Problem
Welcome to your class forum for the discussion of the Pierre Trudeau "Just Watch Me" interview. In 1970, the events of the October Crisis had culminated in Prime Minister Trudeau's decision to exercise the country's War Powers Act, giving him far-reaching authority over the nation's laws and security. This interview was a spontaneous meeting between he and a CBC reporter named Tim Ralfe as Trudeau was on his way into a building. Read the transcript of the interview in your Omnivox Documents.
You can also view the interview on YouTube video: "CBC Archives: Just Watch Me, 1970 | CBC".
As you watch and read, consider the following discussion questions:
• Both men make various rhetorical appeals. Which do you find? Do either men use rhetorical devices to achieve these appeals? What might be the intended purposes? What specific audiences are both men trying to reach in their dialogue?
• The use of responding to a question with a question is often called the "Socratic method". Both men seem to employ this method. What effect does this have?
• What role does tone play in this interview? How do both men use tone to achieve their purpose?
As always make sure to critically read this transcript. This includes not only reading the text, but pre-reading by researching relevant contexts, such as Pierre Trudeau's political party, the October Crisis of 1970, its origins and which provinces are relevant to its events.