While I probably agree with the guy on 80% of the ‘issues’, Ted Baxter‘s delivery and the rationales he gives for his positions, are, to put it bluntly, embarrassing lame. (Edmund Gettier, after all, proved that one can believe the right thing for the wrong reasons.)
Baxter’s demeanor and body language tics — particularly when seasoned viewers like myself can spot him cognizing the horrible fact that he’s actually losing an argument — have become entirely painful to watch: the cutting off of his guests at opportune times (and at a segment’s end, this despite his “I’ll give you the last word” catchphrase); his immediately changing of the subject, preventing his interlocutor from responding; his awkward attempts at humor; his sycophantic guests’ sense of obligation to feign laughter at said ill-formed humor; etc. etc.
I can only imagine what it must be like working with, or even being in the same building, with the guy.
Killing Lincoln…
Killing Kennedy…
Killing Jesus…
Recently, I was bemoaning Baxter’s tired “I’m with the folks” routine. A friend of mine (MB) floored me when he responded, “Maybe his next book will be called Killing Myself.”
