Some larry story – The last of ‘Larry King Live’

Say what you will about Larry King — that he’s a shameless softballer, that he’s a selective listener, that he may not always understand whom he’s talking to and what they’re saying — you have to admit the man has stamina. Even as his body seems to shrivel and his concentration appears to wane, he’s been showing up for “Larry King Live,” his five-nights-a-week, hourlong CNN interview program, for 25 years. Much has been made of how difficult it has become for middle-of-the-road, more or less unbiased news and talk programs to compete against the noisy, partisan shoutfests that audiences can’t seem to get enough of. Onetime presidential candidate Ross Perot, who gained political traction thanks in no small part to appearances on “Larry King Live,” remarked that King would “let you finish what you’re saying.” Former President George H.W. If that sounds harsh, it’s not because I’m a (sort of) young person who craves divisive, rapid-fire talking heads on TV (I’m actually repelled by them). But I think the backlash against all that yelling, baiting and deliberate misconstruing of words is leading to a false nostalgia and perhaps too rosy a look at King’s hours (and hours) of interviews. Instead of glorifying the man, let’s simply thank him and wish him well. We owe him no less — and no more.