10 Reasons Why Hunter S. Thompson Was Cool
Legendary journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson
died by his own hand Sunday at the age of 67.The
eccentric writer was famous for often working under
the supposed influence of drugs and alcohol, leading
his admirers and critics to define his work as "gonzo
journalism...
Hunter S. Thompson
Legendary journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson
died by his own hand Sunday at the age of 67.
The eccentric writer was famous for often working
under the supposed influence of drugs and alcohol,
leading his admirers and critics to define his work as
"gonzo journalism." Thompson's rise began in the '60s
during a movement called "New Journalism." Journalists
such as Thompson and Tom Wolfe defined the era by
infusing themselves and their worldviews into their
stories.
Thompson will probably be best remembered for the
Americana road trip book Fear And Loathing In Las
Vegas.
Without further ado, here are 10 reasons why Hunter S.
Thompson was cool:
1. Hunter's articles in Rolling Stone chronicling the
Richard Nixon presidency helped define that magazine
as a powerhouse publication. His legendary hatred of
Nixon gave the American youth a true villain for their
times. The magazine occasionally let Hunter's essays
run for tens of thousands of words.
2. Thompson appeared on a spoken-word album with Black
Flag's Henry Rollins and Dead Kennedys' frontman Jello
Biafra near the beginning of the two punk rockers'
successful spoken word careers.
3. The soundtrack to the movie Where The Buffalo Roam,
which starred Bill Murray and was based on Thompson's
experiences, was compiled and partially performed by
Canadian legend Neil Young.
4. Is often credited with the following hysterical
take on the music industry: "The music business is a
cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway
where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die
like dogs. There's also a negative side."
5. The movie based on Fear And Loathing was directed
by Terry Gilliam and starred Johnny Depp, Benicio Del
Toro and Tobey Maguire, most of whom did the movie
because they loved the book. 'Nuff said.
6. The character Uncle Duke in Garry Trudeau's comic
Doonesbury is based on Thompson, who often used the
name Raoul Duke as a pseudonym while on the road.
7. An essay entitled "The Beast With Three Backs" is
about one of Hunter's trips to Montreal and his
experiences at the city's infamous downtown strip
club, Super Sexe.
8. In 1970, Thompson ran for Sheriff of Pitkin County,
Colorado He vowed that if he won he would
decriminalize drugs replace the streets with bike
paths and rename Aspen, Colorado "Fat City", amongst
other things. Sadly, he lost to the incumbent
Republican sheriff.
9. To research a story Hunter hung out and rode with
the Hell's Angels. In 1965 he took the Angels to Ken
Kesey's ranch for an acid test. Attendee Allen
Ginsberg wrote a poem about it. In 1967, Thompson
released the book Hell's Angels: A Strange And
Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gang.
10. Was close friends with the late Warren Zevon.
Thompson quoted a Zevon song in The Curse Of Lono,
while the songwriter dedicated his 1995 album,
Mutineer, to Hunter.
