When you are inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, one presumes there is a flood of feelings that wash up inside you. It can be a point of nostalgia or introspection; it could be a celebration of a career full of monumental successes. Only those musicians who have been included in its ranks could say for certain.
But for Robert Smith of The Cure, who was among the 2019 inductees, it was a notably (and hilariously) mild-mannered affair. As the musician walked the red carpet, he was greeted by an overzealous reporter who was perhaps a little more enthused about Smith's induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame than he ultimately was. The result is a beautifully awkward moment where Smith perfectly deadpanned his response to the ceremony. You can take a look for yourself below.
In the amusing clip, Robert Smith met up with television personality Carrie Keagan, whose energy level and wide-smile enthusiasm about the whole ceremony seems to be a few notches above Smith's, at least. The Cure was there in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center to accept this big honor. And Smith, as the frontman, was on the red carpet with his fellow bandmates to field questions about what the accomplishment ultimately meant to them. While he might appreciate what it means for himself and his band, it's clear that — from the start of the interview — he wasn't quite on the same level of excitement as Keagan, and he didn't pretend to be either. What ensued thereafter was an awkward but nevertheless kind interview.
At the start of the interview, Carrie Keagan warmly asks if Robert Smith and the rest of The Cure are as excited as she is to be there this evening. Without missing one single beat (he is a musician, after all), Smith deadpans, "By the sound of it, no." Thankfully, Keagan wasn't taken aback too much by this tempered response; there was still a pep in her step as Keagan went forward with the ten-minute interview.
But as it continued onward, it was clear that, while Robert Smith wasn't mean or rude to the interviewer, he was never going to be at the same energy level that she was, and the interview feels like a humorous mix of hot and cold; neither party cooling down or warming up accordingly. It resulted in a good bit of awkwardness.
If you wish to watch the full strained interview, check it out for yourself below.
On the red carpet, we are used to celebrities trying to match the enthusiasm, excitement and the high energy of the interviewers. When you are a famous person, you are expected to be "on" at all times; there's hardly ever a moment when a famous person can be a little more subdued. That's likely one of the reasons why this interview went viral. Or, at least, why the most awkward moment of it did.
Of course, there's nothing wrong with being hyper and enthused the way Carrie Keagan clearly was. She admits she's a fan of The Cure, and she seemed to be caught up in the excitement of the whole ordeal, even on The Cure's behalf at times. But while Robert Smith was nice and courteous during the interview, it was quickly made apparent that he wasn't going to pretend to be something he wasn't. People online responded to that quite enthusiastically — ironically — with this clip.
