Jan Thomas, Einar Tørnquist and Morten at Chat Noir, 17 December

Morten was a special guest on a live Christmas edition of the Norwegian podcast Jan Thomas og Einar blir venner [Jan Thomas and Einar become friends] at Chat Noir in Oslo last night. Hosted by the unlikely duo of musician/TV-host Einar Tørnquist and celebrity stylist Jan Thomas, the podcast has quickly become one of the most popular in Norway.

Morten, 17 December

Topics covered in the humorous conversation included Morten’s friendship with Jan Thomas, which started with Morten’s partner Inez recommending him to do his hair. “That is the fun thing about Jan; we don’t reflect about things in the same way, but no matter what direction I drift off in, he keeps up with me”, Morten said about the conversations they have at Jan Thomas’ hair studio.

Jan Thomas told the story of how, following the tragic Orlando shooting in 2016, he asked Morten to take part in the annual Pride Parade in Oslo, which he immediately agreed to. “I really appreciated him doing that”, Jan Thomas said.

Morten was also asked about his interest in insects and butterflies and impressed the audience with his knowledge in a butterfly quiz.

At the end Jan Thomas read a self-written poem about Morten, which referenced the Norwegian-dubbed version of the Julia Roberts film Mirror Mirror (2012), in which Jan Thomas played one of the seven dwarves while Morten played the king (Sean Bean).

The podcast show aired live on the streaming service Dplay, and can be seen here (premium subscribers only).

This was Morten’s second public appearance this month. On 3 December he did another book conversation about Hjemkomst together with Ørjan Nilsson and Audun Vinger, this time at the public library in Haugesund.

This week also marks exactly 40 years since Morten first heard Bridges live in concert. On 16 December 1979 the band performed at Asker Gymnasium, which made a profound impact on him. “It stunned me, right there on the floor”, Morten has said later. After the gig he briefly met Magne and Paul for the very first time.

Morten speaking in Oslo, Jan. 30th

Morten was one of the guests invited to speak at a government meeting in Oslo today, to launch a new campaign against bullying in Norwegian schools.

In his speech, Morten talked about his own experiences being bullied as a child:

“I have wide experience of what it means to be bullied. The years between 3rd and 6th grade in elementary school were painful years for me”, he told the audience. “After school, other pupils would gather around me and beat me up. […] But on the inside, I felt that I would eventually become stronger than all of them.”

“Children live in a world of their own, where adults don’t have much access. But that’s also where we need to be as adults, to provide children with the means to handle this. Self-esteem is important in order to fulfill your own potential. I am certain that all of us represent a greater potential than we realize ourselves”, Morten added in an interview after the meeting.

A video of Morten’s speech can be viewed here. There is also a video interview with Morten and Prime Minister Erna Solberg here.

Other links:
Harket speaks out on bullying (newsinenglish.no)
Morten Harket om fortiden som mobbeoffer: – Det var vonde år (VG)
Morten Harket fortalte om egen erfaring med mobbing (Bergens Tidende)
– Det var vonde år for meg (Klar Tale)
Ble banket opp daglig (NTB)