Why Rose Rules

Once most figures have reached a certain level of prominence and prestige, it often seems that they stop trying to do their job. Talk show host Larry King, for example, called Ringo Starr “George” when he interviewed the remaining Beatles members this summer. \nKing somehow still maintains his ego, however. During a Democratic debate aired on CNN last summer, he was caught on camera asking why Anderson Cooper received more air time for his panel than he did. \nOnce you make it to the top, it can often be hard to keep trying to do better. But judging from his lecture this past Sunday at the IU Auditorium, this was certainly not the case with Charlie Rose.\nHe has hosted his self-titled PBS program since 1979, and has interviewed everyone from Shaquille O’Neal to Sean Penn to Saudi Prince and Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal. During his lecture on Sunday, Rose said journalist Bob Woodward once told him that he thinks Rose truly picks his brain when interviewing him.\nUnlike Woodward, who also spoke at the IU Auditorium this school year, Rose had a greater sense of connecting the past with the future. He also spoke with more fervor on topics as widespread as the individuals he interviews — from the art of Frank Gehry to the intricacies of the current U.S. presidential election. While Woodward’s speech was concise and organized, akin to a clean-cut newspaper article, it would probably not differ from any other lecture he would have given in 2007.\nRose, on the other hand, cited newspaper stories he had read within days, as well as a conversation he had earlier with an IU dean. \nRose was also the perfect individual to conclude IU’s ArtsWeek.\nWhat really impressed me was his ability to show how art reflects a nation’s given state, and he also stressed the importance of art in politics and the media. The world of arts and politics are often too isolated, and I am too often encountered with individuals on campus who are only interested in one or the other. \nEither political buffs believe that nothing is as important as our nation’s government, or art enthusiasts believe they can provide nothing to affairs of the state. \nIt is people like Rose who are capable of providing a cohesive understanding of arts and politics in his talk show and in his lectures. This can only further educate our masses. Rose did not boast of his high intellect on various topics, but he cited the people and sources he obtained his knowledge from gladly. \nIf you missed out on Rose’s lecture this past Sunday, his show has a wonderful way of surprising you in the wee hours of the morning. He was even referenced on the former teenage dramedy “The OC”, when Seth Cohen suggested what was perceived as a cradle-robbing affair might be something more innocuous: “Maybe they’re not having sex. Maybe they just go to spoon and watch Charlie Rose.”