Real Talk 29th September 2023 by Aoife CodyKane

People Are Tiring Of The ‘Uninterested Interviewer’ Bit – And I’m With Them

This shtick is getting old.

Image via Instagram, @ameliadimz

Interviewing is a tough skill.

You have to be quick on the mark, ready for unpredictable twists, good at leading and probing, entertaining, inquisitive, persistent – pushy, even; all while keeping the interviewee on your side. It’s a talent!

We’ve seen this from well-versed interviewers dozens of times; their different styles and abilities allowing them to show us a new side to the person in the hot seat.

There’s Graham Norton, whose quick wit and charm sees celebrities relax and get a little playful, or Louis Theroux, with his subtle skill of getting under a person’s skin until they accidentally reveal their true disposition.

Oprah Winfrey’s intensity makes people open up; Drew Barrymore’s empathy encourages them to grow emotional; Conan O’Brien’s quirkiness gets them giddy. We watch it, we enjoy it, we know the process. After a while, maybe we need something a little different.

It makes sense that a new wave of interviewers would eventually appear; one that would subvert what we’ve come to expect.

I’m not talking about Sean Evans on Hot Ones, or the puppy interviews done by Buzzfeed.

I’m talking about a new kind of host altogether. A host who has the Gen Z disillusionment and desire for satire on lock.

The ‘Uninterested’ Interviewer.

Let this not be confused with the disinterested interviewer; they’re certainly not disinterested. The uninterested interviewer relies on the success of their investment in the person before them. But their bit is all about acting as though they aren’t invested at all. They play the part of someone who simply doesn’t care. Someone a little bored, a little awkward, a little unfeeling. Someone like…Amelia Dimoldenberg.

 

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A post shared by Chicken Shop Date (@chickenshopdate)

Amelia is a 29 year old Londoner who grew to worldwide recognition after her YouTube show, Chicken Shop Date, gained massive popularity. She’s the face of this new genre of interview, and it’s serving her well.

The format of Chicken Shop Date is as follows. Amelia invites a famous person to have a date with her in a Chicken Shop. Throughout their interaction, Amelia attempts to make her date feel awkward; uncomfortable even. She asks blunt, facetious questions, gives childish answers, and plays the role of a narcissistic teenager who couldn’t really care less what you have to say, unless of course she fancies you.

Even without her act, it’s surreal to have a glamorous celebrity sitting in a dingy fast food location at the side of some random English street. There’s a lightheartedness that makes it work, and you can’t help but feel disarmed.

Amelia’s unique, tongue-in-cheek style of interviewing in a comedic setting is what got her noticed. And initially, everyone – myself included – found it refreshing.

 

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A post shared by Amelia Dimoldenberg (@ameliadimz)

Then, something changed. Amelia took her niche out of the Chicken Shop, and onto the red carpet. Here, fans began to question her stilted style of questioning, particularly because she came across as more rude than cheeky to the celebrities who didn’t know her from before. Which is awkward, and not really in a good way.

Still, Amelia persevered. And while this shift to a more high profile approach was occurring, her unintended protégées began to appear out of the woodwork.

Enter; Bobbi Althoff.

Bobbi, you could say, is America’s answer to Amelia; although Amelia had well broken the American market by the time Bobbi first blew up.

She’s a 26 year old who attended high school in South California, and she made headlines this summer when Drake invited her to interview him, in his bed, after finding her deadpan TikTok humour enjoyable.

 

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A post shared by Bobbi Althoff (@bobbialthoff)

Bobbi has a similar disposition to Amelia; she’s awkward, appears vaguely bored, and of course – uninterested. She does take a little more of a sullen approach, and gives even less to her interviewees than her Chicken Shop predecessor.

However, this angsty edge she’s bringing to the table isn’t elevating her in the same way that Amelia’s more mischievous approach did.

Instead, people are suddenly finding this uninterested interviewing, well, annoying. In fact, they’re finding it kind of insulting. And unfortunately, I have to agree.

The thing about interviewing celebrities is that it’s generally a pretty privileged position to be in. You’re put in front of someone who people all over the world are desperate to know more about; and you’re the trusted host who’ll be extracting that information.

People work hard – really hard – to secure these opportunities. When they get them; they use those aforementioned, fine-tuned skills they’ve acquired to procure the best interview possible. There’s meaningful questions, careful approaches, masterful side stepping and deflecting and calling back and reaching deep.

The uninterested interviewer does none of these things. They play a relatively easy role that produces a laugh, for sure – but not much beyond that. Of course, not every interview needs to be profound, but some depth is necessary after a point.

Take, again, Graham Norton. His interviews are light, breezy and silly – but you still come away feeling like you know his subjects a little better; like you’ve been a part of something. Not only that, you see Graham’s gratitude for his position. He delights in what he’s able to do, he takes pride in his guests.

The uninterested interviewer also takes pride in their guests, but in a different way. Their demeanour makes their connection with the interviewee a little less sincere; a little more transactional. It’s hard for me not to find it all a bit distasteful.

Whether you like it or not, it seems the general public are losing interest in the gimmick overall. A collective disinterest has been developing slowly over social media in recent weeks, with people pointing out that there are journalists out there clamouring for these chances – who would approach those interviews with a lot more heart!

So, it looks like the era of the uninterested interview is coming to a close.

Now I’m off to watch Lorde not bat an eyelid while eating the hottest chicken wing ever.

Some gimmicks just work!

 

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