Harlan Ellison Interview, Part 1

[tylerdurden3891]

It's amazing to see his thoughts on tv and shows from that time that are now considered "classic". Wonder what his thoughts are on reality shows.

[johnnysbubbletop63]

Thanks to the rise of pain killers & self-defense, violence's being rendered more & more obsolete... except for cold-blooded murder. Then it's all-over w/, & we don't have to fool w/ it anymore. We're done--flogging the dead horse!

[LightningChimp]

Thanks a lot for uploading this, Harlan is one of those guys who is everywhere yet somehow also hard to find. Probably how he wants it. I like that he looked like Steve Dallas from Bloom County in the 70's, but then I guess a lot of people did.

[posthumanhero]

he looks much different in the earlier interview on youtube.....tan complexion, round head, hippy clothes.....even a much different way of speaking......... weird.

[gooyzit]

"I don't think televsion at all and anything to do with ending the vietnam war."

As smart as a man Ellison said that is the dumbest thing he ever said.

[IamNotTheMoon]

@gooyzit Harlan's right. If television helped end the war, then why did the war drag on so long? In fact, I'm not so sure the peace movement helped end the war--as far as I could tell, it stirred up a backlash against liberalism which got Nixon re-elected and further polarized the country.

[gooyzit]

regular involement lasted roughly 8 years. If the general american public didn't see things like the Tet Offensive and the Me-ly Massacare then regular involment would be 16 years

[CDBBryan]

@gooyzit

I agree. I've seen Vietnam military officers interviewed, who said that if World War II were fought every night on television, as the Vietnam war was, we would have lost that war too.

Does anyone believe that no civilians were killed in northern France or Germany? In a battlefield where hesitating means you die, despite best efforts, civilians are killed or fellow soldiers are killed by friendly fire. And editorializing to the hilt by anti-war media definitely had its effect.

[powergirl901]

Hey Harlan,

I hate my sister too! She is pretty loathesome, but I either accept her, or

just hate her until I die, much like the story, "I have no mouth..."

[luv2bud]

Horrible sound quality at extremely low volume. I can't make out anything the interviewer says. Fortunately, Harlan's strident voice is sometimes intelligible. Would you please re-post this at an audible volume?

[AudioVisualMatter]

I've never seen Harlan this calm!

[matveh]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who recognized "Pepperland" from Yellow Submarine.

[filker0]

Harlan was, if anything, very subdued in this interview. I've met the man several times, and spent some time talking to him about various topics. He's a brilliant author, but he's continuously angry, and here he simply intense.

[Onlymusical]

Wish I could hear this video. The volume's just too low.

[Omtmy]

The interviewer isn't as witty or quick as Ellison; he's actually fairly slow. He doesn't capitalize on the opportunity he was given.

[FlowerMoonBeamUnit]

He's ugly as hell. That's why he's angry.

[powergirl901]

@FlowerMoonBeamUnit He's been married at least four times, (that I know of) so his attraction to women

certainly isn't a problem. Also he's dated all the required bimbos running around Hollywood. Wish I could be him for just five minutes.

[gooyzit]

@FlowerMoonBeamUnit and short too,

[Bizdet]

THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE TELEVISED

[orlandothx]

men.. this person is a living leyend..who rub shoulders with isaac asimov..Ray Bradbury among otheres.. you americans must be proud about him. Cheers!

[Web1234512345]

I just had a thought... has he ever spoken out about reality TV shows? I bet if you asked him about it he'd go onto a full blown rant for 45 minutes...

I know I would...

[darramouss]

If people had thought like him in the 1970's the world would be a smarter place.

[Alexsy82]

i think television has changed enormously for the better, but his points are well taken.

[ToxicWastoid]

Re: gruesome war footage. I have seen horribly mangled corpses in the series THE WORLD AT WAR, MEMORY OF THE CAMPS, THE WAR (2008), and in WORLD WAR II: LOST FILMS (2009?). Producers of the aforementioned war documenataries have not flinched. Iraq / Afghan war footage at the same level? Still waiting...

[SammyBoyEEE]

Is it just me or was this recorded at very low volume?

[gilgamess]

Listening to the theme song, I expected this interview to be held in Pepperland! It's from "Yellow Submarine", just before the Blue Meanies attack. Thank you for posting this.

[KentAllard]

couldn't have gone on 30-40 years ago?

What about the Philippine-American War?

[CupisHomines]

@KentAllard that was well before television

[JamesTKirkCobain]

That intro music they are playing is from the movie Yellow submarine. What is that all about?

[legalman1980]

Harlan Ellison, like the late Norman Mailer, is and always was a pretentious and rude individual. He holds grudges against Star Trek, hates to be called a writer of Science Fiction, and comes off as a know-it-all.

He writes great stuff but is very pompous.

[andrewtheman19]

I love Ellison, but I have to disagree with him a bit on the effect of TV regarding Nam: I'm 21, but I've heard that back then they showed the dead bodies of our soldiers on TV.

Have we seen dead soldiers on TV in Iraq? NO. The government learned from its past mistakes...

[Crazydog7]

The best part was when he was talking about the humanity of Robert Blake.

[THEFRANKLINFILM]

so Ellison thinks TV was invented for literary adaptations? What about the Wire, Edge of Darkness et al.

[mwells219]

now that i've seen this, i'm going to write a tv adaption of kafka's the trial.

[KentAllard]

Orson Welles filmed it in 1960, dont bother.

[foureyes2001]

I include "hateful and self-righteous" in the category of "stupid".

[MickieJamesismyslave]

Well, Harlan is self righteous and hateful.

[foureyes2001]

I guess I have to ammend my own criteria. Yes, he is self-righteous, and a hater, clearly. But I think what he hates is worth hating, and what he's self-righteous about is worth defending. The fact is, its easier to be a big dummy in this life, and question and critique nothing, than it is to be smart and see clearly. But there are hazards to intelligence, clearly. It's good to see him in his prime - at his best I think. He really starts losing later on, which is sad and pathetic, I agree.

[marconi451]

Harlan is a genius writer. Period. All else is secondary...

[MustBe18YearsOrOlder]

Ironic because you're being hateful and self-righteous.

[MickieJamesismyslave]

How's Ellison's autobiography coming along? I believe he was going to call it 'Working Without a Net'. I see no listings or release dates on Amazon.

[MickieJamesismyslave]

I see someone took the time to denigrate my perfectly reasonable question about the progress of Ellison's autobiography, but couldn't be bothered to actually answer said question.

[JoyGrenade]

God, I love that man. What a genius. We need more like him around.

[MickieJamesismyslave]

NO, one is enough!

[gaozhi2007]

@JoyGrenade

because we don't have enough out-spoken assholes in America.

[CastleRockFan]

@gaozhi2007 Mindless.

[CastleRockFan]

@gaozhi2007 If you think this guy is an "out-spoken asshole", then you've never BEEN to America.

[foureyes2001]

He is every good writer I've ever met! The iritable intelligence that is perpetually frusterated by the stupidity of the world, but so sincere, smart and passionate. Love it! Thanks for posting.

[MickieJamesismyslave]

Yeah, we get it. He's brilliant and we're all racing to catch up with his godlike intellect.  But you know, I think I can suffer a stupid person more than I can a hateful, self righteous one.

[Almuric7]

Some Genius stuff from Harlan, but I'd love to hear if he's changed his view about TV bringing about the end of the Vietnamese War: given the fact all wars after have been more "hidden" and given the uproar to the troop photographs in Iraq"2"...

[Elric33239]

I don't believe that TV brought about the end of the Vietnam War. The Vietcong brought about its end and TV was just giving play-by-play coverage as it always does! That's what Harlan said back in 1968 AND HE'S STILL SAYING IT! "TV doesn't suck. IT IS SUCKED!"

[misterX1964]

This is priceless!! Thanks so much for posting this!! I've seen Harlan on television a couple of times...there's more videos out there...I hope they surface soon!!

[gooyzit]

Somebody do it then, Harlan's life would make an interesting movie

[eLKeATyt]

Harlan's life *is* a movie. Just Google "Dreams with Sharp Teeth"

[gooyzit]

and there isn't a distruptor for it.

[allenchampagne]

I can only imagine how many studios he trashes in it. WB sure won't be the distributing it.

[Helke23]

"Dreams with Sharp Teeth" is slated for release on DVD on 26 May 09. New Video Group is the distributor. Can't wait to see it myself.

[SteveTheMeek]

a genius.