William Buckley Interviews Norman Mailer on Firing Line (1968) Part 5

[@yahudiprince]

politics aside both these men are marvelous intellects, unlike most of the commentators here

[@brittanyrodin932]

"Just the point of view to say all wars are bad, then you end up with nothing but a bunch of passivist and vegetarians. And I think that life is more active than that." Mailer around 4:05. I really appreciate how these intelligent men are able to put into words the frustrations in my head.

[@goback3spaces]

Curious. "Armies of the Night," winner of all sorts of literary awards, is virtually unreadable.

[@willmccormick947]

Buckley annihilates him the longer this goes. It is also perversely interesting to watch Buckley defend Johnson against a liberal and do it well.

[@lsobrien]

He really doesn't. You obviously know nothing about that war in Indochina.

[@davidgrace2951]

+Luke O'Brien WFB destroys Mailer on Cuba. Mailer simply was inept on the facts.

[@pugay69]

0:30 "extirpolated" spoken like a true man of letters.

[@alabaster30]

Buckley echos charm with ease. Mailer snarls.

[@FukCommando]

watch him interview noam chomsky, a real left winger

[@zenvagabond]

Mailer getting schooled on the facts by Buckley ...

[@fidellse]

@Myndir Yes, he did not explicitly say that. I extrapolated my statement from Buckley’s by putting it into a historical context. If poor Germans did not protest against Hitler, it did not mean that Hitler’s rule was legitimate. You are unnecessarily exhibiting your ignorance without understanding things in their proper context.

[@tomato1040]

It's true, Norman; 🍖 meat 🥓 eaters go to war 🚀 & vegetarians stay in Peace 🕊️. Give peas🫛a chance!

[@Rahab111222]

Fair Play for Cuba committee members included Lee Harvey Oswald, Communist assassin. Mailer sure knows how to pick 'em.

[@SweetSweetWaldo]

I'm a man of letters. Four at a time.

[@1squeamishneophyte]

MAN WILLI B. AIN'T ALWAYS WRONG NIGGA HE SOMETIME RIGHT

[@phunkymonkiee]

norman mailer was born in america and yet his accent is irish? wut?

[@phunkymonkiee]

@Joseph Norm there is obvious irish influence in his accent. Get your head checked.

[@turquoise770]

now you know i weren't talkin bout willi b, i jes made a typin mistake

[@lancebeckman5549]

Buckley just dismantled Mailer during the final two minutes or so of this clip, and did so with ease and charm. What's perhaps even more impressive is that he managed to keep the debate civil and friendly in tone.

[@CornCod1]

Buckley was pro-Vietnam but people often forget he was against the first Gulf War (I don't think he was alive for the 2nd). The Neo-cons, in response said some nasty things and called him senile. Rather ungracious since Buckley promoted their careers in the 70's.

[@Myndir]

@fidellse No, you have still not listened to him. When did he say that Batista was legitimate?

[@WintersWar]

punctilious.

[@bradsizemore3333]

"hobgoblinize"

[@youfatstinkypoo]

Mailer may have written immaculately - I wouldn't know - but in this interview was shown up. Buckley seems at times embarrassed by the poverty of the debate, the line "let's rescue this from banality" best sums up his approach.

[@peterhelbich3334]

buckley pupil of the Austria schhool of economics

[@MyEnemy]

Youch. Ha Ha Ha "The point I'd like to get back to..."

[@curtiskretzer8898]

the point on his knobby alcohol addled noggin...Mailer hard 2 stay on subject

[@Manx123]

This is probably Buckley at his most trenchant, most persuasive, and most intellectually dominating. That's not saying much.

[@maceoden]

OK, but Mailer is a true artist, and he is not only a poet, an "empty poet" as somebody claims below, but a philosopher.Check out (once again) the white negro, is a short essay and is better in fact than the armis of the night.He is not as brilliant when he talks.He is like a child.

[@tomthefunky]

Holy shit. Buckley obliterates him at the end.

[@GrootsieTheDog]

I'll give you that. But that was after Mailer obliterated Buckley's intellect for the other 40 minutes before that. In all seriousness, I see this as a great example of two wonderfully intelligent men who can have a civilized debate and exchange of ideas. Something the right wing today is incapable of unfortunately.

[@tomthefunky]

***** Really? it's only the right wing who is incapable of civilized debate? Then can you explain why Ann Coulter and David Horowitz need a team of security guards at their college appearances? And there is not one conservative intellectual "incapable of civilized debate", pal. You can't name one.

[@david-pb4bi]

@@tomthefunky no such thing as a conservative intellectual

[@youfatstinkypoo]

Grammatical error from Buckley - "A hell of a lot preferable". Come on Bill.

[@Myndir]

@fidellse He said nothing of the sort and you're smart enough to know that. Listen again.

[@pumkinpi2]

Mailer suggests that Johnston is repellent for the unintended consequences of a war, where as Castro is admirable in spite of the intended consequences of his rule.

[@sixtiksix]

Buckley really lances the boil here.....

[@jonbryn4]

Schoolboy gamesmanship,

[@wolfwilliams]

At 3:32, a pissed-off Mailer adopts the posture he did when he was angry on the Cavett show, leaning into Gore Vidal. Mailer got smacked around in this segment, realized it mid-smack, and didn't like it. Wonderful TV.... And sorry, Norman. As much as I enjoyed your life and work, anything admirable about Castro went out the window as soon as he got in power. He's an insecure murderer, and stacked his regime with like-minded "revolutionaries." Shame on you, Norman.

[@alliant]

gene hackman gene hackman

[@maceoden]

Totally agree, Buckley destroys him in the last part and Mailer doen`t even bother to argue.Mailer melodrama, that`s good!!! But Mailer indeed is a geat writer.He is not as good as he thinks in this territory, isaw Vidal beatin him as well in another clip.

[@Aaronthegreatest]

Buckley starts destroying Mailer in this segment. I have to say that I can't help but admire the host's debating skill and poise, even though I don't agree with his politics. Norman Mailer, on the other hand, I just lost a lot of respect for.

[@goback3spaces]

Do you feel tardy?

[@johnjohnson68510]

3:42, great disgust lips by Mailer, using agner again at Buckely, who had just shown him up.

[@christopherdennis4280]

Buckely clearly is exposed as the pseudo-intellectual that he was. Mailer is delightfully running circles around Buckely. Mailer can barely restrain himself from doubling over and rolling around on the floor in laughter.

[@charlespeterson3798]

I, having lived through big part of Mailer's career, am amazed at how irrelevant he seems now. A writer with a style that makes Hemingway seem a towering thinker and philosopher. I do not miss either.

[@zootsoot2006]

They should resurrect Firing Line with Douglas Murray or Jordan Peterson in Buckley's place.

[@jshaers96]

Buckley had a peculiar charm that those two signally lack.

[@johnjohnson68510]

2:16, Buckley's fingers both drawn and aimed, and then a few seconds later leaning forward, dropping Mailer to the mat. And how odd, Buckley defending LBJ!

[@loveandpeace1985]

Mailer was sooo arrogant, u can hear it drippin from his voice

[@turquoise770]

oh what an opportunity to turn a typographical error into a racist stereotype--it was a little bit funny, but i don't want you to do that in the future, ok?

[@fidellse]

Buckley’s argument supports Fascism. He accepts that Batista was a despot, but since the lower class people did not protest against his rule, he had the right to remain as a despot. Apply the same logic to Hitler and you will realize how bizarre Buckley's argument is.

[@johnjohnson68510]

He said he detested Batista.

[@weightoftheworld406]

Buckley getting schooled by Mailer

[@Dealit707]

Mailers innane interview ramblings are tedious and intellectually boring. Example: "All US wars were for image". To watch Mailer trying to match Buckley's intellect, is like watching a boxer, that's hopelessly outmatched, just trying to servive and save face. It is entertaining.

[@Dealit707]

Watching Mailer, being your garden variety liberal, i.e. a fountainhead of asinine generalizations and zero common sense or logic, trying to match wits with the great William Buckley, is hilarious.