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We have Phil Siegel from Media Works here in San Francisco. He's been involved with the quilt since 1987 88 and he's going to, um, talk to us about media. So, Bill, what I'd like to do to start is just do a couple sample interviews as if you just walked into a television [00:00:30] studio and didn't know what the interviewer was going to ask. And what we'll do is at the end, after I give my thrillingly exciting lecture, we'll go back and review those tapes and see how we would have done them differently. Translators. Am I talking? Is that OK? Is that a good speed for your translators? Is that OK? Slow down even more. OK, I'll slow down even more. OK, [00:01:00] um we're gonna take pauses for the translators. But this is not how a real TV interview would look because TV interviewers aren't going to be as talk as slowly as me as I'll try Leslie. OK, we're here today with Leslie Barnes to talk about the names Project and Leslie. What is the names project? The Names Project is a collection of three by six panels sewn together to Memorialise [00:01:30] people who have died of AIDS. So you're saying that everybody that is on the panel or somebody whose name is on the panel has died of AIDS? Yes. How many people in Canada have died of AIDS? 11,000 people in Canada and we have panels for 1100 of those, um, Y aids. I'm not sure what you mean by that. How many cases of cancer do you have in Canada? About twice as many, and how many cases [00:02:00] of let's say, just say, lung cancer from smoking. Nobody smokes in Canada. So you're saying there's double? There's double the number of Canadians that have died of cancer. Double the number of people in Canada have died from cancer, and you're still putting this quilt together for people that have died from AIDS. Why don't you make a cancer [00:02:30] quilt instead? Well, because there are many people working in the area of cancer education and the people with whom I work, and my personal interest is in AIDS HIV. I don't believe why. Why only 11,000? What's the population of Canada? 29 million. So you got 29 million and you've got 11,000 cases of AIDS. Why would should we, as Canadians care to come out and say this [00:03:00] quilt? Because many of the people who are HIV infected and affected don't have the kind of support and are marginalised in a way that people with breast cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer are not? Do you have statistics to back that up? Is this your opinion as an advocate for AIDS? Is that your opinion that there's not support networks for for breast cancer? No, there are certainly support networks. What [00:03:30] I'm suggesting is that people who are infected and affected don't have the same kind of financial and family support. And yes, there is evidence to support that. There's not the financial support it. It's true that most people that get AIDS the majority in Canada, I'm assuming, are gay men. They have a much higher standard of living. So you're saying they're not financially supported? I don't believe that's true. No, I would say it's more emotional support and social support. [00:04:00] We'll be back in a little while with more interviews on HIV. Thank you. It. I love this, uh, after this. Daniel, it's your turn. Where's Daniel? Is he checking? Is he checking me out, huh? The focus is weird. [00:04:30] I promise we'll speak slower during the um huh Pauses instead of speaking slowly. OK, you're gonna have OK, you'll have an advantage here after I ask a question pause so they can do it and then I'll pause before you. OK, we're here with Daniel from Israel. And Israel is one of the first countries in the Middle East to host the names project. [00:05:00] What is the names? Project? The names. What is the names? Project Paz. The names project is an international organisation which helps to educate people around the world. It actually it has a number of different goals. One of them is to educate people about aids so that they can help to help them understand what aids is. What is the government of Israel doing to fight AIDS right now? Pause. Thank you. [00:05:30] What is the government of Israel doing just to fight AIDS right now? A. I is is one of the few issues which is being addressed by the Health Ministry in Israel. That's where um, AIDS needs to be addressed. And what are they doing? They're not doing very much. Then how are they addressing it? Um, sorry. Um, how is the government? There's very little funding, um, by the Ministry of Health for [00:06:00] testing for HIV testing. They're not giving any funds for education. No funds for people with AIDS or their families. No funds for counselling, no funds for medical services, no funds to educate the medical staff on how to deal with people with AIDS and and medical services which are needed. So how many cases of AIDS are there in Israel? That's a good question. Pause. Um, [00:06:30] how many cases of AIDS are there in Israel? To date, over 150 people have died from AIDS. The official statistics say that approximately 500 people are HIV positive, but we know that the number is greater than that over 2000. If you were running the country, what would you do to fight AIDS? I would create an education programme in the school system to [00:07:00] teach youth before they start sexual activity. On what aids is, what sexually transmitted diseases are and how to control. At what age would you teach these Children about having gay sex? I'm not an educator, so I'm not I can't answer that question. I would I personally, um, probably would start sex education. Um, AIDS is just part of the sexual education programme, and I would make sure that that's part of the, [00:07:30] um, complete package. But I would say it's important also to start AIDS education to young people in terms of compassion and et cetera. OK, we'll be back after these messages. Thank you very much. Right. Ok, um, [00:08:00] I'm prepared. Um, can you hear me or or is that Does this work? Ok, um I just gave you two examples. I just gave you two examples of, um, difficult situations. I've worked with the quilt for seven years. I do publicity for a living. I do trainings like this for a living. We we will try today to, [00:08:30] um give you the worst situations that you could be in and cross our fingers that when you leave here today, you'll be able to organise your thoughts and answer any question, no matter how difficult to answer the questions effectively and get your message out. Um, I gave two examples [00:09:00] of interviews here. The first one. Sorry Leslie was hostile. Um, the interviewer obviously knew nothing at all about the quilt and couldn't care less about the quilt. He me, I put her on the defensive and made her afraid of me so I could sound smarter. [00:09:30] Pause. That's good. Every time you want me to pause, just hold that up. And, um, the second interview wasn't a hostile interview. It was a terrible interview. Um, I'm gonna pick on you for a minute. Daniel, I'm sorry. Um, did you mention the quilt? I asked the question. Tell me about the names project. You never said the word quilt. One time, not once. When you look back at the tapes, [00:10:00] pause. When you look back at the tapes, you'll see me. The interviewer running the interview, I asked him about defence budgets. I asked him about funding about education. It's your job as the person being interviewed to make sure that you work in the messages that you want to say. [00:10:30] You following me here? Ok, um, what are those messages? OK, take off the shirt. Um, there are three things that you're going to want to say in an interview to call it a successful interview. Carlos, do you have the copy points? OK, when I asked Daniel about education. That's [00:11:00] a very good word, I said. He said something about in Israel. There's not the education perfect opportunity to say That's why we have brought the quilt to Israel to educate. And by the way, the quilt is Oh, are they all getting copies of it now? Let's wait. Let's wait. Let's wait, OK, you'll get you'll. You'll get a copy of these, um, in a few minutes at [00:11:30] the end, but three main points. One. The quilt is for education. Two. This is the one that we had trouble with a couple of years ago. It's a tool for HIV awareness. Now let's start again. The first one here, let me read it. From what it says here, the International AIDS Memorial Quilt Pause is the world's most visible symbol [00:12:00] of the enormity. Enormity the size of the AIDS epidemic. That's one what you want to remember. There is visible symbol, visible symbol. Two. It's an education tool. Just remember education tool, and this one the third copy point is going to be about your individual display. The quilt came to Malaysia to blah, blah blah, and we're here at the [00:12:30] Y of Buena Gardens from this date to that date. Um, so here they say the UN 50 display of the quilt serves as a reminder of the global devastation of AIDS and the need for international cooperation. That's long. Remember, it's about the display that you're going to be working on that day. So when we look back at these tapes later, I'll show you [00:13:00] opportunities, every place, every question that I asked. As difficult as they were, Um, could be answered by saying one of these three phrases. If I say, Tell me about AIDS in Canada, AIDS in Canada has 11 million people, which is an incredible number. That's why bringing the quilt here is a visible symbol is a visible symbol, huh? 11,000? That is as many [00:13:30] and we have brought. Then that's a good place to say for the third copy point, which is. That's why we have brought to Toronto today 300 panels, which is only one you know, 1/1000 of the number of cases in Canada. No matter what, my question is the best. The way that we are taught, I ask a question. You answer the question. This is the way human interaction goes I ask [00:14:00] you answer. That's not the way an interview goes. An interview is. I ask a question because I've got an agenda. You answer the question, however, you want to lead me to my next question. Because if I said Tell me about AIDS in Israel about numbers and blah blah blah in Israel and you answer about the quilt a good interviewer is going to say, Well, tell me about [00:14:30] the quilt. I'm not going to then say, Well, tell me about the Palestinian situation, you know? I mean, it would be stupid. I'd be a terrible interviewer. So what? The idea is, you answer a question to follow. Whatever my question is, your answer should be one of these three things or make a bridging statement. I'm still speaking too fast. Make a bridging statement to get you on to one of your copy points. Is the sky blue? [00:15:00] Yes, it's a beautiful day to display this display of the AIDS Memorial quilt you need to practise, and what I'd like to see you do is what I'd like to see you do throughout the weekend is role play. Ask each other difficult questions and try and answer them with one of the three visible symbol education or [00:15:30] the UN 50 display translators. Am I still am I speaking? OK? OK, you that I don't have translators. Are you speaking OK? Am I? I'm OK. Ok, Ok. Um, it's very difficult for me to do this now because I don't know how your media works in your country. I know here in the United States, it's a commercial enterprise. So the way [00:16:00] the best thing Daniel said was I asked him about education and he said, I'm not an educator, which is a great answer. But his next comment should have been. I'm not an educator. I am here to bring the quilt which is an education tool to the people of Israel. That's how he gets back on to his point. So the best way to prepare for any kind of an interview on TV on radio [00:16:30] on in the print is to know three statements that when that newspaper comes out, when they quote you, it will say one of those three quotes. It's a visible symbol. It is an education tool. It will be on display at Yerba Buena Gardens if that If that comes out in the newspaper, you've done a great job. OK, now that's the bad news. The good news [00:17:00] is, in all the years that I've been doing training for people with a quilt, we've never had more than two difficult interviews. And luckily, one was with Cleave and the other was was with Mike Smith. Everybody else. It's a really good you know, one of those kinds of stories where the media thinks this is really a great milk and for all that's got, you know, that kind of a thing, the difficult one we had. We have a holiday here in the United States called [00:17:30] Memorial Day, where we remember people who have died in war. So Cleave or Mike Oh, cleave or Mike slow down. Um, they said, And our quilt is similar to the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington. It's the AIDS version of the Vietnam Memorial Wall. It's a nice little quote that it would have worked in some situations. The interviewer then said, So [00:18:00] you are trying to equate these people who have died of AIDS are dishonourably with these brave men and women that have died for this country, and and it got really vicious. Cleave was very prepared and he speaks very well. He handled it. He handled it really, really well. What you need to remember is, if you are going to be on television, they're going to interview you for five minutes. 10 minutes. [00:18:30] When the story comes out, it may only be 20 seconds. So you want to make sure you say these three things 20 different ways. So when they do cut it up, your copy points are being used now. I also asked Leslie her opinions. What do you think about How are you feeling about Oh, no, I asked Daniel if you were to run the world or run [00:19:00] the budget. How would you handle AIDS? Why would I be asking somebody that is in there with a quilt? His opinion about the pandemic in Israel? You can come back and say I am here representing the quilt. It is a tool to educate people education. And it's an inexpensive way to educate people. I do not work at the government. I have personal opinions, but I'm representing the quilt. What's [00:19:30] very important to remember is that when you go out there, you're a volunteer. When you're a volunteer, but you also represent the quilt. So if you get up there and say between you and me, it's a pretty thing, it doesn't really work. You never want to say something like that. You always talk about what these things that are given to you. If you start making things up and say, Well, I think the government blah, blah, blah. And I think politicians, [00:20:00] you know, that doesn't work because when you start talking politicians, the quilt is the quilt is a nonpolitical tool to educate everybody. So if they ask you, do you think our government is doing enough? We are here to make sure the people understand they are not doing enough. That's a way to get out of it. So I asked you about politics and you turn it back on to education, Education, education. If it's a fund [00:20:30] raising tool, you can say we hope today's display will encourage people to get involved and donate their time and their money to projects like the names project. Um, these are all very important things, But if you look at your this is very important. If you look at yourself as an educator, you are teaching the audience something they never knew before [00:21:00] instead of your If your attitude is, I'm scared, I'm going to an interview. What are they going to say to me? I'm going to have to ask to answer these questions. What am I going to do? That's not the way to go into an interview. If you go to the interview and say, I am here to teach these people about a project that is international that has been seen by Presidents, Kings, Queens politicians from all over the world Well, lots of queens [00:21:30] from all over the world. And I am teaching them something they didn't know before. It's a much more effective way to present the quilt, and it gives you more confidence because you are there teaching them something they never knew before. Um, I'm going to give you some real basic things about how you sit, how you dress. These may not be significant, but [00:22:00] it helps if you're a man and you wear lots and lots and lots of earrings. Take them all out. OK, if you're a woman, you wear big earrings, and that's not part of your culture. Take them off if you are wearing something, if you get your hair cut the day before because you want to look good and you're worried that your hair is sticking up in the back. Don't get your hair cut the day [00:22:30] before If you drink lots of caffeine coffee and you talk real fast like I do. Don't drink coffee. If you're going to be talking to the media, your mouth gets dry. You speak fast, you get nervous. Now, the reason you don't wear big earrings. The reason you don't have lots of different holes in your ears. The reason you wear something comfortable is if you look [00:23:00] uncomfortable. People will be looking at you and not hearing your message. The best example I can give. I have two examples. I was watching television one morning and a woman was wearing huge earrings and she talked with her head, and every time she would talk, she looked like an elephant because these things would flap. I don't remember what she was talking about. All I remember was Dumbo. [00:23:30] I was on TV this morning. So, um, another thing. Another interview was with a woman who had long hair and she had a very large nose, very large nose, and her hair was falling in her face and the camera was here. All you saw from this woman was hair and a nose. I did not hear a thing. This woman said. [00:24:00] I was just thinking. Does she realise how stupid she looks right now on television? There's 20 million people out there watching her nose. So if you have hair in your face, pull it back. If you wear big earrings, don't there are going to be people in your audience that are not going to like what you have to say. Your interviewer may be sympathetic, but people in the audience [00:24:30] some people are going to think, Yeah, this quilt. Like I said, I my mother died of cancer. Where's her panel? That kind of a thing. If you look offensive to them like an advocate, like like a lesbian, like this radical left wing, whatever, they're not going to hear your message. You want to look as neutral, and you know what I'm saying? You don't want to overdo it, because if you try to look, [00:25:00] um, if you don't look like you fit in, your message won't fit in. And if you're trying to reach large audiences, the less offensive you are, the better. Um, other little tips when you sit. If I'm if this person is interviewing me and I'm sitting like this, what is my body language saying? I don't care, you know? Forget it. You know, [00:25:30] there was an interview when the International Conference on AIDS was here in 1988 89. They had an interview with Mervin Silverman, who is the head of Amar, the American Foundation for AIDS Research. Um, and he was in debate with a guy from act up Jesse Dobson. I think it was, and two chairs and Silverman was here listening and talking, and he would listen to Jesse and he would do this the whole time. Jesse, when [00:26:00] he wasn't questions, were not directed to him. He was over here like, yeah, you know, forget it, couldn't care less. Then, when they addressed a question to him, he turned around and he spoke poetry. I mean, it was incredible. The things he had to say. It was great. It was insightful. It was important. Nobody heard a thing, he said, because they were so disgusted with this attitude like Fuck you. I mean, and it [00:26:30] was if you didn't want to, like, act up, you couldn't, like, act up because he was. So I don't care what this doctor has to say. This doctor who is the most respected researcher in the country, in the world, on AIDS, I don't care what he has to say. So when Jesse spoke, no one listened or I didn't listen. I mean, I listened, but I didn't hear. So when a clue face your interviewer, cross your leg towards them. [00:27:00] OK? That always works. If their arms on the chair Don't do this. You'll look really scared. If there are two arms on the chair, put one up and one down or one up and one down. Much more natural than this. Don't clutch. A lot of people keep their nervousness in their hands, and that's really bad. Once there was a guy that was he was very nervous. His hand in his pocket. No, [00:27:30] don't do that. Um, there's it's very fun to watch. Scared good politicians versus bad politicians. You know who has practised. I'm going to give you an example from the first televised United States presidential debate, which was Kennedy and Nixon in 1960. They turned to Kennedy, and they said, [00:28:00] You're the youngest man ever to run for president. Are you too young to run for president? And Kennedy got up there. He looked right at the camera and he said, What you're really asking is who can lead this country? I come from And then he just started to talk about the Democratic Party and they didn't ask him about, you know, if he was able to lead the country. What you're really asking is, and so basically the interview [00:28:30] couldn't say no. No, no, I'm not. I'm not. And they while he's speaking, they would cut over to Nixon, who was doing this with his eyes, and he was sweating and he was so scared. It was the first televised debate. OK, he looked bad. That goes without saying. Then they turned to him and they said, How do you respond to that? Vice President Nixon, he said. No comment, no comment, says guilt. [00:29:00] Whatever was just said is absolutely right, and no comment is. You know, if somebody says to you, Is our government doing enough? No comment. You're saying No, the government isn't doing enough. You've just turned off anybody that believes in your government. I'm slowing down. Um, so if they say, Do you think the government is doing enough? A good response to that is the government will only do what people motivate [00:29:30] them to do. The quilt is a tool to motivate people to get their governments involved. You turn it around. You've answered the question. How you want to answer the question? Um, what I'd like to do now is rewind those two interviews. Oh, let's start with questions. Yes, Yeah, yeah. What about [00:30:00] how would you? The question was, How would you deal with what? About cancer? You get a question like that, then you think to yourself I've got three points education, visible symbol and this display if those are my three points. OK, um, we do not pit one disease against the other. We are here representing a disease that is bankrupting our country's medical [00:30:30] system. Therefore, we brought the quilt to educate about all kinds of problems. The problems that we're concentrating on today is AIDS. We're not saying cancer is not important, but we're saying we need AIDS needs education OK, or you can you can talk about cancer is devastating. There's lots of funding for cancer, and people understand cancer because it's more readily available. It's more present in people's lives. We're bringing the [00:31:00] quilt to educate them about a disease they know nothing about, perhaps that they need to know about so it doesn't strike them. I mean, it's it's not saying no, cancer isn't bad and we need it, too. You're not saying we're the disease, you know, more important of a disease than your disease. But we are saying it's important to look at all diseases, and one disease may get more attention. We would like people just to be aware of other diseases that may not be getting the attention. [00:31:30] We've brought the quilt to Buena Gardens June 19 22nd Come down and you'll understand the tagline. See the quilt and understand. I think the best way to answer Well, what about cancer? If you're in a local situation, come and see the quilt. You will understand why aids or why? Why, um, the quilt. Ok, more questions. I mean, actually, I'm more comfortable with questions. Yes, you know what? [00:32:00] And OK, good question right, Right. OK, I do this for a living. I do publicity for a living. OK, how do you deal? How do you get the media excited about the quilt to come down? What if they promise to come and don't come? Ok, Um, assume they're not going to come. OK, always [00:32:30] come from that. What country are you from? South Africa is your is the media state owned? Who makes the decision about what's covered? Who's your news director? Who says you go to cover this and not that? Is that a government employee or is it a private employee? If it's OK, I would. What I would do in a situation like that is find a sympathetic local politician [00:33:00] that is going to be there and send them information. The fact sheet that's in your books about the quilt. It's 32 tonnes. It's come from great expense. It's travelled all over the world. It has had a major impact on the smaller areas outside of big cities and the way we react to AIDS and make sure they know what they're missing, because what they think is they're going to get 112 by 12 look [00:33:30] at and go. Yeah, let them know it's going to be filling the hall. These are the prominent people that are going to be there. These are the prominent people that have already seen it. These presidents, these kings, these queens, these politicians 25 billion people. It was nominated for a Nobel Prize. It lost to the Dalai Lama, but it was nominated. I mean, you've got to make it more than a local display. You've got to make it seem as your [00:34:00] city in South Africa is getting the opportunity to take part in something that has been all over the world. If you got a local politician, a local activist, somebody that is involved in the cause to lobby on your behalf and to go with you, and you can say this politician is available to meet you at the quilt at 12 o'clock if you can't make it at 12, tell me what time you can be there. [00:34:30] I'll make sure this politician, this celebrity there may be there might be a celebrity in town that would want to support it. I mean, make it enticing for them. Remember, television is about movement and pictures if they're going to see if they have in their mind, they're just going to take this a picture of panels. That's not dynamic. If they understand, they're going to see great visual pictures [00:35:00] of two miles of panels. They're going to see rubber, cremation ashes, Barbie dolls, all the things that make the quilt interesting. You've got to make it interesting for them, not just come and see the quilt and cry. You know, it can't be that I will. OK, you don't have a local politician. I have got 20 mothers from this town who have lost their Children to AIDS. That would like to educate the people of this town, [00:35:30] and that's a great visual for them. I mean, there are many ways to get around of reluctant media and just keep on hammering it home. Let them know six months before we've been selected for it to come to our town three months before it's coming in three months. We already have these people on board two months before we have 25,000 volunteers a month before it's still coming, and this is who's involved now. Keep them updated The week before it comes. They'll either be so sick of you that they're going [00:36:00] to come just to cover the thing to shut you up. You know more questions. Yeah, I can't hear. How can you? You make sure that the display thank you. 00, you can't. You can't [00:36:30] if it's there and it's open to the public, they can do with it whatever they want. It's I'm assuming there are in what country are you from in France, you've got reality shows the exploitation TV saying, You know, look at all the dead fags on the quilt, that kind of a thing, right? You can't avoid them doing what they're going to do for ratings. They will do that for ratings. [00:37:00] It's a commercial. It's commercial television. What you can do is take the reporter aside and say What we are trying to do is visible symbol and education and then fill them in on the facts. Since 1988 the quilt has travelled. X number of miles weighs this much. It has had a major impact. Make them feel that if they did a really sleazy [00:37:30] rendition of the quilt, make them feel so guilty because they've missed the point. It's If you see a reporter at your site, make sure you take them aside and they know what your copy points are. Make sure that your copy points are practised so you can say them, you know, education, education, you know, visible symbol, visible symbol. June 19th June 19th. I mean, however, you're going to do it practise and practise and make. You can [00:38:00] pretty much tell from a reporter how their story is going to go. I was doing something of another client and they wanted a person that was sick. They didn't really want to hear about the cure. This wasn't AIDS. It was another disease. I worked for a hospital. They didn't really want to hear about the good things. They wanted to get the real drama. And I just said, You know, here is I can get you a mother. I can get you, you know, a blind child. I can get you whatever you want. But please know the focus [00:38:30] of this story is hope. And these are the people that are working on the cure. And these are the This is a way that we are educating the public. I'm slowing down. And that we're educating the public. Um, by the way, is this is is the light off the top of my head? Um, see what I would do if I were being interviewed? I'd wear a hat. My, the The reflection is distracting. No, Um, does that answer your question? Does that help? [00:39:00] Other questions? Um, did you Carl, did you rewind the tape? OK, why don't we rewind it and and we'll go and we'll pause. This is the real fun part. I like to We redo the interviews, and then we will pause it and see how we'd answer the question differently Now. Yeah, and, uh [00:39:30] um the properties I and [00:40:00] for that it you before Oh, good. So that that's that hasn't happened here. That's the first time that I've actually I've asked that question all the time. I mean, in this situation, Um Oh, OK, what do you do when the journalist is talks about his agenda? All [00:40:30] these dead gay people? The best way in a situation like this in a country where there are not AIDS is not talked about, is to give examples of other countries what you find your copy point, which is education if they're homophobic. You say in other countries it's perceived as a gay disease, but [00:41:00] it is growing out into other communities, and it's an educational tool. And if you look at the quilts, you'll see that it's not all gay people. Educate yourself. Take a journalist like that, take them in hand. Well, don't touch them on a tour on a tour of the quilt of the panels, show them the Children. Show them the women, [00:41:30] show them the brothers and fathers and sons and the fact that the people that are gone are part of a family. If they're still going to be homophobic, they may not be as homophobic as they were before you took them. The best thing if they're homophobic, that you can do is lead by example and and somebody like that. I hate to do this, but somebody like that you [00:42:00] want them to talk to the families personally. I'd rather have you talk to lovers and if they're homophobic, but that's next year. This year you've got to break through the glass, and that is showing them the humanity, which is the humanity behind the statistics. Educate them if you're going to use the quilt as an education tool. Educate them. In reality, that reporter probably would come to a display [00:42:30] wanting to trash it, wanting to put it on French TV and turning it into one of those cheesy sleaze fests. Can you translate sleazes fest into Russian? I don't know. Um but the best thing that you can do is have that person walk away just like somebody else coming to the quilt to walk away, Moved by the message and it's your job to move them. Does that make sense? [00:43:00] Does does that. Does that answer your question? OK, more. This is fun. More questions? Yeah. OK, mother. See what? Uh, bring a three by six, Bring one panel If what do you do with the studio? Is not big enough to have a 12 by 12. [00:43:30] Bring one panel and say this was made here locally. And this mother, sister, brother, friend lover is going to be adding it to the 36 tonne, 110,000 panel quilt to make it a bigger story. This is just one of 110,000 when they're sewn together. This is how big you need to describe with words what they can't see visually. And it would help you a lot [00:44:00] in that situation. If you took some of the video from some of the video productions that have been done, give it to them so they can at least cut out 20 seconds. This is one panel, and this is what it looks like I'll put together and then they'll cut away to that. I'm speaking fast again. I'm sorry. And I've been on panels like that. I was in. I was in South Carolina, and, uh, I was on a panel with three people and there was an AIDS educator and me [00:44:30] and a mother who was presenting her panel. So it works and they love talking about I mean, the people that have made the panels love talking, you know, Red symbolises I mean, they look, it's good. TV more questions. Carlos, are we ready? Oh, I'm gone. Oh, and I put my hand up my pause. OK? Is that OK? [00:45:00] Slow down even more. Oh, Ok. Um, we're gonna take pause, um, for the translators. But this is not how a real TV interview would look because TV interviewers aren't gonna be as, um As as I thought. Yeah, OK, we're here today with Leslie Barnes to talk about the names project and Leslie. What is the name the [00:45:30] name selection of? I always start with this question. I always start with this question. Leslie answered it correctly. Daniel. Sorry you didn't first time We did this back in 1987 88 I asked every person on staff, and at that time there were 10. This question. Not one person, said Quilt. Everyone said it's an idea of coming together and memorialising and what is names? Project. [00:46:00] They are the keepers of the quilt. The quilt is three by six panels. So memorialising somebody who's died of AIDS slow down. I know. I see the sign coming memorialising somebody who's died of AIDS sewn together to educate. Then you run into your copy points. The best way to organise yourself is no matter what my question is, what's the copy point? The quilt is and then describe it and then talk about. It's an educational tool. [00:46:30] It's a symbol. And she she kind of did it, but with no training, it was very good. Hm. Oh, run video. Who have done. So you're saying that everybody that is on the panel or somebody whose name is on the panel has died there? How many people in Canada, 11,000 people in Canada would have [00:47:00] panels for 1100? Those hold on a second? The sound is really bad. My question was so she answered the question. She did an admirable job. We couldn't hear her, but it was good. I know it was good. And then I said, How many people in Canada have AIDS? And she was very good. And she said, 11,000 people in Canada and we have 1100 panels here today. She brought it back to the quilt. That was a good answer. And this is with no training. [00:47:30] Can we get volume on that before you run it again? And hopefully we can hear it, huh? Run video. I'm not sure what you think about how many cases of cancer have you had in Canada? No. And how many cases? Let's say just a long answer [00:48:00] from smoking. No good in Canada. So you're saying there's double? There's double and Oh, OK, um, got you OK, um, what's really important is don't I know this was not a real situation. Don't try to sound smarter than your interviewer if [00:48:30] you were, because your interviewer is brilliant. Um, the problem here is if you take a position that you're an educator, you can teach them. But you can't say you're so stupid. What a dumb question. Because if you say that, remember, people are watching this show because they really like the interviewer or they really hate the interviewer in some cases. [00:49:00] But they want to hear what they have to say. And if you try to one up them, I'm smarter than you. I mean, I'm more You're so stupid. Wrong Way to go. You want to say, Oh, you didn't realise what a stupid question that was. You don't want to say it that way, but you want to say I see that you're misinformed. What the reality is. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. OK, so how many cases of lung cancer she I'm leading her now I have her [00:49:30] in the palm of my hand. Talk about cancer. I've gotten her off the quilt. She hasn't come back to the quilt at all. I've now got her. We talked about when the question of cancer comes up, we're not pitting cancer against AIDS. We're trying to educate people about a coming epidemic that has struck X number of million people across the world. OK, Yeah, absolutely. Saying cancer is devastating. As most [00:50:00] people know, cancer is devastating. What most people don't know is AIDS is growing at a rate 20 times what cancer is. We're here to educate you. So I mean, don't say cancer is not important. You'll turn everybody off. So yes, cancer is important as most people know what people don't know and what they need to know is OK, run tape. Canadians have died of cancer. [00:50:30] Do people in Canada have died from cancer and you're still putting this book together for people that have died from AIDS? Why won't you make the cancer instead? Well, people working in the area of cancer education and the people with whom I work and my personal interest is in AIDS. HIV, I don't believe what? Ok, [00:51:00] my personal interest is AIDS, I believe Well, you're going into a personal thing now and you're taking it as a personal attack. I mean, I'm personally attacking you, but remember, you represent something that this interviewer hates. And so therefore I'm saying I hate you and I'm going to make you uncomfortable. Your attitude has to be. I'm educating you, and when we're done with this interview, maybe you won't be so hateful. Maybe you'll understand [00:51:30] a little bit more, but you do. A lot of I believe, and my interest is, which is OK in a long interview. If you have 10 minutes, you can say whatever you want, as long as you come back to your copy points. If it's only going to be 20 seconds, just talk about your copy points. But if you have 10 minutes on a talk show in a studio, you can talk about your personal involvement if you want my personal. I made my first panel when this person died, [00:52:00] or I saw my first panel. I went to a display and it moved me so much like, I hope it moves all of you, your viewers, when they come on June 19th to the year by the gardens. You see what I'm saying, OK, roll tape, population of Canada 29. 29 million and you got 11,000 cases of water should we? As Canadians care to come out and see this? [00:52:30] How would you answer that now, Wesley, with 29 million Canadians in only 11,000 cases, why should we care? Um, we're bringing the quilt here today to increase the understanding. [00:53:00] Come see the quilt. You will understand It's impossible to put into words the effect the quilt has on you. Nobody walks away from the quilt unaffected. I mean, these are all tri Little saying that we have said a million times, but probably your viewers are hearing it for the first time. See it and understand no one walks away unaffected. It's a [00:53:30] perfect opportunity for your third copy point, which is come down to the display. OK, who are HIV infected and affected don't have the kind of support and are marginalised in a way that people with breast cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer are not. This is a real minor point and you the marginalised. Is that a word that toothless people in Tennessee will understand [00:54:00] of you pretend you're talking to an audience that does not understand words more than two or three syllables and use them OK? Yeah. Talk about some people crazy street there. OK, The question is, is it a good point that people are being discriminated against? [00:54:30] Only if you talk about that. In terms of the quilt, the reason the quilt was created so people could understand the discrimination that people. And so we're here to educate you back to your coffee points. We're here to educate you about that discrimination. That and it goes from there. Yeah, right. Did you hear that? She said she fell into a trap and she started comparing [00:55:00] the two diseases. And it's perfectly OK to say I'm here to talk about the quilt. Cancer is another big problem, but I'm here today to talk about AIDS. OK, uh, roll tape is your opinion for your opinion opinion that you're an advocate. I hate you support networks. What I'm suggesting is [00:55:30] that people who are infected and don't hold on a second pause. Do you see her body language? She's getting pissed. She's getting a little bit frustrated here, and she's like, What I'm saying is, if you're listening to me, jerk, you know, I mean, I'm pissing her off. I'm controlling the interview and she's being frustrated by it. OK, well, it It [00:56:00] it's true that most that, um, the majority in Canada standard of living. So you're saying they're not now? I started saying things you started saying People aren't financially ready and people are not. When you talk about financial, if you're going to talk about those kinds of things, have statistics if you're going to throw out generalities, because your interviewer [00:56:30] can come back with statistics so people with AIDS are poorer than other people. Well, what are you talking about? They have a higher standard of living whatever. I mean, if you're going to throw out any kind of generalities, make sure you have your statistics. My recommendation. Don't throw out generalities about money. And everybody is affected from all walks of life. And everybody is devastated on a personal on a financial on a political whatever from aides. OK, rollet, [00:57:00] we'll be back in a little interviews. OK, thanks. So OK, we're here with Daniel from Israel, and Israel is one of the first. See how many times he says quilt in this interview. The 85 [00:57:30] The name is the name organisation, which helps an international organisation that helps number hold on a second. It's an international organisation that has lots of goals. Oh, that's a good answer. Now what would you say? It is the keeper of the quilt, which is OK. Visible symbol. Educational tool. OK, go ahead. [00:58:00] Right now. What are we doing in Israel? What are they doing in Israel to help fight aid is one of the few issues that is being addressed by the health minister in Israel A. Which is interesting here because I said What are they doing in Israel? And you said it's the one issue that the government is dealing with. And then [00:58:30] as we go further on in the interview, you're saying it's the one. It's the one thing you saying the one health issue that's not being addressed. Oh, I thought you said it is being addressed. OK, never mind. Go ahead. And how are they impressing their OK? How is it going of power testing for HIV testing? [00:59:00] We're not giving any funds for education. No funds for people who paid for their family, no funds for counselling and no medical services to educate the medical staff to deal with people. Hold on a second, OK? He just said there's no funding There's no housing, there's no staff. There's no no, no, no, no, no, no. The government doesn't have that. And I didn't ask a single question in that 20 seconds. He could say the government [00:59:30] is not doing anything. Which is why we are here to educate about the need. He had 20 seconds to say whatever he wanted. I shot up. He had 20 seconds. I shut up. Um, so I basically gave him free reign to say whatever he wants, and he didn't take the opportunity. So I'm sorry I'm picking on you. Daniel. I hope you have thick skin. OK, go. How many [01:00:00] are there? How many cases are there in Israel? How many cases of AIDS? Today, over 150 people have died from AIDS. The official statistics say that approximately 500 people are HIV positive. [01:00:30] I love that question. If you were going to run the country, what would you do about aids? Well, I would create something that could educate people like the quilt that is being displayed in Tel Aviv on January 31st. I mean, you can get back to a copy point with any question. I asked him his personal opinion about what he would do to run the company. What you're really asking is is how can we educate people, you know? I mean, that's another way to do it. I mean, [01:01:00] just ignore my question and say whatever you want, OK, go education programme in the school system to teach youth before they start sexualizing teach you about sexual activity. Good. Way to go on. I did not bring up sex at all in either of these interviews. You did Sex scares A lot of people don't talk about sex. Talk about AIDS [01:01:30] as being a problem. We all deal with it. Maybe an interviewer would ask that question about sex. But the cardinal mistake here is that you brought it up so I went off on it. You want to teach kids about sex At what age? So run, go gay sex. I'm not here, so I can I would I think, personally, um, probably would start sex education. [01:02:00] Now he's giving his opinion of the sexual education programme, and I would make sure that that's complete package. But I would say it's important also to start eighth education to young people. What are you saying we'll be back. Um oh, we have five more. I was gonna say we have five [01:02:30] more minutes. What? This programme that I'm doing now, I usually give over an eight hour period, and I would interview every single one of you to help you work in copy points. Um, unfortunately, we don't have that time today. Um, I hope our goal here today was to give you an idea of how to get publicity when it's difficult how to answer the questions when they're difficult. I promise you, you'll never be Well, with the exception [01:03:00] of Russia, I don't think you're going to be getting many vicious questions. Most journalists are very sympathetic to the quilt and really love its power. And they try to communicate that if they don't, it's your job to give them that power so they can communicate it. Um, And it and it usually is easier than I thought. I've never thought that you'd get a homophobic reporter that wouldn't do a good job. Uh, that's a difficult situation. Um, [01:03:30] I'm Yes. OK, good question. And had we had other interviews, that was my next one. So how much money have you raised? to take this blanket around the country. Um, what you say is the audiences that the quilt touches is not necessarily an audience that would touch [01:04:00] you. There are people that see the quilt that have no exposure to AIDS and HIV. If you're going to be doing grass, grass roots awareness of the problem, you have to start with the masses, and the quilt is the best way to do it. It's not money that is wasted. That's a That's a very valid answer because the truth is I was one of those people a couple of years ago. I took a break from the quilt for a while because I thought, You know why? Why? I mean, this is San Francisco. Why? [01:04:30] And I thought about it. It's not talking to me like the movie Philadelphia, did you? Did you see Philadelphia? It wasn't talking to me. It was talking to other people that aren't affected. I liked the movie, but it didn't move me to action because I was already active. But it does have its purpose, and the quilt has a very big purpose. The fact that world leaders are seeing it, the fact that toothless people in Tennessee [01:05:00] are. If you're from Tennessee, I'm sorry. Um, but you know what I'm saying? It's It's addressing a different audience than somebody with HIV would be addressing. That's what that's. That's the way you respond or or or another copy point you can get into. Today's display will be raising money that will stay in this city at this time, you know, And it will be. It is a way to raise money for our local aids blah, blah, blah. And and it has raised money to date. But that could turn into a into [01:05:30] an argument a pissing match with somebody from act up. It could. So I would be very I would talk audiences. I wouldn't talk money. Yeah. Um um, So a lot of you a a choice. That what? [01:06:00] Yeah, yeah. Uh, yeah, it Would it be difficult to take out a 12 [01:06:30] by 12 or two to show in that situation? If people are coming and asking, I want to just see a 12 by 12 and take a picture and leave. It's not It's not the same experience. It's not the same experience is Is that that that's the question. Um OK, the [01:07:00] what I would do in that case is like I said, um, to France. Um, I would take before the display. I would find key people with good stories. You know, a father who lost his wife and daughter, a mother of a man who has died a family, a nephew [01:07:30] and have them available to talk about their experiences. And if they're looking for something, that's something more, but always related back to the quilt saying, And that's why they felt it was important to bring the panel as part of the bigger picture so they could be part of the bigger picture to bring an end to the epidemic. Does that answer it? Does that help? I'm [01:08:00] getting this symbol to wrap up. I will be available for a short time today. I'll be at the display on Saturday and Sunday. I can answer more questions, but please over the weekend, quiz each other and try, no matter what. The question was dinner. Good tonight. It was so good. It reminds me of the time I was in San Francisco with the quilt. OK, thank you. Oh, you guys wanna just Yeah, we're gonna have a break for if [01:08:30] we're having a break, why don't you guys this? These are the copy points in English, but I think they've been translated into Oh, your translators maybe can translate them with you. I was told they were going to and then we just have some pages from a booklet that I wrote what to do to the media. What not to do to the media dos and don't so and so we're having a break now. Enjoy your break.
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