Monday, March 10, 2008

Gonzo the Great


So I was thinking a lot of things driving today and I'll spare you most of them, but I thought one thing maybe worth mentioning. Number one thing worth mentioning: Hunter S. Thompson is still alive. I saw him a few weeks ago in Kent driving a red Fiero. I was thinking today what has he been up to since they shot whatever they did out of that ridiculous cannon; and I was thinking about Gonzo- the Muppet, not the new Gonzo with the perfect nose, but the old Gonzo with the really screwed up nose. The tatterdemalion Gonzo. I like that one much better. Anyway, I was thinking a lot of silly thoughts about Hunter S. Thompson; mainly how since he faked his suicide he's been much happier. I thought the loss of his two middle fingers would also make him happy. It's silly, yes, and would cause his next book to be missing a lot of letters, but I thought maybe he'd be happy that way. Carrying the Gonzo torch would begin to wear on anyone after a while. Is that what happened to the old tatterdemalion Gonzo? He got tired of being who everyone expected him to be. I suppose I'm guilty in this regard, because I like him a lot better when he used to eat tires to the Fight of the Bumblebee and when he was sad after no one in the audience liked it. Maybe I'm all wrong on this, because Gonzo decides to do his thing regardless of how it is received in later seasons. Maybe that's the trick of evolving as an artist- not caring. I think Hunter S. Thompson is still alive and he's no longer practicing Gonzo journalism; I'll bet he's seeing the country in that Fiero. It probably gets good enough gas mileage. Still writing, of course. Travel writing. I'll bet he's doing his best to give dirty motels rave reviews.

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