A Well Equipped Respondent

In Australia, the story goes, Major General Peter Cosgrove was being interviewed about a Boy Scout Troop that was coming to visit military Headquarters.

FEMALE INTERVIEWER : So, General Cosgrove, what things are you going to teach these young boys when they visit your base?

GENERAL COSGROVE : We're going to teach them climbing, canoeing, archery and shooting.

FEMALE INTERVIEWER : Shooting! That's a bit irresponsible, isn't it?

GENERAL COSGROVE : I don't see why, they'll be properly supervised on the rifle range.

FEMALE INTERVIEWER : Don't you admit that this is a terribly dangerous activity to be teaching children?

GENERAL COSGROVE : I don't see how. We will be teaching them proper rifle discipline before they even touch a firearm.

FEMALE INTERVIEWER : But you're equipping them to become violent killers.

GENERAL COSGROVE: Well, Ma'am, you're equipped to be a prostitute, but you're not one, are
you?

The radio-cast went silent for 46 seconds and when it returned, the interview was over.

_ _ _ _ _

Of course, the story never happened; this joke is pretty old and has various American and British permutations.

But if feels true, doesn't it?

And the reason is feels true is that this really is the quality of thinking we so often see in the media today where prattling interviewers have to fill every moment of every the day with low-cost chatter.  And what is lower cost than a young radio interviewer?  Nothing!
.