P.J. O’Rourke shares political wisdom and biting satire
By Patricia Tomasi
“Let’s face it, this is not a nice guy,” was the only way Stuart McLean, broadcast director at Ryerson, could introduce P.J. O’Rourke. The American political satirist of Rolling Stone and National Lampoon fame spoke about his new book, Age and Guile Beat Youth, Innocence, and a Bad Haircut, at the Eaton Lecture Hall on Monday night.
“I think it’s interesting because I wrote it,” is the way O’Rourke describes his new book. “I went through my desk drawers and the waste basket and put together some stuff from my 25 years.”
What was “put together” is a collection of short stories and articles from O’Rourke’s past years as former editor of the National Lampoon, author of several books and writer for Rolling Stone.
The lecture lasted an hour in which O’Rourke read sections of his book to a sold-out crowd of mainly students and faculty. A question and answer period followed allowing O’Rourke to unleash his satirical arsenal of thought on the masses.
On the Quebec referendum: “For Christ’s sake make up your mind. You’ve had this problem since 1968. Why does yes mean yes and no mean you can ask again later?”
He went on to borrow a potential solution for the separatist debate from American history. “We had this problem back in 1861…it was just like ‘you guys are staying, no question about it.’” On socialism: “Socialism is nothing but Stalin without guts.”
On today’s journalism: “My Eyes Glaze Over (MEGO).” On legalizing drugs: “What do I know? I used to be down on all fours trying to snort what I’d spilled on shag carpeting.”
On emotions: “they are useful when there is a reason for them. When you take them on the Oprah show, you turn into an asshole.”
And finally, on J.F.K. junior’s new magazine, George, “cute, but stupid.”
Afterwards, he spent half an hour signing copies of his new book outside the theatre.
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