Since there have been portable microphones and cameras, there have been man-on-the-street interviews. Popular with news programs, talk shows, and radio stations, news anchors and comedians ask unsuspecting normal people about their views on everything from the weather to the largest political issues of the century. With the rise of the internet and social media, viewers may have turned away from traditional media as their main source of information—but man-on-the-street interviews would not only continue but multiply.
What used to require a journalism degree and fancy equipment can now be done by anyone with a smartphone and a bit of confidence. These interviews, which go viral daily on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and the like, have also created moments that have permanently impacted pop culture—like a woman simulating fellatio on the streets of Nashville or the celebrities who were asked how much they pay for rent in NYC. Influencers travel the world looking …