Jamie Says:
Gonzo Journalism
Write what I see
Personal principles do not allow me to write about things I haven’t had at least a passing acquaintance with; so when I say I have been a victim of the Gonzo addiction you will understand that I know what I’m talking about.
Nigh on a decade ago I was involved in a school newspaper, which was small and unimportant, and took up the mantle of columnist for the first time in my life. As a young and impressionable teen I wanted to change the way people thought; of course I did, I was an outsider, I wanted to make a stand and be noticed. So without the knowledge of what I was really doing I started writing long articles about the way I saw the educational system, why people should think for themselves, and not being victim to peer pressure.
After the first paper was released I was called into the principal’s office and thoroughly warned to stop my seditious activity as he thought it was telling the students not to listen to their teachers and to abandon the “normal” modes of thought.
That day I learned a fundamental point about the written word. If wielded correctly, it can scare people and make a difference.
I was far from the first person to discover this fact. For many decades before me journalists have been writing exactly how they see the world; what they think of people, how it makes them feel, being a voice for one side of the argument. Often by using sarcasm, profanity and quotes taken out of context.
The term “Gonzo” was coined in regard to the now infamous journalist, Hunter S. Thompson, and his article about his perception of the Kentucky derby, which he saw as a lewd and debased spectacle. The word itself is one of questionable origins; either being slang for the last man standing in a drinking marathon, so the last one able to talk, or a modified version of the french gonzeaux, meaning “shining path”.
The current definition is closer to “telling it like it is” or “with reckless abandon” and so it has been applied to other fields were directness is rare.
Gonzo journalists rarely become widely popular and very rarely appear in major newspapers (as large publications are usually trying to encourage readers to think in one direction, which is often in direct opposition to the Gonzo journalist’s intentions).
America became a haven for Gonzo journalists in the late 20th century. The seemingly endless string of corrupt politicians gave them plenty of targets to ridicule and deconstruct.
Gonzo isn’t just a tool for political mockery though. The journalists often travel to war zones, poverty and disease-ridden countries, and nations experiencing human rights abuses, to do exactly what their job title implies: they tell the world exactly what they see. As a result many people, including politicians, are forced to act.
A great example of Gonzo journalism exists in the graphic novel series Transmetropolitan, where the protagonist, “Spider Jerusalem”, works as a highly successful journalist who is so direct and profane about his perception of the world that he becomes infamous enough to effect nation-wide change. This series also falls into one of my favourite pieces of media because of its high cyberpunk themes.
As long as we have the freedom to say what we think, or more importantly what we see, we will have Gonzo journalism. It may not be nice, or pretty, or even politically correct, but at least it shows that people can be honest about how they see the world.
Trailer for Gonzo: The Life & Work of Dr Hunter S Thompson
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