Interview programs are really nothing new. It’s one person sitting across from another, asking pointed questions on a range of topics from personal history, craft, career, opinions, and beliefs. And yet, it’s a form of entertainment that has lasted and remained so vital due to its maintained intimacy propped up by the celebrity status of the subjects it focuses on. At its heart, it’s a conversation. What happens when you strip away the celebrity? When you don’t have the familiarity to fall back on? When it’s just the conversation?
I always find myself hesitant to read or listen to interviews with celebrities or figures I’m not familiar with, thinking it will inevitably be boring to me, having no true investment in the subject matter. And I always walk away having learned a thing or two about myself and/or the world around me. It’s fascinating to hear others’ perspectives on why we do the things we do, act the way we act. Hearing people talk about the bigger things in life is a worthwhile endeavor even if it doesn’t have the celebrity appeal or comfort of having known someone for years.
With People You Don’t Know, I set out with a simple idea: interview people and find out the interesting stories and perspectives they have inside their heads. Give others the chance to hear regular people talk about themselves, and realize that we’re all pretty extraordinary, even if we’re talking about the seemingly inconsequential. The only thing that binds us together is our passion and commitment to the things that we deem important, regardless of what the rest of the world thinks. And maybe have a little bit of fun along the way.
Hope you enjoy the show.
-Eugene
