Has anyone else heard tell of interviewees in Convention parts being told what to say? The way I've heard it is you're contacted to be interviewed in a Convention talk because you've had a great experience in some form or other and they need you to boast about it. So, you meet with the brother handling the assignment and you go through your experience with him (boast about it). And he says, 'um, ok, that's great, I can really see how you were blessed in that instance. But I wonder if you could maybe add [insert personal opinion/downright lie so that it fits in better with the outline kindly provided by the FDS legal dept]?' I'm guessing refusal to play around with the truth would mean they'd replace you and you'd miss the chance to boast in front of your peers at the DC. So, you go ahead, you gulp down your conscience and you embellish your experience so that it fits in better with the outline and you get a less lethargic round of applause afterwards. Also, has anyone else sat with jaw agape at the nonsense a bro or sis you happen to know is spouting during one of these interviews? Have you turned to the bro or sis behind you and gasped, 'that's now how it happened!'? It's amazing the mediocrity that's celebrated year after year at the DC.
Being told what to say in Convention interviews
by passwordprotected 44 Replies latest watchtower beliefs
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WTWizard
The good news--I have never had the duty to make up one of those things--yet. However, I would assume that, even if you have had a totally negative experience with them, there is some chance that they could call you up to give their spin on it.
An example might be someone being dragged back into the washtowel from some worldly organization. The person might have liked the worldly organization, and even benefited markedly from it. The washtowel version might be that the person was "rescued" from this organization, and is "safely" back into the washtowel. Or perhaps the person was hounded into pioneering, and hates it (and was better off before). "Blessings" would include being able to pioneer and starting numerous studies.
One thing I have never heard in one of these experiences is any blessings beyond the cancer. Never has anyone boasted truthfully about becoming affluent because of anything they did for the cancer, markedly and substantially improved health (with the exception of quitting smoking and using drugs, which can be done just as well without a washtowel), or having truly satisfying experiences in personal areas (sexual, recreation, employment). It is always sacrificing these areas--and whenever anyone DOES mention improvements in these areas, it is always a lie or something totally out of context.
Whatever, don't believe anything you hear about these experiences. The more "far out" they are, the more likely they are made up, embellished, or outright lies. Talk about leaving a worldly organization and having the "blessing" of pioneering, or of being "rescued" from good sex for the Value Destroyer Training School as a blessing is probably all fake. I would be totally embarrassed to have to make such report, and would ask any present newspaper or TV news to zero in on the card so the public could see that it was a fake.
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John Doe
I never knew the speakers personally. The experiences always sounded embellished and contrived though.
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passwordprotected
I heard two interviews at a DC where the bros in question had both, while still JWs, gone to college, got good educations, held down jobs where their position was one of power, and they were well paid for it. Both bros were now elders and held prominent roles, both in the congregations and in other areas of the org. They stated that getting the education helped them serve Jah better. Hmm...I wonder if perhaps the bro interviewing them forgot about the official line. Bet we don't hear from him again.
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passwordprotected
I also heard an experience where a sister said that she relied on Jah in prayer. An example she gave was when she was late for a doctor's appointment and prayed the bus would hurry up. At that moment the bus came around the corner. The speaker's reply to this piece of nonsense? "That's fantastic." So, we're to believe that Jah moves buses through time and space to meet the needs of a sickly sister going to the docs? And I thought Lost was far-fetched......
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lisavegas420
I once had to give an experience at an assembly of how I was persecuted at school for not saluting the flag. And how I stood up for my beliefs.
The truth was, I was 4yrs old, in kindergarden, and I knew I wasn't supposed to put my hand over my heart, but didn't know why, so I kept dropping it to my side, and was put in timeout.
lisa
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ldrnomo
I hated getting assigned those parts on ass-emblies. I would have to call around the circuit trying to find good experiences and when I was directed to one it was usually fairly bland and then I had to coach the person to make it sound like more then it really was so it would be stage worthy.
LD
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jamiebowers
Has anyone else heard tell of interviewees in Convention parts being told what to say?
Yes, I have heard about it on this very board. But even if it isn't true, I'm certain that interviewees never give the full story. Years ago I heard that my mom had an assembly part where she was interviewed about perservering in the face of opposition of an ubm. Her story was true that her husband opposed her being a jw, and yes, he eventually did become one himelf. I'm sure she failed to mention a few things:
1. Her husband tried to molest her daughter, and under the direction of the elders, she did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING about it.
2. She left him until he started studying.
3. The same daughter who fought off molestation attempts was later df'd for refusing to either stay with a physically abusive, mentally ill jw husband or remain single and stick around long
enough to see if he was going to commit adultery or murder. -
song19
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Prov1320
Lisa, that's a funny experience!
I too had a similar experience. I was in my teens and the bro asked me to state how I was dealing with the pressures of being a JW at school. The truth was that I had no pressures, and I regularly participated in extracurricular activities. So I said that once when I was in elementary school (grade 4 or 5) the teacher and kids saved some halloween cookies for me since I didn't go to the school party. I said "no thanks." That was it. But the bro wanted me to make it sound like it was recent. So I did.
Some of my friends came up to me afterwards and asked if my high school still had halloween parties, and I said of course not. I had to admit that it was a very old story. It was kind of embarrasing, but in my defense I told everyone who asked the truth(tm).
Prov