4 ms·

That reporter was too annoying to watch. I recoiled in horror every time she asked an aggressively offensive question, and I can't tell if that's a particularl

That reporter was too annoying to watch. I recoiled in horror every time she asked an aggressively offensive question, and I can't tell if that's a particularly forced accent or a speech impediment. I liked the Vice Magazine video myself: http://www.vbs.tv/watch/the-vice-guide-to-travel/vice-guide-to-north-korea-1-of-3 http://www.vbs.tv/watch/the-vice-guide-to-travel/vice-guide-...

IsaacL 16y ago
It's not an unusual British accent, though it's not very common in people of my generation. It sounded like a pretty standard southern/upper-middle class/older generation accent. I also thought she was a bit aggressive in her questioning, but on the other hand politeness isn't the most important trait for reporters.
- georgieporgie 16y ago
  > on the other hand politeness isn't the most important trait for reporters True, which is probably why I prefer to read about them rather than watch or interact with them. Even so, it seems to me she could have broached these subjects much more subtly. I have a hard time believing she could build rapport and get reliable information out of people with her approach. I should also add one other thing about her questions that bothers me: she's walking around a society where people likely get 'disappeared' quite often for not walking the proper line. She's loudly asking obnoxious questions about potentially sensitive things, endangering others with a sort indignant, lax attitude that bothers me.
samd 16y ago
Wait, so it's bad that reporters ask hard questions?
- mkelly 16y ago
  All comments about English dialects aside, I also found the reporter unbearable. (Full disclosure: I stopped watching after "A good day to invade?") It wasn't that she asked difficult questions -- that's wonderful. It's that she asked vapid questions, which incidentally turned out also to be difficult. She led people into the answers she wanted. E.g., it didn't look like a young lady she questioned actually thought the NK grand poobah dude was actually a god, but the reporter got her to say it. More than anything, it disgusts me because it makes life harder for people who ask good difficult questions.
- georgieporgie 16y ago
  Her questions were "hard" in the same way that Crossfire's questions were hard. i.e. be offensive and try to get a rise out of people, rather than ask intelligent questions which bring about discussion and insight. She sounded like an obnoxious tourist, not a reporter.
Bjoern 16y ago
Thanks for the link! Especially part 3 around 12:00 is insane. Part 3: http://www.vbs.tv/watch/the-vice-guide-to-travel/vice-guide-to-north-korea-3-of-3 http://www.vbs.tv/watch/the-vice-guide-to-travel/vice-guide-...
georgecmu 16y ago
The reporter indeed was unbearably obnoxious: "He is dead? But you're giving him flowers? Does that mean he is a god?" I suppose that coming from the democratic, enlightened West, she's never heard of such a bizarre custom before.
foldr 16y ago
>and I can't tell if that's a particularly forced accent or a speech impediment. It's not particularly unusual. There's no need to be so rude about non-American accents.
- georgieporgie 16y ago
  I have no problem with non-American accents, but I find hers to be awful (incidentally, I also can't stand Charlie Boorman's). I don't care if you dislike my accent, either, as they're an acquired taste.
  - foldr 16y ago
    If you really think that some accents are "awful" (whatever that means), I suppose you're entitled to your opinion, but it's rude to express that opinion. People don't have much control over their accents.
    - georgieporgie 16y ago
      > but it's rude to express that opinion. That's your opinion, which I find quite rude. > People don't have much control over their accents. Er, people have complete control over their accents. It's not a disability, or a skin color unfavored by popular culture. It's a manner of speech. And it's often cultivated.
      - foldr 16y ago
        >Er, people have complete control over their accents No, they don't. Some people can imitate accents which they don't speak natively, but many people can't do this well at all. E.g., how many Americans can do a good impression of a British accent? Not many. If you've ever tried to do an accurate impression of an accent that you don't speak natively, you'll know this. Also, it's quite unlikely that the woman's accent is cultivated. It's a pretty ordinary English accent. For this reason, saying that you don't like someone's accent is roughly as rude as saying that you don't like some other quasi-permanent-but-pretty-much-insignificant part of them. You can express your opinion if you want, but it's rude and insulting to do so.

IsaacL 16y ago

It's not an unusual British accent, though it's not very common in people of my generation. It sounded like a pretty standard southern/upper-middle class/older generation accent. I also thought she was a bit aggressive in her questioning, but on the other hand politeness isn't the most important trait for reporters.

georgieporgie 16y ago
> on the other hand politeness isn't the most important trait for reporters True, which is probably why I prefer to read about them rather than watch or interact with them. Even so, it seems to me she could have broached these subjects much more subtly. I have a hard time believing she could build rapport and get reliable information out of people with her approach. I should also add one other thing about her questions that bothers me: she's walking around a society where people likely get 'disappeared' quite often for not walking the proper line. She's loudly asking obnoxious questions about potentially sensitive things, endangering others with a sort indignant, lax attitude that bothers me.

samd 16y ago

Wait, so it's bad that reporters ask hard questions?

mkelly 16y ago
All comments about English dialects aside, I also found the reporter unbearable. (Full disclosure: I stopped watching after "A good day to invade?") It wasn't that she asked difficult questions -- that's wonderful. It's that she asked vapid questions, which incidentally turned out also to be difficult. She led people into the answers she wanted. E.g., it didn't look like a young lady she questioned actually thought the NK grand poobah dude was actually a god, but the reporter got her to say it. More than anything, it disgusts me because it makes life harder for people who ask good difficult questions.
georgieporgie 16y ago
Her questions were "hard" in the same way that Crossfire's questions were hard. i.e. be offensive and try to get a rise out of people, rather than ask intelligent questions which bring about discussion and insight. She sounded like an obnoxious tourist, not a reporter.

Bjoern 16y ago

Thanks for the link! Especially part 3 around 12:00 is insane. Part 3: http://www.vbs.tv/watch/the-vice-guide-to-travel/vice-guide-to-north-korea-3-of-3 http://www.vbs.tv/watch/the-vice-guide-to-travel/vice-guide-...

georgecmu 16y ago

The reporter indeed was unbearably obnoxious: "He is dead? But you're giving him flowers? Does that mean he is a god?" I suppose that coming from the democratic, enlightened West, she's never heard of such a bizarre custom before.

foldr 16y ago

>and I can't tell if that's a particularly forced accent or a speech impediment. It's not particularly unusual. There's no need to be so rude about non-American accents.

georgieporgie 16y ago
I have no problem with non-American accents, but I find hers to be awful (incidentally, I also can't stand Charlie Boorman's). I don't care if you dislike my accent, either, as they're an acquired taste.
- foldr 16y ago
  If you really think that some accents are "awful" (whatever that means), I suppose you're entitled to your opinion, but it's rude to express that opinion. People don't have much control over their accents.
  - georgieporgie 16y ago
    > but it's rude to express that opinion. That's your opinion, which I find quite rude. > People don't have much control over their accents. Er, people have complete control over their accents. It's not a disability, or a skin color unfavored by popular culture. It's a manner of speech. And it's often cultivated.
    - foldr 16y ago
      >Er, people have complete control over their accents No, they don't. Some people can imitate accents which they don't speak natively, but many people can't do this well at all. E.g., how many Americans can do a good impression of a British accent? Not many. If you've ever tried to do an accurate impression of an accent that you don't speak natively, you'll know this. Also, it's quite unlikely that the woman's accent is cultivated. It's a pretty ordinary English accent. For this reason, saying that you don't like someone's accent is roughly as rude as saying that you don't like some other quasi-permanent-but-pretty-much-insignificant part of them. You can express your opinion if you want, but it's rude and insulting to do so.