This "some people say" phrasing has got to go...

[WCGreen]

It's a lazy way for an interviewer to inject their personal bias into an interview.

For once I would like someone to simply refuse to answer a question posed with that phrasing and simply say who are these "some people" you are talking about...

Is it your crazy aunt, the lunatics who spouts crap on the street corner (or on fox news), the guy sitting next to you in a bar, the people in a national poll who stake out that two percent range...

who are these some people.

Please, someone just say I'm not going to answer your question unless you can qualify who some people are.

[secondwind]

1. You have a point there. K&R

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Yep...

Some people say...wink, wink, nudge, nudge...

Innuendo. It sells the news, so-called.

[TlalocW]

3. The person being interviewed should just do it back to them

Well, Chris (or whoever), some people say that media pundits are unable to have satisfying sex unless it's done on an unbalanced washing machine on spin cycle while wearing Superman capes. Would you like to respond to these allegations, or do you have anything serious to ask?

TlalocW

[pscot]

6. Well played

[uponit7771]

12. There should be some comeback to this

[uncommon]

15. + a brazillion

Great response lol.

[emulatorloo]

4. Typically the "some people" are Fox opinion hosts. Hannity, Glenn Beck etc

I like your response.

[meegbear]

5. When people write that, I ask "who are these people on this site ..."

they usually get all ansy, replying "I wasn't talking about people here".

Well if it's not about people here, then why are you saying it here?

[Speck Tater]

7. I've heard some people say that very thing. nt

[KansDem]

8. Here you go!

Outfoxed: Fox News technique: "some people say"

[Winterblues]

9. Some people say you have a very good point.

:-)

[TonyMontana]

10. Somebody tell that to Wolf Blitzer

He uses that ALL the time.

[DirkGently]

11. Yep. Or "What do you say to people who claim that ...?"

I agree -- Interviewees ought to respond with something like, "I've never heard anyone actually raise such an idiotic idea, so I really couldn't tell you. If anyone ever DOES claim that, I'll deal with it then."

Just bad journalism.

[gkhouston]

13. It's not even their personal bias. It's the talking points du jour, dictated by

someone with more $$ than they have. To me "some people say" might as well be neon signs flashing, "bullshit ahead!".

[WCGreen]

16. Yep, that seems to be "New Journalism..."

[Taitertots]

14. It is just the trick so you can say anything without having to account for it n/t

[4_TN_TITANS]

17. Hell, just be real about it...

Instead of 'some people say',translate it to 'my Republican owners wanted me to try and trap you with the following false premise'.

[bigmonkey]

18. My Dad would never answer a "they say" proposition.

"Who's they?" he'd always say. This is no different. I totally agree.

[WCGreen]

20. It's like when you are a kid and say to your parents...

But everyone else is doing it.

all they did squelch that was ask who is everybody...

[felix_numinous]

19. "Some people say" uses subtle embarrassment

by introducing a question insinuating that 'people are talking about you'--not only are you wondering for a second who that must be, you are a little embarrassed too. It is a technique to make the interviewed person hesitate and have doubts about their answer, and it works really well, especially under pressure, in the spotlight. Bastards.

A good answer would be. "And what do the other people say? Why are you only listening to some people?' But these idiot interviewers are not going to listen, it would be for the benefit of the audience.:)

[rustydog]

21. It is not lazy, it is their attack tactic.

some people say....who are you going to hold accountable for the statement or claim that follows?
The Fox "reporter" commentator can claim; I didn't say it, I'm only repeating what I've heard other "people" say!

[treestar]

22. Totally agree

It's a way of introducing gossip and hearsay; that's the only function.

[JoeyT]

23. And it can take it's ugly cousin "Many people say" with it.

I hate "many people say" even more because it's even more dishonest. How many is "many"? Five? Ten? Fifty? A million? Everyone in the country but me? It's basically the same phrase as "Some people say...", only it implies a large number of people are saying it. And usually the only other person that's saying it is another Fox employee.