Transcript: An Ode to Bob Newhart

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That is Rob Lengthy with Martini Shot for The Ankler.

I’ve a pal who has been in politics for the reason that nineties, and he tells the story of certainly one of his bosses, early in his profession, who refused to listen to something for the primary time. In fact, there have been instances that one thing could be information to him — some piece of political gossip, some nugget of insider data — however he didn’t need anybody ever to assume he was a step behind something, so each time he heard one thing that was the truth is information to him, as an alternative of claiming the conventional factor, like, “Oh, wow, that’s wild,” he’d nod, with a mildly expression on his face, and say, “Oh, is that out?”

Which means: I knew this all alongside, method earlier than you knew it, as a result of I do know issues method earlier than you do, and I’m merely stunned that this outdated piece of stories — to me — is now public data.

His staffers — amongst whom was my outdated pal — picked up on this behavior ultimately, after which started concocting, out of nothing, increasingly outlandish items of gossip and inside dope which they’d ship to their boss, simply to make him indicate that he knew all of it alongside.  

They received him to say, “Oh, is that out?” to some fairly outlandish issues, because it turned out.

And I considered this story final week, once I heard that the good American comic, Bob Newhart, had died at 94.