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7 Things Larry King Should Have Asked
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Larry King’s interview Wednesday night with Dr. Arnold Klein raised as many questions as it answered. The Daily Beast’s Gerald Posner points out some holes in Klein’s answers, and suggests how they could be filled.
Larry King spent nearly an hour in a live interview Wednesday night with Dr. Arnold Klein, a rare opportunity to quiz Michael Jackson’s dermatologist, who is at the center of questions about Jackson’s early use of prescription painkillers that may have kicked off his drug addiction. But King allowed Dr. Klein—who said at one point that “I want this [interview] to be as truthful as possible”—to dodge some core issues about whether he was Jackson’s initial enabling prescriber. Here are some matters on which King could have asked tougher questions that might have cleared the record.
1. THE Q&A: When King asked Klein how he met Jackson, Klein said, “I met Michael because somebody brought him into the office…a very close friend had told him to come see me.”
THE MISSING FOLLOW-UP: Who? I have written in the past day that Liz Taylor’s own simultaneous drug and alcohol battles in the mid- to late 1980s were a bad influence on Jackson, and the two stars and close friends had Klein as their doctor. Was it Taylor who introduced the pop star?
2. THE Q&A: At one point Dr. Klein said Jackson “was exquisitely sensitive to pain,” and at another time, when discussing surgical procedures done to the pop star’s scalp, Klein said “it was really painful” for Jackson.
THE MISSING FOLLOW-UP: Doesn’t this mean he was more likely to use prescription pain pills than other patients who did not have such sensitivity or undergo similar cosmetic procedures?
3. THE Q&A: When asked about reports that Jackson’s body was riddled with needle marks, Klein said that when he saw Jackson three days before his death, “I never saw needle marks on his body—I never saw them that I could tell you—I didn’t see a riddling of anything.”
THE MISSING FOLLOW-UP: Did you ever see needle marks on his arms? When was the last time you examined his arms?
4. THE Q&A: Klein told King that he had “used sedatives when [Jackson] had surgical procedures,” and “I occasionally gave him Demerol to sedate him. That was about the strongest medicine I ever used.”
THE MISSING FOLLOW-UP: How did you prescribe that, by pill, syrup, or injection? What do you mean by “about the strongest medicine”? What other narcotic pain relievers did you ever prescribe for Jackson?
5. THE Q&A: In response to a question about which prescriptions he wrote for Jackson, Klein said only, “If you took all the pills I gave him the last year at once, it wouldn’t do anything to you.”
THE MISSING FOLLOW-UP: What about the previous 19 years you knew him? What about the allegations that you prescribed heavier drugs in the early years of your doctor-patient relationship, and did you ever authorize Debbie Rowe to deliver drugs to Jackson and/or to administer injectables to him at his house?
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whatsnew
Well, I see this frequently in Larry King interviews. Larry doesn't seem to be a very good listener. He asks a question, then the person is lucky if they get to finish their answer because he cuts them off and then he's off on the next question. It beats me why people seem to want to be interviewed by him anyway. He doesn't seem to show much empathy either on sensitive issues. I don't want to be mean spirited or anything. He seems nice but he needs to practice listening.
Kmoney
yeah, it drives me crazy how he cuts people when interviewing. very annoying.
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n--Y--charles116denkirkab
thank you! Everyone talks about his great rep as an interviewer, so I was wondering if I was the only one. There are times when it seems like he is not even looking directly at the person he is interviewing and he seems to get bored often with their answers and his follow ups . . . . well, there aren't any really. He seems to just work through his list of questions and doesn't seem to let the interview to anywhere interesting based on the answers he is getting. Thought it was just me.
susangalea
There have been so many stunningly 'soft' interviews by Larry King in the past couple of years that are disappointing and frustrating when we are left feeling nothing new or other than superficially platitudinous has been learnt. Used to respect Larry's softly, softly approach with politicians but feel he is now not up to par and should retire gracefully. It is really self -parody most of the time now. Sad.
pclayton
Do you really think anyone would agree to be interviewed by King if he asked tough questions that might possibly incriminate them? Nothing Klein said surprised me; he was all about defending a junkie whom he aided and abetted, no matter how often he reitereated that MJ was a "nice, good person." All in all, the interview was a farce.
idicula1979
Larry is a hack, it used to be he would get great guest on because of his soft interview but now not even that. Give me a Charlie Rose or even a Tavis Smiley, but King is past his prime except during presidential season and even then that to is because of CNN great pull.
deathbychocolate
King is so past it. I never watch his show anymore.
susangalea
Frankly, King's interviews of Jackson's brother and the whole show from Neverland was toe-curlingly obsequious and he was saccharinely enthusiastic about peculiar things and didn't seem to be listening half the time .My children are always laughing at the way he interrupts and talks over his guests nowadays, and as a result,he quite often misses the point. Cringe.
writerblock
I agree. King's show is one painful cringe moment after another for viewers interested in substance, not pap. I was disappointed the other evening when he had an AEG executive on the show (free commercial) and never bothered to ask him about whether the group should contribute to the multi-million dollar bill LA taxpayers are getting for the memorial. This is a current controversy and any competent interviewer would have asked if AEG thought it was OK to film the show and sell it later, without reimbursing the city and state for some of the costs. Jeez.
Nuld001
Soft interview indeed by Larry King. Gerald Posner should be Mr. King's replacement (if he wants to do that). Dr. Klein needs to provide more" 'splainin" and clarification to his anwers. With Mr. Posner's lawyerly and investigative skills, as well as thoroughness and preparation, there wouldn't be any soft ball questions lobbed. Dr. Klein's interview - although genuine in appearances - leaves more questions that need answers. Mr. Posner has pointed the major ones out.
Southpaw
If Larry King started asking the tough questions to celebrities and their hangers-on, he'd soon run out of guests.
Veronicaxy
Exactly. The fact so many people commenting here that don't like his style are still watching him is a testimony to his ability to pull in the big names. And there'd be no way they'd do it if he pressed on real answers.
RosanaDana
I am amazed that Dr Klein would agree to be interviewed at all.
Assumed that a physician wouldn't speak publicly about his patient's diagnosis, treatment and drug use. Furthermore, this action appears contrary to the Hippocratic oath and the strictly enforced HIPA laws? Klein's comments on being the possible sperm donor were blatantly inappropriate and showed a total lack of respect for MJ and, more importantly, an absence of compassion for MJ's three young children!
Klein appears to be just another 'hanger-on' in the Jackson saga and is likely looking for a book deal like the rest. It is now easier to understand the secrecy MJ imposed regarding his children, given unseemly characters like Klein and the paparozzi. May God bless those three children.
Johnnorth
Posner is a real journalist, that's the difference. He has been away ahead on this story.
Claussett
I have learned more from the Daily Beast and Posner's coverage than anywhere else. But the mainstream media still doesn't go after the hard stories. I agree with Southpaw that if King and others really asked hard questions, the stars wouldn't go on the show. They are safe with softballs. Keep it up on this site.
kellabeck
Dr. Klein when asked if he was the sperm donor of the first two Jackson children, said "Not that I know of." He appeared shifty-eyed and to be lying.
I haven't watched the LKL interview yet, but the transcribed portion here looks like more of the same.
Larry's stock in trade is puffballs.
pclayton
Any physician who would donate sperm to a man like MJ is as much of a money monger as Jackson and his family. Klein lacks good judgment, to say the least, and he had a faulty assessment of this particular patient. Obviously, this was so much more than a doctor/patient relationship: a doctor gives away his "potential babies" to a man he that he knew had a lifetime addiction to pain killers? Where is his sense of responsiblity? What kind of parent does a junkie make? Is money all one needs to be a parent? Is the thought here that it's okay if a rich singer/dancer purchases children from willing donors (Rowe & Klein) because they knew he had a staff to "fill in" when daddy has nodded out? Is Klein also the "self educated" fertility doctor who implanted Nadia Sueleman with octuplets? No wonder California is going down the tubes: funerals and birth-defective infants that cost millions will do it every time.l
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n--Y--charles116TREESKE
To say the least that Dr. was all but truthful and quite disturbing to watch. After awhile had to change the channel!
katiewon
Larry King is a terrible interviewer and I never understood his popularity. He has a list of questions prepared and just rattles them off without regard for the answers! Ugghhh. Retire already.
This Dr. lied by omission and most journalists are too lazy or stupid to work that. A good interviewer could see the Dr.'s dance and would have follow up questions to get to the truth. Like a good detective or lawyer. Even Dr. Phil would have torn this guy apart. LOL
cactusflower
Righton katiewon. Why are the network moguls roped into offering these long-term contracts? Don't they have lawyers smart enuf to invent loopholes? I only watch when Joy Behar fills in. She has the cajones Larry never exhibits.
Cactusflower
Tiffany13
I always check to see who Larry has as a guest, but I get soo frustrated with his grimaces and moving his dentures around and his senility - I do wish they would replace him. He never appealed to me from the beginning - I would love to see Bill Maher in his place.
luckyone
Sometimes he calls his guests by the wrong name, hehehehe He is probably on drugs too.
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n--Y--charles116Uncommonsense
She did not just leave him. They were out to dinner together the other night.
joymars
What is new here? Larry King never is hard hitting, to say the least.
He always makes me squirm he's such a shallow interviewer. He just sets up tabloid type headlines as questions and lets it roll.
And exactly when it DOES get interesting, he's on the another less interesting question. I've thought that he does this on purpose, that it's his and CNN's policy or something.
Thank you.
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