Debate on Hunter S. Thompson

Okay, let's start a good-old heated debate here! Here's the question:

Do you think that due to the film 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas' and 'Where the Buffalo Roams', Hunter has a stigma attached to him as being a drug writer?

I believe he is very much under-appreciated as a writer, and also overrated based on that one book (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), and some people don't give him the light of day to read his other works because of this "Drug writer" stigma on his head.

Too many students/young kids/drug users use this book, and film, as a masterpiece, and I bet the majority of them wouldn't even have heard of the book, let alone Hunter, if not for the film. Good thing? Perhaps. But the very essence of Hunter's writing should, and does, come through in his books, not the films.

What do you think?

 

yea I hate it when people are like theres a book?


what other works have u read?

 

Hell's Angel, Kingdom of Fear, some of his Gonzo Papers, a load of articles.

I've been meaning to pick up The Rum Diary and The Curse of Lono, but I've been too engrossed in The Trail by Franz Kafka lately, and also writing my own book.

 

this is completely off topic but i think that pic is the greatest drunk pic ive seen....

 

I think Hunter is actually more known as a sportswriter in today's society. Kids get easily attracted towards the drug saga, and I defenatly see your point... but I do not think that he is overrated as an author... he is more overrated as a person because of the legend that proceeds him.

 

Why, thank you. I do try.

 

Yeah, that was what I was trying to say.

I would have to disagree with you on that Hunter is more known as a sportswriter. If you went up to any average person, I would assume that they would think of Fear and Loathing when asked about Hunter. Then when asked about Fear and Loathing, I assume they would connect it with drugs.

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is probably considered Hunter's Magnum Opus, but there's a difference between a Magnum Opus and an author's most popular book.

In my opinion, Fear and Loathing is in no way his best work (Kingdom of Fear is probably my favourite); it was only catapulted into more pop-culture by the Hollywood film. I get the feeling that they brandish huge names across the film and, vióla, loads of kids start saying: "Man, you've got to see this film! It's one of the best drug films around! It has Johnny Depp in it!"

 

Hunter Thompson is a god.

the whole drug connection thing reminds me of this scene in the Phish DVD "Bittersweet Motel". One of the heads is walking the street playing his harp and a camerman asked him why he goes to see phish shows etc. etc. and then asks, "do you have to be on drugs to enjoy phish." The kid goes, "someone said that?" increduously, and the reporter says, "yeah, why do you think they said that?" and the head says, "I don't know, cause they like drugs maybe?"

but the fact is, Hunter is famously quoted as saying, "I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, or insanity to anybody, but it's worked for me."

he is admitting himself that drugs influenced a lot of his writing. whether he was joking or not, we all know the old adage that there is a little truth in every joke. Does it make me like HST more or less because he did shittons of drugs? not at all. Do I really care that other people only know him from a movie that has johnny depp in it? nope. If someone brings it up you can always be like, "man, If you thought Fear and Loathing was good, you should definitely check out Hell's Angels or Rum Diaries."

instead of looking down our noses at these kids, help them on their way. I read an article in Rolling Stone from the early 70's and they were interviewing Bob Marley and asked him what he thought of all these white kids with dreadlocks. He said (not a direct quote, my mind is a little foggy), "maybe dem not know the truth yet, but dem on the right path."

 

Hunter is NOT a God. He's just another writer. A very good writer, but not a God.

As a writer, Hunter is a big influence on me and I have read many of his work. I, myself, am an avid fan of his, but it sickens me to see Student's and stoners dress up as him and regard him as God's gift to the subculture. You don't see many people dressing up as Bukowski, or Kerouac, do you?

 

bukowski and kerouac are both gods. but then again so am i.

 

Hahaha!XD I'd love to know your definition of a 'God'?

 

Thou art God. Duh! (Wait, this is an HST thread, not Heinlein....)

 

How exactly would one dress up as Kerouac? Kind of nondescript, no? I basically agree with Illmaeo, it has to start somewhere, maybe acid will allow some people to understand when they wouldn't have before.

 

Exactly. People only dress up as Hunter because he's so identified.

 

That's exactly not what people remember Hunter to be, and it's exactly what they should.

Thank you, Mama, you're one in few that appreciate Hunter's journalism and actually remember it. People are too caught up in him being the drug-writer and the icon of the drug culture.

 

Hunter does have his saga, but his sports and gambling writing attracts more audience than anyone can percieve. Imagine the millions of people reading his Page 2 collumn alone, and he has so much more out there.

He is defenatly known for drugs though among the kids, which is no good... but eventually they start reading his books and realize that there is much more to it. I like Fear and Loathing and the saga behind it, it introduces young minds to a powerful author.

 

Very good point, Rubin. I suppose people are right for saying that "You have to start somewhere," and expecting people to pick up anything other than his most popular work (Fear and Loathing...) is abit naive for me to think so. Perhaps I just wish that alot of the people who have ONLY read Fear and Loathing would read his other work...But you can't blame them for that; it's not like alot of people read all of an authors work if they only read one peice.

 

Is his work as an author not an extension of him as a person?