! I find it grotesquely ironic that about only 2 weeks before things kicked off in Iran Obama admitted that the US and the UK were behind the over throw of Mosaddeq in 1953! God, these people have a sick sense of humor! (Maddow highlighted this ('53, not the humor) on her show at least.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2mBB4Dg7Qc
Two trivial points from that vid. First; God that guy sucks up to ZBig even worse that Maddow! (Perhaps predictable; he is quite a big player after all! Bigger than Obama for one.) And secondly, just look at ZBig, just -look- at him! Like Rumsfeld he just oozes pure evil!
Then there's the fact he is a Bilderberger. (Google it.)
Finally, I recommend that you read his books, 'The Grand Chessboard' and 'The Technotronic Era.' Most illuminating!
Why do I hate Zellicow? For the absolute travesty that was the 9/11 Commission Report. Here I recommend David Ray Griffin's book, 'The 9/11 Commission Report: Omissions and Distortions'. What did Maddow do?! She actually praised him for his role in it! Unbelievable! Yet at the some time so depressingly predictable...
Solutions
At least she's talking about *solutions* for ending the wars. It's not of much help to just be saying end it.
But she doesn't want to run for public office, so there goes that idea. Unfortunately being civil during the debate comes off as "sucking up" to some people. And that's the side effect of having so many shows where people just shout over each other....people get used to it.
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Tweet: @GrrrlRomeo
Brilliant Interview
Everything she says makes sense to me. And I love her bit about the importance of coming out.
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Tweet: @GrrrlRomeo
*Sigh*
"On how she realized she was gay: "I just sort of arrived at it through rational deduction.""
Is it possible to be in love with someone you've never met?
I loved that answer too. =]
I loved that answer too. =]
**www.beyondmarriage.org**
Wow!
I had just started getting
I had just started getting into watching her show a couples months ago when they replayed the episodes at 2am, but then when Cablevision took away half my channels (I don't have a cable box and I guess with the switch to digital they had to be mean and try to get me to get one lol) msnbc happened to be one of them so now I can't watch anymore :( Luckily thoughmy mom said she'd get me a cable box for my birthday next month so then I can watch again :)
lol sorry, I don't know why I just rambled about my cable issues haha...
But anyway, my point was that I liked this interview and I like Rachel & I wish I could watch her show lol.
It's all online for free
All the episodes are online for free at http://rachel.msnbc.com and on Itunes for free.
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Tweet: @GrrrlRomeo
Thanks!
I just want to tear off
I Loved Every Minute...
I wish this interview was longer. I think Rachel Maddow is absolutely brilliant. I agree with everything she said. I hopes she gets an interview with Obama. I don't see his charm working on her.
" True enjoyment comes from activity of the mind and exercise of the body; the two are ever united" ~ Wilhelm von Humbolt
I want a Rachel!
Try the gay-straight
Try the gay-straight alliance at any good university with Ph.D. programs. and make sure you get to know all the grad students who are about to graduate. Or try the faculty if you want someone older than a grad student. There are a ton of brilliant lesbians out there. You just have to geek out to find us:)
You can also try the ACLU and gay activist organizations.
<3
Haha I love it, I can totally relate.
She is wonderful. My
Fantastic interview. She's
Rachel Rocks!
She is amazingly articulate, with an awesome brain, AND a sense of humor. What a potent combination.
Her visible, intelligent, HOT - in a lesbian way - presence is a great statement for all women and for gay women in particular.
Rock on Rachel!
I'm often in awe that Rachel
I'm often in awe that Rachel even exists at all! An out butch lesbian who is radically progressive/liberal, sane, smart, hot, normal, articulate, likeable and did I mention hot & butch! On TV?! How did that happen?! People like that, people like us (I'm not saying I'm all those great things) are not allowed on television! Not in prime time, on big networks. In the past that kind of voice was relegated to Cable Access & occasionally Phil Donahue. My arm is metaphorically bright red from constantly metaphorically pinching myself as I watch her show. Amazing. It's a voice that is long overdue.
Praise be to whomever or whatever made that happen!
is this really really happening??!
she's a great example for
Wow
I had to register just to post on how amaing Rachel is. Just awesome! i love that she's not just seriously clever, but calm and considered with it, and doesn't need to show off her intelligence by shouting others down.
The other thing with strikes me as a Brit, is that there is no one on British TV that is allowed to be both intelligent, but also opinionated. I guess it's the one down side of the public subsidised media is that it has to be balanced, and that stiffles presenters giving their own views in a balanced way. There is a real gap over here for a show like Rachel's.
Anyway, thanks to AE for showing us over the pond what we're missing.
And, of course....she's HOT!
What are you talking about?
What are you talking about? We have loads of smart and opinionated people on TV. Sometimes I see stuff and think RM would like it. We don't have any super famous popular lesbians like Rachel or Ellen but we have smart and opinonated ppl, unless your meant in one area specifically.
Most of my fave BBC comedians for example are smart, and there's ppl who mix news and humour like Charlie Brooker etc, HIGNFY, Mock the Week (okay a bit less with the smart and more with the witty), I don't get it.. Did you meant solely news? I do agree news seems to be less opinon and different personalities and their shows and more just news. Maybe less biased but less fun to watch. And no crushes :(
but yeah, very glad AE introducedme to Rachel, I know more about the US than the UK politics atm 'cus I am multi-tasking learning with crushing out by watching her show
________________________________
My AfterEllen/Bridget Video Game
"there's always time for a burrow..."
"We're getting fired, fired, fired, fi..
*cooing&squelingnoise
when she stammered over the word "radical" in talking about what needs to be done with ecnomic policiy...I ALMOST DIED RIGHT THERE. that was so goddamn cute!! SO GODDAMN CUTE.
SAY IT RACHEL!
Nerd power
The socratic method as applied to sexual orientation. FANTASTIC.
I am absolutely
God I love this woman soo
God I love this woman soo much it's kind of crazy.
She's frickin amazing. I can't even type anymore.
Thanks for posting this, Sarah
I love the way she thinks before she speaks.
Both because it gives her time to make her comments so brilliant and insightful, and because she just looks so damn cute when she's thinking.
Ohgod! Crush!!
Totally strange
Do you know how rare it is for a woman to be on TV and be brilliant, and actually pause to think? Not to mention a lesbian and butch and doesn't look like any other news anchor or pundit on TV?
She is indeed incredibly cute while she's thinking. Sigh...
Aww. She really is just such
Same here.
<3
"Neat".
Need I say more?
Ok, you guys have had your
The Map Room
Enjoyed the interview. Love the fact that she can go toe-to-toe with anyone intellectually. I've watched Rose off and on since his show started, but not too much now. Over time during the Bush Era I noticed he had a tendency to bulldoze over guests. Rose seemed to swing more to the right which turned me off. He'd ask the interviewee a question and than not let them answer it. He certainly can't do that with Rachel Maddow, and I think he knew better than to try it with her.
Of all the tv news media personalities I respect her the most. Her website is pretty cool too...love The Map Room. It's nerd delight.
Moment of Geek
I love the new segment "Moment of Geek". I so resemble that segment.
Its true...
divine Ms M
nervousness
Rachel is normally fairly self-effacing in TV interviews and guest spots, but she seemed more nervous and awed than usual--I think she's a HUGE Charlie Rose fan, and was pretty amazed at the invitation to appear on his show. Her comment at the end and the fact that she dressed up in her usual sleek suit (rather than tee or polo shirt) show this.