Slavoj Žižek interview on NiteBeat

[byulis7]

I imagine how "tolerant" Slavoj had to be with such an idiot interviewer. He can use humour, but put it in that way, makes you look like an asshole.

[redstargr]

when someone asks who lacan is, i make him listen the first 6 seconds.

[featheon]

Typical comments: "Zizek 'defeated' someone who was never presented as an enemy. He's so much smarter than me that I won't have to think for myself."

[maxtubeaccount]

shit interview. Slavoj owns his brain

[tndowns1122]

Wtf just happened in this interview?

[Necjox]

slavoy zhizhek and no ljubljana isnt prononcued lubzhana its looblanah

[burningmindsvideos]

The description of the video is genial, lol

[allofthetrash]

"ideology is over, who cares about that"

[ericburdontheanimal]

for all those who can not pronounce Slavoj Žižer right, try this. Slavoy Zhizhek

[Zardoz151]

Oh god, the interviewer is an idiot...

[amaister93]

I hate how the interviewer interrupts a genius!! -.-

[kara2315]

The interviewer is a TOTAL redneck. 

[domen130]

Genius

[luxati]

Barry Nolan copied his Mensa papers from George Bush.

[MPA34]

This guy is interesting Slavoj that is

[Navidnak]

Interviewer: "This is hardest book i've ever tried to read"

Zizek: "strange, because you're dumb"

[machinevos]

@Navidnak

Slavoj owned him in the first sentence and the interviewer was just not smart enough to get insulted. xD

[arcoinstin]

HA! Love it. This interviewer is fantastic. Don't be fooled -- he looks like an idiot, sounds like an idiot -- but he actually is an idiot, and all the better for that in this case. One almost wonders if this guy isn't the ultimate Zizekian -- pure overidentification! Was this scripted by Mr. Zizek himself of what?!

[OuTofJoY]

The interviewer (Barry Nolan) understands more than some here are assuming. He's no dummy (member of MENSA.)

Interesting guy too - you can't be too bad if Bill O'Reilly goes out of his way to get you fired!

[planetjanet]

@OuTofJoY ahaha that's great I didn't know about that. here's an article about it for anyone who's interested: bit.ly / ciIXLU

[synchronium24]

@OuTofJoY Member of MENSA? Very interesting. I was getting the same vibe as other people commenting on his poor interviewing, but you are right about that fact.

[alpehyl]

I agree with the comment below, the interviewer is not so stupid as everybody thinks. He understands Zizek's humour, explain things so it's understandable for the viewers, they seem to enjoy each other's company.

[MortalBane]

His beard is HORRIBLE... I'm sure he's very intelligent, but I just can't get past the beard.

[mghfoster123]

The interviewer should eat some laxative chocolate!



[AlemanJuan]

Host: "I believe you're reinforcing my worldview because I see neoliberalism as morally imperative/ I don't understand subtext."

[TheNewKid537]

slovenija zmaga jebem vam mater prefukano :D

[tigerz2350]

I have most of Zizek's work, and agree with him on most things. Those of you calling the interviewer an idiot should pay much closer attention, he is getting to the grain, with a few mistakes, of a lot of Zizek's points and more importantly expressing it in a way that is accessible for most viewers. Not only that, he quite intelligently picks up on Zizek's INTENDED humour with which he writes.

[headybomb]

@tigerz2350 Well said

[uprooting]

amazing interview

[RussianSundays]

This interview should never have happened.

[fru123sa]

Tryin to live healthy is killin me!

[rokster113]

hahahahahahahaha  i am from Slovenia XDDDDD

Slovenians are making jokes from Zizek

[ausernameisthis]

this is a deeply precious video.

[jradetzky]

this is way above the head of the average American redneck viewer such a program caters to

[TroyArn]

this interviewer is an idiot.

[huoleifengbrian]

man, zizek is the bomb

[EclecticSceptic]

Woah that guy's pronounciation is off.

[alliant]

no, no you did not say that correctly. morrroooonn

[GammaBoom]

@Intelectual95 ill give you and advice. stop reading books written by philosophers and rather switch to high-quality literature.

[DonClaude]

I find it funny that so many have made negative remarks on Nolan. He is a member of mensa, they solve problems. Zizek is a philosopher, he asks questions. This clearly show us the two different sides of the Intelligence/intellectual spectrum. Those who dislike Zizek sees him the same way we who appreciate Zizek sees Nolan.

Oh, by the way, Zizek wants us to think and not (necessarily) to 'understand' him.

[allofthetrash]

@DonClaude hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha­hahahahahaha

[ttasi7]

hilarious

[massiveattackship]

the presenter is a closed minded, materialist plonker on auto-cue, he didn't care about Slavoj or what he had to say at all.

[MrFokion]

totally agree!!

[jasondlane1]

that guy is a fucking idiot

[desdosul]

This is a perfect example of "give pearls to swine".

What a barbaric journalist.

[Fred1102]

can someone fire this stupid journalist? he is really so interrupting asshole!

[Leutwein]

What an idiot !?

The reporter is horrible. Stupid, childish, bigoted. And than he's laughing all the time about bhis on jokes and gives Zizek 3 minutes time, to talk about Lacan... Ridiculous!!!

Grüße aus Deutschland

[smilingasteroid]

did you fucking hear him pronounce zizek's name and zizek smiling when he heard itLOL

[slokaka]

HE HAS A MORE RUSSIAN EXENENT THAN SLOVENIAN HAHAH

[iggypot]

possibly THE BEST Zizek interview on the youtube. Everyone who is hating on the interviewer are elitist pompous assholes. This guy is forcing slavoj to keep it simple...lmfao "This is the most difficult book I have ever read!!"

[kskshghg]

This video is now being censored in some places. An "error" message occurs each time one tries to access it. This is true from several ports on different servers. I'm located in the U.S.

[KrisdashPaul]

i love this. the interviewer shouts back in extremely basic terms what Zizek says, for the american audience. :)

[benooblak]

OMG SLADŽOJ ŽDIŽEK FROM LUVŽANA XDXDXD

[EMMETNEXO]

@benooblak

Meni je super, kako se Žižek nasmehne, ko sliši, kako se komentator trudi z njegovim imenom :)

[ikewib]

lol. "i never thought i would have this much fun talking about "this"" wooohooo, he doesn't even know what he's been talking about!!!

[pedestx]

should go back to Dad said i said so???

[stickmantan]

I like how the interviewer is a complete moron and really has no idea what's going on. He even summarizes the book incorrectly at the end of the interview. Ha!

[mkohles22]

moronic interviewer. just let the considerably more brilliant man speak

[NeoBoer]

Hahaha this fool Nolan was hoping for a heavy critique on Christianity but instead he got more than he could handle.

[Grayto]

People need to get off the interviewer. This interview was hilarious. He openly admits he found the material in his book difficult but he tries confront Zizek with enthusiasm and understanding. Did no one find it funny how he was translating Zizeks points into commonplace phrasings and Zizek seemed perfectly fine with this?

Zizek said himself he wrote the book for grandmothers to understand Lacan. The interviewer has the naivety and honesty of a grandmother. Its perfect.

[stickmantan]

@Grayto: he probably seemed "perfectly fine" with the interviewer because he realized, like most of the commenters about this video, that Nolan is clearly a complete fool and that there's really no getting through to him.

[quierover1234]

0:45 "This is the most complicated book that I ever tried to read."

4:38 "Is that on here?"

To understand a book you should read it first. Instead of lie"

LOL: "(as a marxist) If some body tells that Lacan is difficult that is propaganda by the enemy"

[Kidlibra]

Let's go easy on the interviewer. This is actually a fantastic moment between philosopher and a well-meaning interviewer, who is pretty receptive. There is, I think, a genuine connection between the two and thank god the interviewer doesn't go on some rant denouncing Zizek for his beliefs.

If there is any hope for meaningful change in this world, we must have this kind of genuine connection between gifted thinkers and everyone else.

[yiannisz]

the host AND the guy who hired him MUST be executed !...how can such idiots be seen and heard by millions !!!! ...am surprised ZIZEK did not get up and go !!!

[Paul8033]

@yiannisz I am not a philosopher but I found this to be encouraging, there is now value in having a good thought and keeping it to yourself or a group of your peers whom you think might be 'smart' enough to understand it. That is intellectual snobbery at it's worst and is what happens pseudo-intellectuals want to sound deep. I found myself changing my opinion about Zizak, I might even take the trouble to read a bit more of his philosophy, so i say good for the host and his boss!

[cardinalsfreak29]

that interviewer is retarded

[eganbarry]

perfect that he agrees that he's denis leary from slovenia

[KIllakmet]

the interviewer is a retard..like a junkey talking to Obama it doesnt work

[mrccy25]

this is the funniest shit i ve seen on my lcd screen for a while!

[eganbarry]

what a fucking charade

[iComment17]

motherfucker dont know bout my Zizak

[TheEarlOfDublin]

lmaooooo

[mennyus]

zizek just sold a copy to a man with the cognitive abilites of a chimpanzee! now that's good salesman-ship!

[TeflonMaster]

Replace Simon Cowell with Zizek

[felo2107]

"I never thought i would have that much fun talking about a thing like this"

[ri4get]

Im living in Ljubljana, but if I didnt know that Žižek is from Ljubljana then I be thinking that interviewer talk about some other Slovenian city. He said word Ljubljana so not close.

[ViktorW19]

Slavaž Žežek iz Lubdžana! :)

[mrkristoff]

I hate being contrarian, but Zizek does come out with some absolute shit sometimes.. the post modern tolerant father for instance, there are mad little rants like this littered all over his work, when he discusses orientalism and frequently uses popular culture as a means of highlighting arguments: Kung Fu Panda being one of the most hilarious.

I think people fail to realise a lot of the time he's being down right absurd, taking the piss even! Yep thumbs down please.

[P0wd3r]

nitebeat =deadbeat haha

[joumiet]

totally off topic, but imagine zizek making a manuscript for a movie, which would be directed by terry gilliam (member of monty python and movie director, as you know)... how can we "force" zizek to do it... masters of absurd humour in co-operation...

[laxman9677]

i love zizek's final remark

[NaboDeb]

the interviewer is such a duche bag..

[TheEruditepolymath]

that's what happens when a chimp interviews a genius

[Ninjalectual]

@TheEruditepolymath I don't see anything here that makes me think "genius." You must be referring to something he's written, which I'm not familiar with,

[liosama]

The interviewer guy is a complete retard

[Jashar1984]

@liosama

ABSOLUTELY :D

[Bobzorq]

@liosama

Yeah but at least hes not bill o'reilly. Imagine the bickering...

[KrisdashPaul]

@liosama He has to be: he is translating Zizek so the average American can follow him.

[paulmacmanusa]

@KrisdashPaul spot on

[EXNinjoslo]

Viva Slovenija ;)

[Bes1987]

I felt like Zizek walked into the wrong interview and said fck it, sat down and started talking.

[BenNCM]

Barry Nolan's a dick! Pass it on.

[Rmahda]

@ 3:59 zizek hates the host for comparing him to Dennis Leary...

[felo2107]

I bet it was the first time he heard that name

[SexyBienie91]

hey ho bin so einsam jemand lust zu chattn oder so

[GabrielsNob]

This is so interesting -

How the idiotic, lightweight american media deals with an intellectual heavyweight.

[telpeath]

Zizek makes me warm on the inside - he is so wonderful and his psychoanalysis is astounding!

[dagstidning]

ZIZEK RULES

[krbrowning]

this is painful to watch

[copyzawa]

What's he saying on

0:40 "but ??? I prefer it the wrong way"

2:58 "Society of consumption, Uuh we ??? and so on"

3:01 "and no ??? no constraints and so on"

4:11 "so called ??? doctrine which"

I'm translating some of Zizek's videos on Youtube. And this one was awful and awfully funny. I wonder what "Dennie Leary " means in this context.

[planetjanet]

"but again I prefer it the wrong way"

"society of consumption. We say 'ooh, we're just consuming today and so on'"

"and no values, no constraints, and so on"

"so-called Colin Powell doctrine which"

yeah, understanding exactly what Zizek is saying definitely takes a little bit of practice :)

[copyzawa]

Thank you very much! Seems that I need more study. His Slovenian accent sounds cool to me Japanese.

[acdcrocks4ever21]

@copyzawa don't worry i'm from slovenia and nobody understands him even here

the only one that understands him is himself

[FritzMilton]

@acdcrocks4ever21 I understand him completely, not one word missed, I'm from South America. I also speak french and german, dont know if that's helped me.

[trnupeti]

@acdcrocks4ever21

you need to speak for yourself then

[jradetzky]

@copyzawa are you translating into redneck English LOL?

[MarxBakuninMe]

I guess it's quite funny that the viewers are more upset with the host than Zizek is himself. We'll be the Super-ego.

[XYZandTime]

Is the Id the host himself?

[erezija]

"You're kind of Dennis Leary from Slovenia!"

"yeah"

"Yeah!"

HAHA

[RationalEmotive]

"...but's let's go on"

[ChurchofMe88]

"trying to live healthy is killing me!"

"Absolutely!"

Best back and forth ever. ftw!

[perhan113]

stupid american journalists.how can such a moron host informative programmes??

[RationalEmotive]

This is circus. Zizek recognizes it and plays along marvelously.

[TheAbysmalDawn]

Damn host, he is so stupid. All of these modern day tv hosts are trying to get into philosophy, and it makes them look retarded. lol......

[IDudessonI]

omg the journalist a genius!

[martinljung]

hahaha...love this interview

[theazza]

the host sounds like a moron. why is he talking so loudly?

Zizek had such little time to talk about his ideas, and the host keeps interupting with his honking voice ....

[Jjazzter]

He also acts like a moron... maybe he is a moron?

[kailsan]

damn. he shouldt interupt him. need to read the book !

[kepler101]

wow they let anyone in mensa. but seriously can u really respect a organization that allows anyone who scores high enough on a internet iq test?

sounds like a club where people gather together to feel special.

[drmurphysjello]

What are you talking about?

[michelangeli23]

1. Barry Nolan seems charming in his upbeat cowboy style!

2. On the contrary, Zizek is particularly well suited to the American fast-food interview format. He is the master of the Marxist sound-bite.

3. Zizek is not hard to understand. His ideas, even in his few more serious books (the ticklish subject, the sublime object ect) are easy to follow, and reasonably simple (and this fact constitutes much of his appeal). Any man on the street is qualified to understand him

[michelangeli23]

4. We have too many little snobs on youtube

[matheme]

5. see rule 4.

[planetjanet]

you're right of course, though I think if this interview were my first exposure to Zizek my reaction would be more one of bewilderment than understanding

[Mangina9000]

@planetjanet

I have watched a lot of his interviews and lectures by this point and I feel that he kind of gets off on bewilderment a little bit. Then, in some cases, he has this amazing clarity. I think what Zizek does is entertain. He definitely has a sense of humor in seeing himself in context with whatever is around him, and the more wrong it is, the more he seems to enjoy himself.

[vesterbrunch]

wow. talk about a mismatch.

[PObserver]

The interviewer was absolutely clueless and had even extended to using the wrong terminology to describe Zizek's work. I cannot understand why anyone would claim that man as a 'good' interviewer.

[kepler101]

for a show that is really meant to little house wives and old ladies i think the interviewer did a good job of elucidating zizek's words.

[PObserver]

Yes, but you can just see the frustration on Zizek's face when he heads toward the wrong interpretation, such as when he just harkens to Lacan. At that point, if that's really the intended audience, he should have kept the explanation of him to Lacan and have that be all there is about "Zizek" the work.

[drmurphysjello]

DENIS LEARY FROM SLOVENIA.

Oh my God. What an insult.

[zemers]

Well Slovenia (EU) is more developed than US average.

[drmurphysjello]

@zemers What I meant to imply by that is that Slavoj is much more intelligent than Denis Leary. Didn't mean to be offensive, my friend.

[ri4get]

Whay an insult, because we living better like you in USA. And because we dont working whole day and we have time to enjoy life?

[drmurphysjello]

@ri4get I meant to imply that Slavoj is MUCH smarter than Denis Leary, dude.

[fractaldog]

i feel that the interviewer is disingenuous in his naivete

[tgaul]

I cannot believe how much i want to destroy that interviewer's face.

[markg713]

Barry Nolan is terrific. I love this interview. You yt goons should get over yourselves.

[paravastha]

I have a new hero!

[lGnossos]

The funniest part is that the interviewer probably walked away from this without feeling embarrassed in the slightest :P

[willwkrueger]

do we even have room for a populist public philosopher? zizek is right, too much 'marx is hard' propoganda from the enemy!

[willwkrueger]

this host is ridiculous~! hahah how imbarrising

[ipalindromei]

the exchange at 3:57 is hilarious

"yeah, fine, denis leary...just let me keep talking"

[19Sully88]

I absolutely admire the passionate, upbeat enthusiasm Americans seem to portray, I think its great. But this Nolan guy, hes a slight step to far and makes me quite glad I live in the negative and bitter UK, where humour is the best answer for everything. God bless America and God bless Zizeck

[jumpnjza2]

Nolan is too fucking stupid for Zizek.

[randylahey123]

Not a great comment, an awful comment. Nolan is a tv host not a philosopher, you are the post-modern problem Zizek talks about. Why so much hate?

[jumpnjza2]

Just being facetious. Relax cuz.

[polishbodybuilder]

randylahay, i think you misunderstand. The above comment does not contain any hate, because he has his right as an intelligent man, to speak of the poor intelligence of some people compared to others. ! ;)

[planetjanet]

It was awfully brave of him to conduct an interview on a topic of which he seems to've had no prior knowledge, and I'm sure Barry Nolan is good at what he does. But due to the extent to which the format is horribly ill-suited to explaining Zizek's ideas, this video is funny to me.

[fuzen1]

It seems like Nolan, through his interjections, is trying to translate Zizek's words for his perceived audience.

[neskuma]

OMG!... he should have been adviced how to pronounce slavoj at least!... it is very close to savoy...

[jingleshady]

I wish the host would shut the fuck up

[zvexevz]

Holy shit this is fucking hilarious!

"Makes Freud sound like a valley girl."

So how does Marx make Hegel sound then?

[planetjanet]

Sane.

[Daartan]

hahaha

[jazzydurkheim]

HAHAHA... great comment...

[justjeshb]

"certain things are going on"... I can understand, he just bridges the 'ng' so it sounds like "goi ngon" a bit

[Heartbeat4]

What did he say? "...that certain things are going -what-...? in 1:10

[dantesh88]

That we need more tolerance, that people no longer believe the era of big... [interrupted by the presenter]

[Heartbeat4]

No, no. in "1:10", just before that, it says: "that certain things are going (¿con?)..." I don't understand that specific word he says.

[MaxSafeheaD]

I don't know if it helps but in another video he mentions the contradiction in 'tolerance.'

It secretly shows you both think there is something wrong with whoever you must tolerate.

For example not many people would say "you must tolerate women" or "you must tolerate blacks."

[GodOnY0utube]

This Nolan guy is a total fuckin moron

[p0lyph0ny]

I love Zizek's expression after Nolan mangles his name at the beginning....

[barnyardfun]

"Strange, because I wrote it so that even your grandmother could understand."

Ha Nolan! Owned!!!!