Talk:Sam Rubin

Jackson interview controversy

While I can understand a need to nuance the controversy, the attempt misspells Jacksons name, and it makes him out to be the one making the mistake. Also, the very valid reference to Rubin's apology was removed.

Taken together, this completely changes how the actual event (the interview) comes across, so I quick-reverted.

This should not be taken to mean I oppose attempts to nuance the description (on the contrary!) only that I encourage a bit more care to be taken not to whitewash Rubin's (re)actions both during and after the event: he did act completely guilty, so just saying Jackson was "mistaken" would be a gross simplification. CapnZapp (talk) 20:46, 12 June 2014 (UTC)

Apologies for the late and lengthy response. I wasn't aware of Wikipedia's talk page at the time of my edit and have only stumbled across your response today.

I feel that Sam did not confuse Jackson with Fishburne because he introduced the interview with, "I tell you what, [you're] working for Marvel, the Super Bowl commercial..." . Samuel L. Jackson was working for Marvel; he featured in a Super Bowl commercial for Captain America: The Winter Soldier. That line should vindicate him of the primary claim, given that Laurence Fishburne was in a Kia Commercial and not at the time working for Marvel. Why Sam acted "completely guilty" during the interview is up for speculation; whether reading questions written by someone else or simply being caught off-guard by the unexpected confrontation, I feel that his opening line alongside his apology video (Unreliable mirror), confirms that he was referring to The Winter Soldier and that the characterisation of the event as: "Rubin mistakenly asked Jackson about the success of the superbowl trailer advertised at the Superbowl" is false. I'll concede that placing it all on Jackson is also a mischaracterisation. More accurately it's a combination of Samuel L. Jackson and Sam Rubin making mistakes: Jackson not being aware of the trailer and assuming Sam had confused him with Fishburne (additionally, it was an out-of-scope question as he was there to talk about RoboCop) and Sam Rubin being unable to cope with the interview once it had gone off-script. As these types of interviews are usually planned in advance it's plausible that the Super Bowl line was a late addition to make the interview more current. I've worked on live sets and can attest to the unfortunate reality that in the rush of video production presenters will usually read the script for the first time on air.

I'm happy to give it another go or discuss how this event could be better described in away that accounts for these nuances. Simply put, the lack of detail irks me, which in retrospect, is a charge that my original edit also is guilty of. Herlome (talk) 6:43, 1 March 2019 (UTC)

References

In memory at KTLA

Sam Rubin passed away at age 64 at noon today of a heart attack. The people at KTLA are going with complete 24/7 live coverage. "The heart and soul of KTLA was Sam Rubin. The heart is broken," says Rich Chambers in introduction of clips and tributes of stars phoning in. He started his own company, SRE Inc., was cofounder of the Critics' Choice Awards (current name) and gave Taylor Swift her start. She is now a billionaire. He is best know for his insightful friendly visits with Oscars stars on the Red Carpet. There is a lot that can be added here in this section. He is survived by his wife and four children. AstroU (talk) 06:37, 11 May 2024 (UTC)

The best writeups are at the KTLA website, The Hollywood Report, and on X. Sam Rubin pictures should be added. Sam Rubin was a founding member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association, which creates and broadcasts the Critics' Choice Movie Awards annually prior to the Oscars. -- Charles Edwin Shipp (talk) 13:58, 11 May 2024 (UTC)

@Charles Edwin Shipp We might need to add an image fair use, as I can't find any freely licensed images of him. Sammi Brie (she/her • t • c) 01:16, 12 May 2024 (UTC)

The photo of Sam Rubin looks great. Thanks Sammi Brie

Balance

IMO, the general impression of the KTLA section in particular leans too far negative with all the anecdotes of people he offended. He never hit anyone in the face, called them any names not suitable for polite conversation and reasonable for someone who talks for a living, etc. Surely, we can some up with some more positive anecdotes for balance. I admit to being biased. What do others think? —[AlanM1 (talk)]— 16:39, 12 May 2024 (UTC)

@AlanM1 I think one of the better ways to do that might be the celebrity tributes. Tom Hanks's "open up like a flower" line probably fits. We do need to avoid being overly positive or hagiographic, which a heavy reliance on obituary sources could produce. Sammi Brie (she/her • t • c) 17:02, 12 May 2024 (UTC)