Let's talk Journalism.
I'ma keep it short.
Hunter Thompson completely revolutionized journalism. He was in-your-face, factual, everything is "on the record," hilarious, and he exposed some of the inner workings of America to the rest of us ignorants. Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 is perhaps the most celebrated and revered work of political journalism to have ever been written in contemporary America. You may have seen the movies Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (also a good book) and The Rum Diary (also a book). That's Hunter S. Thompson. He is celebrated not for his drug-filled, crazy, over-the-top lifestyle but for his writing style and amazing insight into american culture. His books are extremely entertaining and also really can expand your mind.
Al Franken is HILARIOUS! He is also wayyy smart and is a great window into current politics and political figures. "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations" is a GREAT book. "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them" is also supposed to be great. Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot offers a great look at the right-wing political figures of the late 80's and 90's. I used to argue constantly with my mother about how "you can't just lump all republicans into the same group" (she thought she could, i disagreed). After reading this book (and a few others), I can safely say that, yes, you can lump the large Republican political figures of the 80's and 90's into one group: Evil, scumsucking, lying, bigoted bastards. "Liberal" became a bad word in those days. The irony is that during that time, the only good work being done for America was being done by groups lead by liberals. Reagan was perhaps the ONLY conservative activist (lol he was president) who did anything really substantially good for america. The only problem is he also screwed us over for a while (but it's hard to really put all the blame on him. He had to work with evil, scumsucking, lying, bigoted bastards).
Today however, there are evil, scumsucking, lying, bigoted bastards everywhere in our political system (The democratic party has stooped to the level of the people they once opposed). Look at the Tea Party. Who the FUCK got that going? How is it still a large political force in a country built on freedom, democracy, and human rights? So to me these 2 guys represent the last bastion of GOOD journalism and politics in America. Getting people informed. Sharing their thoughts. Sharing facts. Writing a paper as backed up as it would have to be to get credit from actual scholars.
Where did we go wrong? How is it that people like Bill O'Reilly can have 2 New York Times #1 Best-sellers? How do we now consider that kind of propaganda and uneducated, credential-less writing to be journalism.... in the service of American Democracy, no less? I mean it seems that most "reporters" today (at least the ones everyone is exposed to) really are just good at sensational, non-substantive horse shit. I can watch Fox News for an hour and have learned NOTHING i can actually use as real factual information. Even when I watch MSNBC, I still feel like I'm being force-fed buzz words and cheap-shots.
So that's how these guys have affected me. Just 2 really smart guys. Makes me proud to be an American, despite all of our problems. These 2 guys simply couldn't exist like they do here in places like China and the Middle East. Even in some Eastern European countries. So I'm glad America has produced people like this, and that people like this have produced writing like they have.
What are some of the great political and cultural journalists/writers you guys are into? Why? And what impact has their writing had on you?
See how I kept it short there?
I'ma keep it short.
Hunter Thompson completely revolutionized journalism. He was in-your-face, factual, everything is "on the record," hilarious, and he exposed some of the inner workings of America to the rest of us ignorants. Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 is perhaps the most celebrated and revered work of political journalism to have ever been written in contemporary America. You may have seen the movies Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (also a good book) and The Rum Diary (also a book). That's Hunter S. Thompson. He is celebrated not for his drug-filled, crazy, over-the-top lifestyle but for his writing style and amazing insight into american culture. His books are extremely entertaining and also really can expand your mind.
Al Franken is HILARIOUS! He is also wayyy smart and is a great window into current politics and political figures. "Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations" is a GREAT book. "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them" is also supposed to be great. Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot offers a great look at the right-wing political figures of the late 80's and 90's. I used to argue constantly with my mother about how "you can't just lump all republicans into the same group" (she thought she could, i disagreed). After reading this book (and a few others), I can safely say that, yes, you can lump the large Republican political figures of the 80's and 90's into one group: Evil, scumsucking, lying, bigoted bastards. "Liberal" became a bad word in those days. The irony is that during that time, the only good work being done for America was being done by groups lead by liberals. Reagan was perhaps the ONLY conservative activist (lol he was president) who did anything really substantially good for america. The only problem is he also screwed us over for a while (but it's hard to really put all the blame on him. He had to work with evil, scumsucking, lying, bigoted bastards).
Today however, there are evil, scumsucking, lying, bigoted bastards everywhere in our political system (The democratic party has stooped to the level of the people they once opposed). Look at the Tea Party. Who the FUCK got that going? How is it still a large political force in a country built on freedom, democracy, and human rights? So to me these 2 guys represent the last bastion of GOOD journalism and politics in America. Getting people informed. Sharing their thoughts. Sharing facts. Writing a paper as backed up as it would have to be to get credit from actual scholars.
Where did we go wrong? How is it that people like Bill O'Reilly can have 2 New York Times #1 Best-sellers? How do we now consider that kind of propaganda and uneducated, credential-less writing to be journalism.... in the service of American Democracy, no less? I mean it seems that most "reporters" today (at least the ones everyone is exposed to) really are just good at sensational, non-substantive horse shit. I can watch Fox News for an hour and have learned NOTHING i can actually use as real factual information. Even when I watch MSNBC, I still feel like I'm being force-fed buzz words and cheap-shots.
So that's how these guys have affected me. Just 2 really smart guys. Makes me proud to be an American, despite all of our problems. These 2 guys simply couldn't exist like they do here in places like China and the Middle East. Even in some Eastern European countries. So I'm glad America has produced people like this, and that people like this have produced writing like they have.
What are some of the great political and cultural journalists/writers you guys are into? Why? And what impact has their writing had on you?
See how I kept it short there?
Last edited: