Gonzo Journalism: Crazy or Genius?

It’s a lot of both, especially in the case of Hunter S. Thompson, the author/journalist who came up with the term “Gonzo Journalism” for his unique, first-person style of writing. The story goes that in 1970, former Boston Globe Sunday Morning editor Bill Cardoso wrote Thompson a letter regarding Thompson’s article The Kentucky Derby is Decedent and Deprived. In that letter he wrote “this is pure Gonzo,” in praise. Thompson said “okay that’s what I do, Gonzo.” Gonzo Journalism was born.
In Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, (a film adapted from the novel Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream, written by Thompson in 1971,) Johnny Deep plays Raoul Duke, a character that Thompson created based from himself.
He is portrayed as a reckless, drug abusing, socially awkward, writer who had a flair for getting involved in his stories which usually centered on wild events.
“I hate to advocate drugs, alcohol, violence, or insanity to anyone, but they've always worked for me,” Thompson once said.
Thompson, (July 18th, 1937- February 20th, 2005) was by trade a journalist in the sense that he wrote for publication, he was paid for his work and he covered a wide variety of subjects throughout his career. The line becomes blurred with his style of first person narrative and especially with his fabrication of facts and events.
If anything, Thompson was a creative and exciting story teller. For his book, Hells Angles, Thompson embedded himself into the outlaw biker gang. The book was published by Random House in 1966.
Even though it was written before “the birth of Gonzo” the story was a prelude to the adventurous and controversial style that Hunter delivered. While that book was a success, Thompson is especially known for Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. The novel helped launch Gonzo Journalism into the mainstream and furthered the “New Journalism” movement of the 1960’s and 70’s.
The movie, which came out in theaters in 1998, did not do well at the box office, losing millions of dollars, but became a cult sensation once it went to DVD.
In 2005, Thompson ended his life with a shotgun. He was 67.
His career was illustrious. He wrote a number of books and appeared in over 17 different national magazines. Two movies have been made about him and his work continues to inspire countless writers who have a thirst for excitement, a love for writing, and need to be the center of attention.