2008 Woodie Awards
Remember The Good Doctor
By: Culberson, JadeLee
Issue date: 2/19/07 Section: Entertainment
- Page 1 of 1
I meet a lot of people each semester. Inevitably, I ask, "Have you ever seen 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas ?" If you've seen it, I ask if you've read the book, or if you've read anything else by writer Hunter S. Thompson (better known as The Good Doctor to his true fans).
I'm always surprised at how many people who have seen "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" have nothing more to say about mentioning it might have been based on "some wild '70s novel." I'm always horrified, and even offended, at how few people are familiar with Thompson's work.
Even those who have seen "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" often associate the film with Johnny Depp more than as an adaptation of a non-fiction book - in preparation for which Depp lived in Thompson's basement.
Thompson pioneered a style of journalistic writing in the late '60s called Gonzo Journalism - in which the reporter becomes part of the story and delivers a first-hand, often somewhat subjective, account.
His innovative style and immense talent for writing about sports and the political turmoil throughout the '70s and '80s kept him in great demand despite of - or perhaps, somewhat, because of - his over-the-top lifestyle. Thompson was quoted as saying, "I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence or insanity to anyone but they've always worked for me."
Those familiar with Thompson's work are aware the two year anniversary of his death on February 20. At age 67, Thompson died of a self-inflicted gun-shot wound in his home.
Six months later, Depp helped Thompson's family and friends achieve The Good Doctor's final wish - to have his ashes shot out of a cannon in Woody Creek (near Aspen, Colorado).
As a journalist, my work - and my life - has been influenced by Thompson. I respect his writing, his style, and the trail he blazed for the journalists who followed after him and continue to do so.
I'm always surprised at how many people who have seen "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" have nothing more to say about mentioning it might have been based on "some wild '70s novel." I'm always horrified, and even offended, at how few people are familiar with Thompson's work.
Even those who have seen "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" often associate the film with Johnny Depp more than as an adaptation of a non-fiction book - in preparation for which Depp lived in Thompson's basement.
Thompson pioneered a style of journalistic writing in the late '60s called Gonzo Journalism - in which the reporter becomes part of the story and delivers a first-hand, often somewhat subjective, account.
His innovative style and immense talent for writing about sports and the political turmoil throughout the '70s and '80s kept him in great demand despite of - or perhaps, somewhat, because of - his over-the-top lifestyle. Thompson was quoted as saying, "I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence or insanity to anyone but they've always worked for me."
Those familiar with Thompson's work are aware the two year anniversary of his death on February 20. At age 67, Thompson died of a self-inflicted gun-shot wound in his home.
Six months later, Depp helped Thompson's family and friends achieve The Good Doctor's final wish - to have his ashes shot out of a cannon in Woody Creek (near Aspen, Colorado).
As a journalist, my work - and my life - has been influenced by Thompson. I respect his writing, his style, and the trail he blazed for the journalists who followed after him and continue to do so.
Be the first to comment on this story