When I see a parodic bumper sticker with the letters "a" and "r" after the "W" that stood for Bush on the regular GOP election stickers, I fondly think of Krassner's page insert to be used as a bumper sticker in the Realist magazine stating "F_*_ck Communism" in red, white and blue... ( no, it used the actual letter instead of "*", I just wanted to get past your filter)
Ann ----- Original Message ----- From: "Dan Scanlan" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, January 02, 2005 4:22 PM Subject: [PEN-L] merry prankster > LA Times > > December 31st, 2004 > Steve Lopez: > Points West > > A Merry Prankster Keeps On Chuckling > > As a paid professional cage rattler, I owe a debt to Voltaire, William > and Mary of England, the Founding Fathers of the United States, H.L. > Mencken and Lenny Bruce, among others. > > Without their contributions to the evolution of free speech, I might > not be able to share the opinion that second-rate minds got us into the > disastrous war in Iraq, that hell's hottest corner should be reserved > for religious hypocrites and fans of Andrew Lloyd Webber, and that > Michael Crichton is a menace and crackpot for suggesting that global > warming is a figment of our imagination. > > All of this brings me to the subject of a fellow muckraker who is 72 > years old, lives in Desert Hot Springs, never learned how to drive, was > labeled a "raving, unconfined nut" by the FBI and just got nominated > for a Grammy. > > Paul Krassner, 72? > > Hard to believe. He's the merry prankster, the unindicted > co-conspirator who hung out with the Chicago 7, coined the term > "Yippie" for the Youth International Party, published the > counterculture Realist magazine and demanded a paternity test when > People magazine called him "the father of the underground press." > > The writer and stand-up satirist has appeared on college campuses, > "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" and at Desert Hot Springs Chamber of > Commerce functions. > > Krassner headed inland four years ago because the desert was cheaper > than Venice, and followed a friend to a chamber breakfast or two. > > "When the Iraq invasion began, everybody was saying the protesters were > unpatriotic. I stood up and introduced myself as a local writer and > comedian and antiwar patriot. I heard one person in the back of the > room clapping." > > Seventy-two, and still poking people in the eye with a stick. > > But you're wondering about the Grammy, right? > > Krassner had a pal whose name was in the first paragraph of this > column, and I'm not talking about Voltaire or William and Mary. A > package of Lenny Bruce's best work was released on compact disc, and > Krassner was nominated for writing the liner notes. > > Krassner and I have a mutual friend, former merry prankster Lee > Quarnstrom, who chuckled over Krassner's nomination. The Grammys, of > course, are a marketing tool of the entertainment industry."And here's > this guy the FBI said was a raving lunatic, or whatever they called > him," said Quarnstrom. "I just found it delightful that they nominated > him for a Grammy." > > Krassner was just as surprised. > > "I didn't even know they had a category in album liner notes," he says. > > Krassner wrote a 5,000-word tribute to Bruce - a trailblazing rebel to > some and a drug-addled vulgarian to others - who trampled the > conventions of polite and safe comedy, held forth on subjects such as > nuclear buildups and abortion, and diabolically skewered political > posers and religious frauds. > > This often landed Bruce in jail for violating obscenity laws and made > him the subject of a longtime campaign by comedians and activists who > wanted Bruce posthumously pardoned. Krassner's essay begins by tweaking > New York Gov. George Pataki for the language Pataki used last year in > granting the pardon. > > "Freedom of speech is one of the great American liberties," Pataki > said, "and I hope this pardon serves as a reminder of the precious > freedoms we are fighting to preserve as we continue to wage the war on > terrorism." > > In his liner notes, Krassner wrote: > > "Lenny would have been simultaneously outraged by the hypocrisy and > amused by the irony that the governor had pardoned him in the context > of justifying the invasion of Iraq." > > In summing up Bruce's legacy, Krassner included the following from > comedian George Carlin: > > "Lenny Bruce opened the doors for all the guys like me; he prefigured > the Free Speech Movement and helped push the culture forward into the > light of open and honest expression." Bruce went after "the powerful > people, to puncture the pretentiousness and pomposity of the > privileged." > > In short, he challenged authority, a calling forgotten by all the > slobbering pundits and commentators who acted more like lapdogs than > watchdogs when the White House sold mainstream America on the glories > of war. > > But what do you expect in an age in which Jack Kerouac is selling > khakis for the Gap, Bob Dylan is selling lingerie for Victoria's Secret > and Robert DeNiro is selling New York City for American Express? > > Krassner says he wonders what Bruce would be saying if he were alive > today. Probably the same kind of things Krassner is saying. > > He told me, for instance, that he can't believe Gov. Arnold > Schwarzenegger hasn't legalized steroids yet. He shared his awards of > distinction for the year of our Lord that ends tonight at midnight: > > Best Perspective-Restoring Headline: Czech Supermodel Injured in Tidal > Wave. > > The Chutzpah Above and Beyond the Call of Duty Award: Mark Geragos, > attorney for Scott Peterson, for seeking donations to continue the > investigation into the murders of Peterson's pregnant wife "to help > free the man we know is innocent." > > The Best Reason for Resigning Award: A tie: to Colin Powell, who wanted > to spend more time with his conscience, and to Bernard Kerik, who > wanted to spend more time with his nanny. > > The Most Presidential Statement Award: To George W. Bush, who said, > "Today, we had a rocket attack that took a lot of lives. Any time of > the year is a time of sorrow and sadness when we lose a loss of life." > > With thanks to Lenny Bruce and a shout-out to Voltaire, who once said, > "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your > right to say it," happy new year. > > And don't trust anyone over 72.
