How to be a TV talking head  I’ve spent half my adult life
appearing as a talking head on various TV channels, so by now I
have the art of on-camera gabbing down to a T and know just what
to do, what to avoid, and whether to watch the clip afterwards
with one eye covered.  Live appearances on cable news are way
different than pre-taped ones (like “101 Celebrity Meltdowns” or
“The Fab Times of Lindsay”), so I’ll separate them in offering
my unsolicited but extremely useful advice to anyone brazen
enough to want to join the unpaid talking head population.  For
live shows:  *Have your first answer ready. The worst thing
imaginable on live TV is dead air, so you want to avoid ever
pausing to think or stammering stuff like “Um, uh…” If your
first answer doesn’t match the first question, then say it
anyway—and make it match the question.  *Speak in four or five
sentences at a time, trailing off when you’ve sensed that you’ve
had your say on that particular subject and it’s time for
someone—anyone–else to speak. Don