Kara S Alaimo, Columnist

When Ambushed by Activists, Politicians Should Be Boring

Protesters with video cameras are confronting officials at gyms and restaurants. They want things to get interesting.

October 10, 2018 at 4:06 PM UTC

Kara Alaimo is an associate professor of communication at Fairleigh Dickinson University. She is the author of “Over the Influence: Why Social Media Is Toxic for Women and Girls — and How We Can Take It Back.”

Don’t be interesting.
Photographer: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

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Did you catch the video that surfaced last week showing a woman trying to talk about homelessness with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio as he worked out at a gym? It won't exactly make his highlight reel when he looks for material to use in his next campaign commercial.

“I can’t do this now,” de Blasio says, forcing a peevish smile as the woman entreats him to build more housing for homeless people. Then a security officer intervenes and the mayor heads for an exit.