Why are coppers so wooden?

[sparkythecat]

Whenever there's a newsworthy incident involving an interview with Plod, why do they trot out their most inarticulate and wooden performers? Many appear unable to string a sentence together without woodenly reading it, word by word.

For instance, the chap who gave the latest update on the Shropshire millionaire arson enquiry, on tonight's news gave a particularly appalling performance.

Why is this?

Are they frightened that if they don't laboriously read from a script that they might inadvertently drift off message, and blurt out darkie or puff?

[outlaw biker]

They should hire actors. Al Pacino, Robert De Niro?

[anonymous-user]

Those are the most articulate and flexible they have available, not the least.

[satchbot]

It's because a boss is doing the press update and not a disgruntled PC

[The Ben]

perhaps they are trying to remember not to give oyu too much detail,m just what they want you to know and thinking and talking is too much for the cozzers...

Agreed must be hard ot talk into camera if your not used ot it, plus not everyone can go infron tof the camera and look natural, hence I guess they have trial runs before filming actors etc...

[Old Geezer]

Bring Back Jack Regan and the Sweeney.
Proper Coppers!

Link for you if you never got the chance to watch it first time round!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sweeney
Its on cable somewher!


I once had some media training!!
You just have to get the message out in the time available.

You read the words as written and give the press the written words to stop Paperazzi mis quotes.

[Parrot of Doom]

Its called media training. Personally I think they should just get on with the job.

[Cpn Jack Spanner]

I though it may be that they base their persona on what they see on TV in shows like Monty Python, and believe this is the correct way to act.

[ad551]

They always remind me of DI Blundell

Sniff Petrol said:

‘Ello ‘ello ‘ello. I recently done received notification of a possible felony what been committed in the F1 area, what done involve the theft of some documents from the premises of Ferrari SpA. What done happen is that they says they have been robbed by the lads at McLaren who, in fairness, done says that isn’t the situation. Following some investigations what done be proceeded by my colleagues in FIA it done turn out that a Mr Dennis of McLaren, he got what is, in fairness, the result what he is looking for, what turns out to be the verdict of not guilty. However, my colleague Comandante Macaluso of the ACI-CSAI, he done not be pleased with that and he done be working with a Mr Todt who done gone proceed to the International Court. Investigations is therefore, in fairness, proceeding. I is also investigating the appearance of a Mr Kubica who does look, in fairness, suspiciously like an owl. At the end of the day, to be fair, I go to bed. Over and out.

[SS HSV]

Gazboy said:

Talking into a camera or just infront of one is not a thing everybody finds easy, or indeed pleasant. Plenty of people go to pieces.

That's my take on it. When I was being filmed for a short appearance on Watchdog against Bulldog broadband, they had to do 25 takes to make one 15 second clip As an ex DJ who is used to public performances I am a confident speaker, but when someone shoves a Mic under your chin and a camera in your face with a bright light, I have the oral skills of a vegetable

[TimJMS]

Sniff Petrol, as usual have it about right. Just slip an "at this moment in time" in there somewhere and it 'wood' have been perfect

[pits]

outlaw biker said:

They should hire actors. Al Pacino, Robert De Niro?

Christopher Walken- "so, ok. There was this fiah in da house where stuff i dont know it just, fiah was awfull,like boom, eyyyyyou know fiah and stuff was like back in nam, shot down over hanoi, ha this watch a watch, i stuck a watch this watch i stuck it up my ass, dont lick the watch though, was up yor daddies ass, he died of watch in ass disease"

[Baby Huey]

I prefer them to be like that than some that you see, reporting some horrendous crime while seeming pleased to be on the tele.

[vonhosen]

SS HSV said:

Gazboy said:

Talking into a camera or just infront of one is not a thing everybody finds easy, or indeed pleasant. Plenty of people go to pieces.

That's my take on it. When I was being filmed for a short appearance on Watchdog against Bulldog broadband, they had to do 25 takes to make one 15 second clip As an ex DJ who is used to public performances I am a confident speaker, but when someone shoves a Mic under your chin and a camera in your face with a bright light, I have the oral skills of a vegetable

Yep apparently keeping it up in front of camera isn't as easy as some make it look, everybody thinks they could do it but it takes a special kinda person.

Edited by vonhosen on Tuesday 2nd September 07:20

[TPAC]

vonhosen said:

SS HSV said:

Gazboy said:

Talking into a camera or just infront of one is not a thing everybody finds easy, or indeed pleasant. Plenty of people go to pieces.

That's my take on it. When I was being filmed for a short appearance on Watchdog against Bulldog broadband, they had to do 25 takes to make one 15 second clip As an ex DJ who is used to public performances I am a confident speaker, but when someone shoves a Mic under your chin and a camera in your face with a bright light, I have the oral skills of a vegetable

Yep apparently keeping it up in front of camera isn't as easy as some make it look, everybody thinks they could do it but it takes a special kinda person.

Edited by vonhosen on Tuesday 2nd September 07:20

Didn't you say once, that you'd been on Crimewatch? Did you speak?

[The Hypno-Toad]

pits said:

outlaw biker said:

They should hire actors. Al Pacino, Robert De Niro?

Christopher Walken- "so, ok. There was this fiah in da house where stuff i dont know it just, fiah was awfull,like boom, eyyyyyou know fiah and stuff was like back in nam, shot down over hanoi, ha this watch a watch, i stuck a watch this watch i stuck it up my ass, dont lick the watch though, was up yor daddies ass, he died of watch in ass disease"

Walken fan? Try this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xKXbOVbAvE&fea...

[RobM77]

I don't buy the camera-shy thing - when they interview other people on the news you can tell they're nervous, but they're not so wooden. To be honest, I've always found policemen and women wooden, even in real life. The strange thing is that I know a few policemen socially and they're perfectly normal. It's obviously some sort of work persona that they put on - there's probably a reason for it; to keep authority or something.

[ukulelemaniac]

Try this video, it's a classic.
Gets good about 5 minutes in.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=UXk4nLIv5jo

[Brown and Boris]

Because every single word they use will be picked over by the media speculating to get stories; if they reveal the wrong information it could scupper a live enquiry; and because if they get it wrong the defence can use it to suggest the defendant can't get a fair trial because of what the police have said and the notions they have put in people's heads.

The result is they read from a preapred script so that it is word perfect and they say as much, and not a word more than they need to.

And they are coppers investigating people geting killed, not entertainers for our delight.

[andy_s]

Sometimes there are good ones - the guy who was OIC for the mystery canoe swindle was a great laugh when the trial ended - I could see the reporters backing away as he started fuming about the wife - great stuff!