You don’t often hear interview subjects challenging prominent journalists about their ex-wives and other peccadilloes. But that’s what happened on Monday’s CBS This Morning. Reporter Anthony Mason interviewed Kiss singer and guitarist Paul Stanley on the band’s entry into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

“Mason quizzed, ‘And when the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame asked the original members to perform together again, Stanley resisted. For old times’ sake, one more time, you wouldn’t want to do that?’ Stanley retorted, ‘How many times have you been married?’ After the reporter responded with ‘twice,’ the rock star pounced, ‘How about for old times’ sake you go back and spend the night with your ex-wife?’”

There are lessons here.

First, anytime you are being interviewed, take control of the interview. You’re not getting paid to be on their show. They’re making money; you’re not.

The classic example of this is Samuel L. Jackson who was misidentified as Laurence Fishburne. Jackson lit into the guy. He never let up. The interviewer was embarrassed.

Second, when moral issues like abortion and homosexuality come up, the first question you should ask is, “What is your standard of morality?” Most of these interviewers will be uncomfortable with the question. They might try to deflect it with a comment like this: “I’m not the one being interviewed.” Here’s I would say. “These are moral issues, and I want to know if you have a standard of morality and what it is. If I don’t know this, then you and I are going to talk past one another.”

I suspect that most people have never thought about a fixed moral standard, and if they have, it’s some nebulous morality that can be easily picked apart by someone who knows what the options are: Everybody knows that certain things are wrong, reason, social consensus, natural law, majority opinion, etc. You better be ready to answer each of these clearly and succinctly.

Third, on economic issues, if it’s a big name interviewer, ask him or her how much they make. They can’t talk about income equality if they’re making a million dollars a year. If they believe something needs to be done about income equality, suggest that they give half their salary away every year. Don’t let them claim, “That’s what taxes are for.” Tax money is squandered and is used to make the people who get some of our tax money wards of the State

Find some examples of rich hypocrites. Here’s the latest one. Paul Krugman is a leftist who writes on economics. Here’s how Slate describes him:

“Paul Krugman may be America’s foremost public intellectual. He’s certainly a contender for the title. He has done more than any other thinker to sound the alarm about rising income inequality in the United States, and in doing so he has shaped the worldview of a generation of liberals.”

A long defense is offered by Reihan Salam on how Krugman is worth more than the $225,000 he was offered “to join the faculty of the City University of New York’s Graduate Center.” Krugman is one of the worst people writing on economics in America today. Thomas Sowell would run economic rings around him. Hey Salam, why not interview Thomas Sowell or Walter Williams and have them respond to Krugman’s economic policies.

Then there are the Clintons: “[T]he only political figure paid more to talk to people than [Hillary] Clinton is her husband, whose speech-making haul was $17 million last year [2012], according to the Times. As a couple, the Clintons have earned more than $100 million since Bill left office.”

There are other tips, but these are the big three.

It’s too bad that tomost Republicans are unwilling to take on the establishment media. They’re afraid they won’t be liked.