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One of the unfortunate aspects of this episode is that, as Daisey says, the problems he discusses are mostly real. He didn't have to lie. For example, he could

One of the unfortunate aspects of this episode is that, as Daisey says, the problems he discusses are mostly real. He didn't have to lie. For example, he could have talked about the N-Hexane poisoning without lying. He could have cited news reports, or traveled to interview people, or done it over the phone, or even gotten the info from secondhand interviews. He could have said "imagine a man who..." and proceeded to paint a painful picture based on the facts that were already public. But he didn't. He chose to pretend he had met these people. He would say that made the story more emotionally impactful, and maybe that's true. But it also poisoned it. It was a very condescending move to pull on his audiences; there is neither artistic nor factual integrity in it. If he had stuck to the facts, he would still have had a great performance. Too bad.

georgieporgie 15y ago
I felt the same. Having listened to yesterday's This American Life retracting the prior show, it seemed that he completely fabricated the story of the 12 and 13 year-olds. Even according to his story, which doesn't make sense, he met an English-speaking 13 year old and simply assumed that her friend was 12. Everything else appeared to be merely stretching the truth, retelling factual events as if they were witnessed first hand, and other things for which I'd be willing to grant some artistic license, provided it were told with a disclaimer.
- tablescraps 15y ago
  He said he met a 13 y/o but the translator said he didn't. I can't believe that he met a 13 y/o factory worker who spoken English. I wish people would stop excusing his bullshit. This goes way beyond 'stretching'.
  - georgieporgie 15y ago
    Uh. I think I clearly delineated between what seems to be a blatant lie (meeting a 12 year old) versus artistic license or stretching the truth, which is what much of the rest of it was. If you listen to the latest TAL you'll hear what I mean. It's conceivable (though very unlikely) that he met a 13 year old -- while the interpreter was distracted -- who spoke enough English to say she was 13. However, when Ira asks him directly whether the supposed 13 year old said her friend was 12, or if he just assumed (i.e. fabricated) that she was, he has no answer. It's the one place where he has absolutely nowhere to go: he can't claim artistic license with retelling of factual news reports, and he can't claim the interpreter simply wasn't listening at the time, he simply talked himself into a corner.
oyving 15y ago
But you don't help fixing problems by telling a lie about them, you just make it more difficult for those trying to tell the truth about the issue. It does not seem Daisey understands that he has hurt the cause he claims he was trying to help.

georgieporgie 15y ago

I felt the same. Having listened to yesterday's This American Life retracting the prior show, it seemed that he completely fabricated the story of the 12 and 13 year-olds. Even according to his story, which doesn't make sense, he met an English-speaking 13 year old and simply assumed that her friend was 12. Everything else appeared to be merely stretching the truth, retelling factual events as if they were witnessed first hand, and other things for which I'd be willing to grant some artistic license, provided it were told with a disclaimer.

tablescraps 15y ago
He said he met a 13 y/o but the translator said he didn't. I can't believe that he met a 13 y/o factory worker who spoken English. I wish people would stop excusing his bullshit. This goes way beyond 'stretching'.
- georgieporgie 15y ago
  Uh. I think I clearly delineated between what seems to be a blatant lie (meeting a 12 year old) versus artistic license or stretching the truth, which is what much of the rest of it was. If you listen to the latest TAL you'll hear what I mean. It's conceivable (though very unlikely) that he met a 13 year old -- while the interpreter was distracted -- who spoke enough English to say she was 13. However, when Ira asks him directly whether the supposed 13 year old said her friend was 12, or if he just assumed (i.e. fabricated) that she was, he has no answer. It's the one place where he has absolutely nowhere to go: he can't claim artistic license with retelling of factual news reports, and he can't claim the interpreter simply wasn't listening at the time, he simply talked himself into a corner.

oyving 15y ago

But you don't help fixing problems by telling a lie about them, you just make it more difficult for those trying to tell the truth about the issue. It does not seem Daisey understands that he has hurt the cause he claims he was trying to help.