P.J. O’Rourke has died

L

Legion

Oderint dum metuant
3744.jpg


Born and bred in Toledo, Ohio, P.J. was a champion of the great American middle.

Indeed, his final book, from 2020, was titled “A Cry from the Far Middle: Dispatches from a Divided Land.” He loved this country and reveled in it — even in its fatuous mediocrity.

His ability to satirize affectionately was at its most triumphant in the two wildly successful projects he conceived and edited in the 1970s.

“National Lampoon’s High School Yearbook” and “National Lampoon’s Sunday Newspaper” — the two greatest long-form works of parody ever produced in this country — would revolutionize American publishing, as humorous books that followed their model would dominate the high-end paperback world for the next decade.

P.J. had bigger game to hunt.

In 1991, he would become the most successful political satirist in America upon the publication of his book “Parliament of Whores.”

The book was and remains an utterly devastating portrait of the US Congress’ mediocrity, mendacity, self-dealing and uselessness — and revealed uncomfortable truths about the way Washington worked that the DC press corps refused to acknowledge or portray.

There have been hundreds, thousands of imitations in the decades since. None has come close.

P.J. soldiered on, giving speeches and writing cold-eyed and tough-minded pieces and books about the follies of elites. Case in point: an article he wrote for Commentary magazine we published on the eve of the 60th anniversary of JFK’s inauguration.

It began thus: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what the Kennedys ever did for your country.”

Oft imitated. Never duplicated. P.J. O’Rourke was a joy to read.





https://nypost.com/2022/02/15/p-j-orourke-was-americas-greatest-satirist-and-coolest-conservative/
 
Like other longtime conservatives, O'Rourke's loyalties were tested by the rise of Donald Trump. O'Rourke had little use for Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016, but he found he could live with her "lies and all her empty promises.”

“It’s the second worst thing that can happen to this country. But she’s way behind in second place. I mean, she’s wrong about absolutely everything, but she’s wrong within normal parameters," he said on NPR.

“I mean, this man (Trump) just can’t be president," he said. "They’ve got this button, you know, in the briefcase. He’s going to find it.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/p...r-and-commentator-dead-at-74/ar-AATTYNQ?ocid=
 
Tributes pour in for celebrated political satirist and writer P.J. O’Rourke

"Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys.” — P.J. O'Rourke

https://twitchy.com/sarahd-313035/2022/02/15/the-definitive-happy-warrior-tributes-pour-in-for-celebrated-conservative-political-satirist-and-writer-p-j-orourke-who-has-reportedly-passed-away/
 
I hadn't read his work in awhile but man he was great. Very clever and loved his libertarian mind. RIP Mr. O'Rourke.
 
Legion said:
3744.jpg


Born and bred in Toledo, Ohio, P.J. was a champion of the great American middle.

Indeed, his final book, from 2020, was titled “A Cry from the Far Middle: Dispatches from a Divided Land.” He loved this country and reveled in it — even in its fatuous mediocrity.

His ability to satirize affectionately was at its most triumphant in the two wildly successful projects he conceived and edited in the 1970s.

“National Lampoon’s High School Yearbook” and “National Lampoon’s Sunday Newspaper” — the two greatest long-form works of parody ever produced in this country — would revolutionize American publishing, as humorous books that followed their model would dominate the high-end paperback world for the next decade.

P.J. had bigger game to hunt.

In 1991, he would become the most successful political satirist in America upon the publication of his book “Parliament of Whores.”

The book was and remains an utterly devastating portrait of the US Congress’ mediocrity, mendacity, self-dealing and uselessness — and revealed uncomfortable truths about the way Washington worked that the DC press corps refused to acknowledge or portray.

There have been hundreds, thousands of imitations in the decades since. None has come close.

P.J. soldiered on, giving speeches and writing cold-eyed and tough-minded pieces and books about the follies of elites. Case in point: an article he wrote for Commentary magazine we published on the eve of the 60th anniversary of JFK’s inauguration.

It began thus: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what the Kennedys ever did for your country.”

Oft imitated. Never duplicated. P.J. O’Rourke was a joy to read.





https://nypost.com/2022/02/15/p-j-orourke-was-americas-greatest-satirist-and-coolest-conservative/
Click to expand...

He'll be sadly missed a great writer, satirist, columnist and political commentator,

 
Last edited:
From 1993, “Brickbats and Broomsticks,” a gem of a speech by the great satirist, who died Tuesday.

We are here tonight to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of The American Spectator — the magazine, the men and women, the way of life.

But we are also here to celebrate something else — our return to political opposition. Let’s be honest with ourselves.

What a relief to be on the attack again. No more gentle sparring with the Administration.

No more striking with the flat of our sword. No more firing blanks.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have game in our sights.

Clinton may be a disaster for the rest of the nation, but he is meat on our table.

What a joy to be able to turn to the helmsman of our good ship Spectator and say, “Captain Bob, bring the guns down to deck level and load with grapeshot.”

So stand warned, Boy Clinton … Mr. Bill … Wet Willie … You and your “Presidential Partner” … President Clinton and First Person Hillary … Pudge and Ruffles. (If the Fathers of the Christian church had known these two, divorce would not only be permitted, it would be a sacrament.)

Anyway, stand warned, the pair of you. We’re going to laugh you out of office. We did it to the Carters and we’ll do it to you.

Yes, welcome to the 1990s. Let us all salute (and be sensitive to the needs of) the shiftless, the feckless, the senseless, the worthwhileness-impaired, the decency-challenged, and the differently moraled. And hello to their leaders — progressive, committed, and filled to the nose holes with enormous esteem for themselves.

But that’s their problem. Our problem, on The American Spectator’s silver anniversary, is to lead the straying nation. To lead our straying nation, not forward — we’re conservatives — but back. Back to that lost golden age of yore — the eighties.

The eighties, when Communist dictators were losing their jobs, not presidents of American and General Motors.

When Bill Clinton was only a microscopic polyp in the colon of American politics and Hillary was still in flight school — hadn’t even soloed on her broom.

Let us return to that glad epoch when we knew the proper order of words in our language — “free alcohol” not “alcohol-free.”

When we preferred a Shining City on a Hill to a whining Hill all over Clarence Thomas. When the Malcolm who mattered was Forbes. When tax cuts were in bloom. And Clinton was in Flowers.





https://spectator.org/from-the-archives-pj-orourke-brickbats-and-broomsticks/
 
Legion said:
From 1993, “Brickbats and Broomsticks,” a gem of a speech by the great satirist, who died Tuesday.

We are here tonight to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of The American Spectator — the magazine, the men and women, the way of life.

But we are also here to celebrate something else — our return to political opposition. Let’s be honest with ourselves.

What a relief to be on the attack again. No more gentle sparring with the Administration.

No more striking with the flat of our sword. No more firing blanks.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have game in our sights.

Clinton may be a disaster for the rest of the nation, but he is meat on our table.

What a joy to be able to turn to the helmsman of our good ship Spectator and say, “Captain Bob, bring the guns down to deck level and load with grapeshot.”

So stand warned, Boy Clinton … Mr. Bill … Wet Willie … You and your “Presidential Partner” … President Clinton and First Person Hillary … Pudge and Ruffles. (If the Fathers of the Christian church had known these two, divorce would not only be permitted, it would be a sacrament.)

Anyway, stand warned, the pair of you. We’re going to laugh you out of office. We did it to the Carters and we’ll do it to you.

Yes, welcome to the 1990s. Let us all salute (and be sensitive to the needs of) the shiftless, the feckless, the senseless, the worthwhileness-impaired, the decency-challenged, and the differently moraled. And hello to their leaders — progressive, committed, and filled to the nose holes with enormous esteem for themselves.

But that’s their problem. Our problem, on The American Spectator’s silver anniversary, is to lead the straying nation. To lead our straying nation, not forward — we’re conservatives — but back. Back to that lost golden age of yore — the eighties.

The eighties, when Communist dictators were losing their jobs, not presidents of American and General Motors.

When Bill Clinton was only a microscopic polyp in the colon of American politics and Hillary was still in flight school — hadn’t even soloed on her broom.

Let us return to that glad epoch when we knew the proper order of words in our language — “free alcohol” not “alcohol-free.”

When we preferred a Shining City on a Hill to a whining Hill all over Clarence Thomas. When the Malcolm who mattered was Forbes. When tax cuts were in bloom. And Clinton was in Flowers.





https://spectator.org/from-the-archives-pj-orourke-brickbats-and-broomsticks/
Click to expand...

As I said previously, sadly missed.
 
Somad said:
If you ever learn how to read, maybe you'll be able to experience it first hand.
Click to expand...

Let's pause and consider the illogic inherent in your screed.

If was illiterate, how would I be able to read your rant? I suppose your mom could read it to me if I couldn't read it myself, but her mouth is full (you know what I mean).

Now, you've been humiliated. Again.

You're SO MAD.

I enjoy drinking your tears from this tumbler, you know.


iu
 
Legion said:
3744.jpg


Born and bred in Toledo, Ohio, P.J. was a champion of the great American middle.

Indeed, his final book, from 2020, was titled “A Cry from the Far Middle: Dispatches from a Divided Land.” He loved this country and reveled in it — even in its fatuous mediocrity.

His ability to satirize affectionately was at its most triumphant in the two wildly successful projects he conceived and edited in the 1970s.

“National Lampoon’s High School Yearbook” and “National Lampoon’s Sunday Newspaper” — the two greatest long-form works of parody ever produced in this country — would revolutionize American publishing, as humorous books that followed their model would dominate the high-end paperback world for the next decade.

P.J. had bigger game to hunt.

In 1991, he would become the most successful political satirist in America upon the publication of his book “Parliament of Whores.”

The book was and remains an utterly devastating portrait of the US Congress’ mediocrity, mendacity, self-dealing and uselessness — and revealed uncomfortable truths about the way Washington worked that the DC press corps refused to acknowledge or portray.

There have been hundreds, thousands of imitations in the decades since. None has come close.

P.J. soldiered on, giving speeches and writing cold-eyed and tough-minded pieces and books about the follies of elites. Case in point: an article he wrote for Commentary magazine we published on the eve of the 60th anniversary of JFK’s inauguration.

It began thus: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what the Kennedys ever did for your country.”

Oft imitated. Never duplicated. P.J. O’Rourke was a joy to read.





https://nypost.com/2022/02/15/p-j-orourke-was-americas-greatest-satirist-and-coolest-conservative/
Click to expand...

good riddance
 
I disagreed with goddam near every political philosophy he espoused...

...but I read damn near everything he wrote.

The guy was an absolute pleasure to read.

RIP.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top