This was the week that one of the greatest interviewers of all time, Larry King, sat on the other side of the desk. The broadcasting legend gave Reddit 114 answers on Monday, and it went so well that King (or one of his assistants) even started a subreddit. In addition to being open and frank, he adopted a very endearing tic: jabbing users about their Reddit names when answering their questions.
To user IAmLarryKing, who wrote “I feel very awkward right now,” King responded “Not awkward! Like I said, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” Before responding to i_am_not_a_goat’s question, King wrote “First, I am also not a goat.”
Also making an appearance was YouTube comedian Zach Anner. Anner, who has cerebral palsy, became a Reddit darling in late 2010, and the site’s users helped him get a show on Oprah’s OWN network, though it was soon cancelled. Anner took the opportunity to announced a new, Reddit-powered travel show called Ridin’ Shotgun.
A few other IAmA archetypes showed up, too—a person who’s lived in Antarctica, a prostitute, a pornographer, and a person whose grandparent has perspective on World War II. That last one has a twist, though—that redditor’s grandmother, who is Japanese-American, was placed in an internment camp in California.
A note on terminology: AMA stands for “ask me anything,” while “IAmA” is simply “I am a;” AMAA means “ask me almost anything.”
1) IAmA Larry King. I’ve done Radio and TV, and now I’m coming for you, internet.
How hard was/is it for you to be non-biased as a broadcaster? (InherentlyBad)
Not hard at all. I was raised on professionalism. The people I admire the most in the business were the people who’s opinions I did not know. Who had the ability to deliver material in an unbiased manner. I always left my ego at the door. My number one motto is and still is “I never learned anything when I was talking.”
Why did OWN decide to cancel Rollin’ with Zach? I loved the idea and was looking forward to watching it every week, but then one day I read that it was cancelled. I looked around a bit but couldn’t really find out why. (nick671)
It came down to ratings. A lot of people didn’t have the channel. Plus, I insisted that if I got a second season that I’d do it entirely in Spanish and in space.
3) I spent a year at McMurdo Station in Antarctica, AMA
Did you need to use a refrigerator? (DlmaoC)
Well the inside of the buildings are heated so. . . .yes….
I did know some people that cached extra food under some of the buildings though. Good way to hide stuff.
Do you kiss clients? (Gih0n)
Yes I do. We do not have to. Most girls choose not to.
5) I am an ex new car salesman from the 80’s & early 90’s, but I know the modern tricks too. AMA
If you were buying a car tomorrow, what tricks would you use? (jellyfish137)
Go to edmunds.com and look up the car you’re interested in. Spec it out just the way you want it. At some point in the process, edmunds will ask you if you want to get some quotes from dealers in your area. Say yes, and they will do the emailing for you. When you start getting email replies, start playing the dealers off each other. For instance “dealer A gave me a quote for $100 less. Can you beat it”? At some point you will hit the rock bottom price. That’s the dealer. Go into the showroom with your printed email in hand and ask for that deal. Don’t expect the salesman to welcome you with open arms. It’s a mini deal for his pocket.
6) IAmA Japanese American who was imprisoned in the Internment Camp Tule Lake. AMAA
What was it like when you heard the war had ended? Excited to leave the camp? (BarbSueRoberts)
Of course we were excited. We just wondered when we were going to leave. You
know they could say the war ended today, the doesn’t mean that we’re going to leave tomorrow. And you know we had people in stockades and we had to take care of them, and people in hospitals we had to take care of.
7) a pornographer for 12 years. I shoot/produce and perform in adult movies. AMA NWS
What do you feel about condoms in porn? (Veract)
I think they ruin the fantasy. Just like if you saw wires on a stuntman in a movie.
Photo via @OraTV
