AnothÂer chapÂter from AmerÂiÂca’s long hisÂtoÂry of inciÂvilÂiÂty. Today, we rewind the videoÂtape to DecemÂber 1971, when Gore Vidal (already known for his teleÂvised spat with William F. BuckÂley) got into a verÂbal brawl with the always merÂcuÂrÂial (and, on this occaÂsion, sauced) novÂelÂist NorÂman MailÂer. What the teleÂviÂsion audiÂence sees is just the tip of the iceÂberg. Back in the greenÂroom, MailÂer actuÂalÂly headÂbutted Vidal, takÂing revenge for a negÂaÂtive review that Vidal pubÂlished in the New York Review of Books that preÂviÂous sumÂmer. (Slate has more on this.) Cavett navÂiÂgatÂed the whole scene rather remarkÂably, as you’ll see. But still, almost 40 years latÂer, he mulls over the difÂfiÂculÂty of this one interÂview (and here again), even though many othÂers (take for examÂple this bit with Sly Stone) were no small chalÂlenge…
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
NorÂman MailÂer & MarÂshall McLuhan Debate the ElecÂtronÂic Age
MailÂer on the Ali-ForeÂman ClasÂsic
who’s the lady???
Janet FlanÂner, the longÂtime Paris corÂreÂsponÂdent for the New YorkÂer.
Thanks, Dan, I too was wonÂderÂing who was the lady. I used to enjoy her New YorkÂer artiÂcles; my father recÂomÂmendÂed them to me. Now that I have been to Paris, myself, I should take anothÂer look at them I think.