, tells Deadline that Giridharadas’ outsider view of U.S. politics is particularly pertinent in these times. “His voice and his thinking is so relevant, even more relevant than it was eight or 12 weeks ago. Right now, there are so many millions of Americans quarantined at home, asking questions about healthcare and the economy and the government. Who better to hear about the stuff than from Anand?” he says.
“There’s no reason the same logic doesn’t apply when talking about wealth tax. I want to put a minimum wage worker on air talking about the wealth tax. I’m sure they might have a different perspective. I would love to put more teachers on air to discuss education. If we’re going to be discussing issues of race or gender, it is not uncommon to have four or five white guys sitting at a table. Maybe I notice this because I am brown and I have the special brown goggles,” he adds.
“Society is in bad shape and some rich people are stepping up. If you tell the story that way, it’s like watching the movie from an hour and 45 minutes in and it’s a heartwarming tale. But what happened [at the start] of that movie?,” he says. “A lot of the people stepping up are of that class, which is the reason that we’re in this right now. I am very skeptical of the notion that the most qualified firefighters are arsonists.
But how is the host going to get something different from someone who is constantly on television and Twitter? “There’s a reason I’ve never been named White House Correspondent for any publication. In my career, whenever I’ve had to be on the news talking about the story of the day, I’ve never been quite as good at that.
A very good fit for these times. Well done to all.