Jeremy Paxman's deadpan delivery of this question to former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi is classic. Yes, it's not policymaking weight, but it certainly is a forthright question.

Imagine our media asking questions of policymakers -- former and current -- that were as direct as this one, with a little content attached. They might ask John Boehner whether he enjoys being a tool of the Tea Party or just enjoys a little Koch with his wine, or they might confront any one of the idiot wingers in the House and ask them whether they sleep at night knowing veterans are dying because of their austerity fetish.

Well, you get the idea. But in this clip, it's just a straightforward question to clarify what Berlusconi thinks of Angela Merkel. Paxman, with a straight face, asked Berlusconi whether he really called Merkel an "unf*ckable lardass."

Berlusconi's reaction is stunned silence before the indignation kicked in.