As I mentioned elsewhere, the use "umms" is only because he tries to talk off the cuff. This makes his talks much more interesting.

Most of the smooth talkers you see on tv and youtube have basically learned what they are going to say. They sound slicker, but eventually what they do say is less interesting because it has been pre-learned and thus pre-filtered.

This is a general problem with Television and popular culture nowadays. If you look at old tv talk shows you can see real spontaneity, but this is mostly absent from modern tv. Of course, the other side of the coin is that on modern TV interviewers and interviewees are much smoother and more self assured, as they already know what they are going to say.

I really hope that people do not get spoiled by this pre-learned smoothness of presentation as to fail to appreciate actual spontaneous interviews and conversations.

It's ridiculous to say that to speak off-the-cuff you need to use "umm" or another filler word incessantly. Go to any good, spontaneous, unrehearsed conversation anywhere on the internet and you will see how much time was wasted trying to construct this argument.

> As I mentioned elsewhere, the use "umms" is only because he tries to talk off the cuff.

Plenty of people can talk off the cuff without saying "umm" this often.

Presumably that isn't Separo's experience nor is it mine. There is more "unedited" material out there in live streams, podcasts, talks and hobby videos than ever. PG is one of the few people I remember having to turn off repeatedly despite wanting to listen to. Maybe it is individual in how you listen, but it is what it is.

I agree, but it's also his trademark. Kinda like Michael Jackson's "Hee-Hee". :)