>> WELCOME BACK, EVERYBODY, MY
GUEST TONIGHT IS CELEBRATING HER
25th YEAR HOSTING NPR'S
FRESH AIR.
I'M GOING TO ASK HER SOME STALE
QUESTIONS.
(LAUGHTER)
PLEASE WELCOME TERI GROSS.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
HEY, TERRY!
NICE TO SEE YOU.
WELL, I AM A BIG FAN AND IT IS A
PLEASURE TO FINALLY PUT A FACE
TO THE PREGNANT PAUSES IN THAT
VOICE.
(LAUGHTER)
25 YEARS, CONGRATULATIONS.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> Stephen: WHEN THE SHOW
STARTED HOW LONG DID YOU THINK
IT WOULD LAST?
>> WELL, WE STARTED AS A LOCAL
SHOW IN '75 AND IT BECAME A
NATIONAL SHOW IN '87 AND I WAS
JUST GRATEFUL THEY LET ME STAY
ON THE AIR AT FIRST.
I THOUGHT THIS WILL NEVER LAST
SO I'M THRILLED.
>> Stephen: DID YOU GET PAID
AT FIRST?
>> FIRST I WAS A VOLUNTEER IN
BUFFALO AND I DIDN'T GET PAID AT
ALL.
>> Stephen: OKAY.
>> IS THAT...
>> Stephen: THAT'S AN ANSWER.
(LAUGHTER)
I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOU'RE ASKING
BUT YES.
THAT IS A SUFFICIENT ANSWER.
>> IT'S A TRUE ANSWER.
>> Stephen: A TRUE ANSWER.
IF YOU WEREN'T GETTING PAID WHY
DID YOU STICK WITH IT?
>> I LOVED IT.
>> Stephen: IF THEY DIDN'T PAY
ME FOR THIS SHOW I WOULD BUG OUT
IN A MINUTE.
>> I LOVED IT.
I HAD BEEN DOING ODD JOBS AND
TYPING JOBS BECAUSE... UH-OH, I
NEGLECTED TO MENTION MY FIRST
JOB WAS TEACHING ENGLISH IN
BUFFALO NEW YORK'S INNER CITY
TEMPEST JUNIOR HIGH AND THEY
FIRED ME IN ABOUT SIX WEEKS.
>> Stephen: WHY DID THEY FIRE
TERRY GROSS?
>> BECAUSE TERRY GROSS WAS A
TERRIBLE TEACHER.
(LAUGHTER).
>> Stephen: LET ME ASK YOU
SOMETHING, HOW DO YOU DO A SHOW
LIKE YOURS FOR 25 YEARS?
BECAUSE YOU HAVE AN INTENSE
INTEREST, IT SEEMS, IN WHAT
PEOPLE ARE SAYING.
HOW DO YOU MAKE... IS THAT A
MANUFACTURED INTEREST OR IS THAT
REAL?
I GUESS WHAT I'M ASKING IS, IS
THERE A CHARACTER TERRY GROSS
THAT YOU'RE DOING?
>> NO, THERE KIND OF ISN'T.
ONE OF THE CRY CRITERIA FOR
BEING ON THE SHOW IS THAT I
THINK THE GUEST IS GENUINELY
INTERESTING.
SO I REALLY CARE.
>> Stephen: DO YOU EVER GET
INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE INTERVIEW
AND GO "OH, I HAVE MISCALLED
THIS ONE.
THIS GUY IS SNOOZEVILLE."
>> THAT HAS HAPPENED BUT YOU
HAVE TO BE CARE INFORMAL AN
INTERVIEW THAT EVEN IF SOMETHING
IS BORING YOU HAVE TO PAY
ATTENTION.
I WAS INTERVIEWING GROVER
NORQUIST.
>> Stephen: I'VE HAD HIM ON.
>> WHO IS THE MAN BEHIND THE NO
TAX PLEDGE AND HE WAS GOING ON
AND ON ABOUT THE ESTATE TAX AND
WHY IT'S A TERRIBLE THING.
>> Stephen: THE TEST TAX.
>> WHICH HE CALLS THE DEATH TAX
AND I WAS THINKING THERE'S TOO
MANY STATISTICS, IT'S DULL,
RADIO ISN'T GOOD FOR STATISTICS
SO I WAS THINKING WHAT AM I
GOING TO ASK HIM, WHAT SHOULD I
DO WITH THE INTERVIEW?
AND SUDDENLY I THOUGHT I HEARD
HIM SAY THAT THE MORALITY OF THE
DEATH TAX WAS LIKE THE MORALITY
OF THE HOLOCAUST AND I THOUGHT
WHOA, DID HE THEY THAT?
DID I JUSTER THAT?
DID THAT HAPPEN.
>> Stephen: THAT'S A WAKEUP
CALL.
>> IT'S A WAKEUP CALL AND SO I
ACTUALLY SAID TO HIM, EXCUSE ME,
DID YOU ACTUALLY COMPARE THE
HOLOCAUST TO THE ESTATE TAX?
>> Stephen: AND HE SAID?
>> HE SAID "NO, I COMPARED THE
MORALITY OF THE DEATH TAX..."
>> Stephen: I'M NOT SAYING
WE'RE ACTUALLY KILLING JEWS BUT
IT'S VERY SIMILAR.
(LAUGHTER)
>> MILLIONS OF LIVES, MILLIONS
OF DOLLARS.
>> Stephen: EXACTLY.
EXACTLY.
THEY BOTH HAVE FACES ON THEM.
(LAUGHTER)
HE'S GOT A POINT.
HE'S GOT A POINT.
YOU WENT AFTER PRETTY HARD AND
HEAVY MY DEAR FRIEND PAPA BEAR
BILL
BILL O'REILLY.
(LAUGHTER)
YOU ATTACKED HIM IN AN
INTERVIEW.
>> I DIDN'T.
>> YOU ATTACKED HIM.
>> HE SAYS I ATTACKED HIM.
>> Stephen: NO YOU ATTACKED
HIM.
>> HE SAYS THE INTERVIEW WAS 40
MINUTES OF DEFAMATION.
IT WAS A 40 MINUTE INTERVIEW.
HE TERMINATE IT HAD INTERVIEW AT
THE END OF 40 MINUTES BUT WHAT
REALLY HAPPENED WAS I ASKED HIM
A FEW CHALLENGING QUESTIONS AT
THE END AND IT SHOCKED ME THAT
SOMEBODY WHO PRIDES HIMSELF ON
BEING THE TOUGHEST
INTERVIEWER...
>> Stephen: HE IS.
>> ...IN AMERICA WOULD FEEL SO
OFFENDED AT BEING ASKED JUST A
FEW CHALLENGING QUESTIONS.
>> Stephen: DO REMEMBER WHAT
THEY WERE?
WHAT YOU ASKED HIM?
>> WELL, I ASKED HIM IF HE EVER
USED A MICROPHONE TO SETTLE
SCORES WITH PEOPLE, FOR EXAMPLE
IF SOMEBODY GAVE HIM A BAD
REVIEW HE'D CALL THEM A PINHEAD
ON THE SHOW.
AND IF SOMEBODY DECLINED TO BE A
GUEST ON THEIR SHOW HE WOULD
ACCUSE THEM OF BEING A COWARD
AND COWERING UNDER THEIR DESKS.
>> YOU ARE A MONSTER!
(LAUGHTER)
>> Stephen: LET ME ASK YOU
SOMETHING.
YOU DO SOMETHING IN INTERVIEWS
THAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
WHY LET THE GUESTS TALK.
(LAUGHTER)
AND YOU LISTEN TO THEM WHILE
WE'RE DOING IT.
THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO
ME.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
>> BECAUSE I SEE IT AS MY JOB TO
CREATE A KIND OF COMFORT ZONE
WHERE THE GUESTS WILL FEEL
SAFE...
>> Stephen: I'M GOING TO STOP
YOU RIGHT THERE.
WHEN DOES TERRY GROSS SELL OUT
AND CASH IN?
WHY DON'T YOU JUST LEAVE THIS
PUBLIC NONSENSE BEHIND AND GO
FOR THE BIG BUCKS.
WHY NOT TERRY GROSS' FRESH AIR
BROUGHT TO YOU BY FEBREZE.
(LAUGHTER)
>> IT'S REALLY WONDERFUL ON
PUBLIC RADIO TO NOT BE BEHOLDEN
TO SPONSORS.
TO NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT
ADVERTISING.
>> BUT YOU HAVE TO GET THE
PEOPLE TO GIVE YOU MONEY.
FOR 25 YEARS, YOU MUST BE
RUNNING OUT OF NEW WAYS TO ASK
FOR CASH.
AT THIS POINT IT'S GOT TO BE
GIVE ME $20 AND I'LL EAT A BUG.
(LAUGHTER)
>> I'LL TRY THAT!
>> Stephen: TERRY, THANK YOU
SO MUCH FOR JOINING ME.
FRESH AIR AND WHYY, TERRY GROSS,
WE'LL BE RIGHT