My roommate knew this post was coming.....

I came down with the flu yesterday ago, the kind that makes you feel like you have been ran over by truck, put back together by a surgeon on acid and then your sinus allergy kicks in, good times all around. In other words, I stayed away from the lab and any other living creatures except the dogs and cats at home. I fetched a copy of the "New Yorker" to keep busy between two sneezes when I read the title of the featured article: "Malcom Gladwell on the Dog whisperer". I have to recap the situation: as you know, I am a huge fan of Malcom Gladwell's work. My roommate Ranjit is a such a fan of the "Dog Whisperer" ( Cesar Milan) that he is considering a move to LA to become the "Dog Whisperer II: the international remix" :). So the universe is again on the verge of implosion for this "man-crush deathmatch" of epic proportion. Well, it turns out the piece is a well-written article ( according to Ranjit whose standards on "anything-Cesar-related" are pretty high) , very informative on dog behavior, the importance of phrasing and presence, and some insights into Cesar's life: risky move to the US from Mexico ( wonder what he thinks of the new immigration law) ,his family and his principles. Here is the online interview of Gladwell about that article. The best part for me about the interview is his take on Clinton, Bush and personal charisma:
"You write about political phrasing, and how a politician like Bill Clinton or Ronald Reagan is better at calming and inspiring an audience than a politician like George W. Bush is. How much difference does that make to voters watching speeches on television? How much does phrasing overlap with personal charisma?

That's a good question, and not one I have a good answer to. Television has a strangely muting effect on a lot of this stuff. A former aide to Clinton once said to me that if Bill Clinton had been able to personally shake the hand of every American, he would have been elected unanimously. I think that'’s right...... Cesar is the same way: it'’s only when you meet him that you "get" why he has that kind of effect on dogs."
This is my interpretation of his statement: Cesar Millan would probably have a better satisfactory rating if he ran for president that G.W. It is totally speculative of course but not that far fetched from the truth. I can already see my roommate jumping with joy and pumping his fist. Which begs the question, which tv personality you think would be able to inspire people more than G.W ? (we will leave the actual ability to run a country for another time...)

Tags: malcom gladwell, Cesar Millan, dog whisperer, human behavior, phrasing,