Malcolm Gladwell talks Penn State, Paterno, podcast and more in State College
Journalist and speaker Malcolm Gladwell touched on a wide variety of subjects during an appearance Wednesday in State College, but it was eight words that led to applause breaking out in The State Theatre.
“I think it should be put back up,” he said, in reference to the statue of former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno.
The statue was removed from its place in next to Beaver Stadium in July 2012 following Louis J. Freeh’s report that Paterno had concealed allegations of sexual abuse. It had been a symbol of the head football coach’s contributions to both the team and community.
“That statue is in honor of someone’s integrity, skills as a football coach, and contributions to his community. All of those three things are still intact,” Gladwell said. “None of those things were called into question by the events surrounding the case, so I think the statue deserves to go back up.”
Gladwell, a speaker, podcaster, and author of five international bestsellers, spoke during a moderated discussion presented by the Centre Daily Times and The Daily Collegian. Gladwell’s latest book, “Talking to Strangers,” devotes a chapter to the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.
Returning the statue, Gladwell said, would be a step toward healing the community.
Journalists at the time, he argued, were too quick in reporting and condemning Paterno’s actions, which led to finger-pointing and confusion.
“(Paterno) notified his superiors. I don’t see on what basis you would take down a man’s statue for following the procedures of his own university,” Gladwell said.
He added that Paterno had never received training in the areas of child development or psychology, so the case should have been left to those experts.
“Why are you asking a football coach to respond to a situation with the same level of sophistication as someone who has got a Ph.D. in clinical psychology?” he said.
Gladwell also discussed his lastest best-seller, which deals with the ways in which people are easily deceived in everyday life. Humans have evolved to be trusting, he writes, but this isn’t a necessarily bad characteristic to have.
He argues that the problem arises when we, in an attempt to prevent all deception, over-criminalize, which can lead to innocent people being targeted. He gave the examples of the Amanda Knox and Sandra Bland cases.
Gladwell also took questions from the audience about his podcasting preferences and the implicit biases present when picking someone for a job (“Imagine, if we didn’t know Pete Buttigieg was five foot seven, how much better his chances would be!”).
Gladwell also appeared Wednesday at a fundraiser for the Centre County Historical Society at the Centre Furnace Mansion.
This story was originally published January 30, 2020 at 8:27 AM.