Who was Hunter S. Thompson?

 

"I was not proud of what I had learned, but I never doubted that it was worth knowing." 

-Hunter S. Thompson 

The Rum Diary 

    Those who know me well enough might remember that I have a soft spot for a particular film known as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. It's a movie that I have quoted, recited, drawn inspiration from, and enjoyed watching on several occasions (both sober and safely under the influence). The primary enjoyment of that film emanates from Johnny Depp's portrayal of the protagonist named Raoul Duke: an author-insert analog for Thompson himself. Depp's performance is so memorable and hilarious that I have always enjoyed this character for cosplay for conventions and especially Halloween. 

Johnny Depp from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

We can't stop here! This is Bat country! 

    It wasn't until recently that I took a more thorough examination into the man himself and understood why he was such an influential figure. And it mainly boils down to his unintentional creation and popularization of what become known as "Gonzo Journalism." 

    For those who don't know or haven't watched the attached video link above just yet, "Gonzo Journalism" is a writing style that focuses less on reporting facts and more on presenting factual events through the lens of wild and unhinged storytelling techniques. Rather than stick to the normal five points of journalism (who, what, when, where, and why), the Gonzo approach takes it a step further; offering a distinct first-person account of the events and/or subject matter sprinkled with sarcastic commentary based on the author's feelings and impressions on the events as they unfold. Like many wonderful and unusual things, this insane yet fascinating writing style was born out of Thompson's contempt for traditional and conventional journalism. Not to mention a few drug-induced episodes. 

    "Gonzo Journalism" got its start with Thompson's article, "The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved," which he wrote for the magazine Scanlan's Monthly in 1970. An article that was initially intended to report on The Kentucky Derby and the winner, but through a series of unusual events, morphed into a social commentary about alcoholism, ignorance, and the dangers of closed-minded culture. All presented from the perspective of Thompson himself as he unveils the story from a first-person perspective, inserting seemingly cruel yet eerily accurate observations on unhealthy aspects of American society, with bits of well-timed humor thrown in for good measure. 

    Arguably the most famous work of Hunter S. Thompson is his novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream. Much like his article about the Kentucky Derby as mentioned above, it's a story that started as an assignment to cover a sports event (in this case, the Mint 400 desert race of 1971) but instead transitioned into a drug-induced and introspective commentary serving as a "...salute to the fantastic possibilities of life in this country-but only for those with true grit." 

    Are you noticing a pattern here? 

    Many people have written off (no pun intended) Thompson's work as the ravings of a drug-addicted paranoid madman. While that would technically be an apt description of the man, there's more to him and his writing than just wild drug-induced ramblings and fits about huge Bats flying around a moving car in the middle of the Desert. 

    The works of Hunter S. Thompson encompass a highly critical and unusually concerned observation about the ugly and often inhumane aspects of American culture. He was essentially a precursor to The Daily Show: offering humorous observations on American absurdities and satirizing unreasonable societal expectations. Not to mention the tragic and often overlooked demise of the few movements in America that genuinely had the right idea only to be snuffed out and discarded by the establishment. 

    Nowhere else in his works is this mentality more prevalent than in the monologue about San Francisco in the 1060s

    If his works were so serious, some might be wondering why they are still funny (perceivably)? Well, there's a short answer and a long answer. The short answer is because life is inherently funny. The long answer is something else entirely. 

    Laughter is often and wrongfully perceived as a knee-jerk reaction to something that's "funny." While that is the most common observation, it's not the whole truth. A more accurate observation would be to say that laughter results from the brain receiving more information and stimuli than it can realistically handle. Hence, the brain reacts to the sudden impact by causing us to laugh. In other words, laughter is more often a subconscious defense mechanism protecting our minds from impending insanity. Specifically, the dangerous kind causing one to wind up locked inside a padded cell instead of the fun kind that causes one (after a few beers) to profess their affection to their best friend whilst trapped in a headlock. 

    As far back as the Court Gesture, if not further, humor has always been used as a means to both entertain and commentate. Few creative minds understood this better than Hunter S. Thompson. 

    His works and ideologies have become so memorable and influential, they have been adapted into two famous feature films: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Where the Buffalo Roam. So, to further explore and understand their impact on society, and the nature of Gonzo Journalism, for my next review, I shall compare and contrast the two films. 

    However, if anything is worth doing, it's worth doing right. So, to make this a proper critique, I'm going to need some help by channeling the very essence of the man himself. I must immerse myself in the insanity and fully embrace the madness of Gonzo Journalism. This may be a dangerous assignment with overtones of extreme danger, but don't worry...I've got back up.