Predictable: Julian Assange Says He's Launching TV Talk Show

Sly sexy Julian




Jan 24, 10:08 AM (ET)
By RAPHAEL SATTER




LONDON (AP) - You've read his leaks. Now watch his show.

Cyber-transparencyactivist Julian Assange says he's launching a career in television, hostingwhat he's billing as a new brand of talk show built around the theme of"the world tomorrow."


The show's guestshaven't been disclosed, but Assange has promised to give viewers more of whathe's been supplying for years: Controversy.


The WikiLeakssecret-spilling site said in a statement released late Monday that"iconoclasts, visionaries and power insiders" would be brought in sothat Assange could challenge them on their vision of world affairs and"their ideas on how to secure a brighter future."


The world of televisiontalk shows is a new one for the 40-year-old Australian, whose group hasorchestrated the biggest mass-disclosures of secret documents in U.S. history.But the statement argued that Assange was uniquely qualified for the role givenhis past as "a pioneer for a more just world and a victim of politicalrepression."


Ellis Cashmore, anexpert on celebrity culture at England's Staffordshire University, wasn't sosure.


"Assange has got a good,deep voice and agreeable Aussie accent, but he's a slow, deliberate talker andnot especially televisual," Cashmore said in an email. "To be true tohis image, he would have to make his proposed show subversive; and that mightnot appeal to many would-be guests."


WikiLeaks said that theshow would begin airing in mid-March, although how the show will be producedand who will carry it are open questions.



It's not even clearAssange will be free to host the show. He's currently fighting extradition toSweden, where he's wanted over sex crimes allegations, and U.S. officials arestill weighing possible charges linked to his attention-grabbing leaks.


In its statementWikiLeaks referred queries about the series to the hitherto obscure Quick RollProductions, whose website carried no indication of where the group was basedor who was managing it. An online records search indicated that Quick Roll'ssite was created about two weeks ago.


Neither Quick Roll norWikiLeaks returned emails seeking further details on their project.



NOTE:  


Could anything be more predictable, Really?  Isn’t television – Newton Minow’s “vast wasteland”– the eventual kitchen and burial ground for everything under the sun and moon?  I mean, if Al Sharpton can host a talk show, whynot miscreant-of-a-feather Julian Assange?  

I remember vividly visiting, cap in hand, the personnel offices ofthe Big 3 television networks on 6^th Avenue in Manhattan in the fallof 1975,  filling out tedious employmentforms in my bad handwriting and attesting to my words-per minute typing skillsand the fact that I didn’t have a criminal record.  Like today (but not nearly as dire), that wasconsidered a difficult time for recent college graduates to find a job.  Apparently only clerk-typists and messengersneed to have clean records. Aspiring hosts like “cyber-transparency activist”Julian Assange require more colorful calling cards.   

 If I were Bill Maher and Ed Schulz, I’d be shaking in my loafers.  Someone new is gunning for the “mostunpleasant face on tv” title and he’s a real blonde.  Bonne chance, Julian.  And good luck withthat pending Swedish legal matter.  Asyou said, I’m sure you were framed.




TheKinks: Predictable (video link)

Cute “kicky” Julian