# Has P.J. O'Rourke Written Any Good Columns Lately? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 26, 2005, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-p-j-orourke-written-any-good-columns-lately/318670 "2005-08-26T02:43:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![deevee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@deevee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deevee)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-p-j-orourke-written-any-good-columns-lately/318670/1 "2005-08-26T02:43:32Z")
Not a slam thread, I’ve loved him since his “How to drive really fast on drugs and get your wing wang squeezed without spilling your drink” days. I used to read his _Atlantic Monthly_ columns regularly but they have gone “pay” even for back issues. Have any columns in the past year made you laugh out loud? A walk to the library to read back issues sounds like a good way to spend Saturday. (I paid retail for all of his books. Enough royalties from me.) ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-p-j-orourke-written-any-good-columns-lately/318670/2 "2005-08-26T03:46:54Z")
In a word, no. When he does write, he still seems to be funny, but his work rarely get into my hands, or on my computer screen. I suppose he simply taking more time to be with his family. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-p-j-orourke-written-any-good-columns-lately/318670/3 "2005-08-26T04:45:58Z")
He writes for Atlantic magazine occaisionaly now. I think he thinks he’s a serious journalist, which is unfortunate. He can still be funny, but it’s nothing like _Modern Manners_ or _Holidays in Hell_. [Here](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0871139197/qid=1125031888/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-4851476-6965621?v=glance&s=books) is his latest collection. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-p-j-orourke-written-any-good-columns-lately/318670/4 "2005-08-26T05:04:45Z")
**Peace Kills** is not very good. Without actually recycling, it’s a lot like **All the troublesin the World** and **Eat the Rich**. I subscribe to \*\*The Atlantic \*\* and there hasn’t been anything since January that’ve made me even smirk. ---
**Author:** ![Fionn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fionn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fionn)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-p-j-orourke-written-any-good-columns-lately/318670/5 "2005-08-26T05:23:54Z")
“Post Script: Iwo Jima and the End of Modern Warfare” is thought-provoking and well worth reading, but it’s not laugh-out-loud funny. It appeared in Atlantic Monthly, and in **Peace Kills**. **The CEO of the Sofa** has so little going for it I’m planning to sell m copy. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-p-j-orourke-written-any-good-columns-lately/318670/6 "2005-08-26T07:05:07Z")
> [@Larry Borgia](#): > > He writes for Atlantic magazine occaisionaly now. I think he thinks he’s a serious journalist, which is unfortunate. He can still be funny, but it’s nothing like _Modern Manners_ or _Holidays in Hell_. > > [Here](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0871139197/qid=1125031888/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-4851476-6965621?v=glance&s=books) is his latest collection. You know, a lot of serious journalism can be wrapped in humor. Ask John Stewart. O’Rourke has traveled to every helllhole on this planet, and his writing about it is not only funny, but often very insightful and reading, say _Holidays in Hell_ I often got the sense that I was getting a truer picture of what a country was like than from any ten mainsteam news articles. And that’s exactly what journalism is supposed to about. ---
**Author:** ![CBCD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@CBCD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CBCD)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-p-j-orourke-written-any-good-columns-lately/318670/7 "2005-08-26T12:41:50Z")
P.J. O’Rourke writes a column every month or so for The Weekly Standard. They are pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-p-j-orourke-written-any-good-columns-lately/318670/8 "2005-08-26T14:07:12Z")
> [@Fionn](#): > > “Post Script: Iwo Jima and the End of Modern Warfare” is thought-provoking and well worth reading, but it’s not laugh-out-loud funny. It appeared in Atlantic Monthly, and in **Peace Kills**. It’s pretty much the only funny part of the book, though. Very disappointing. He’s never matched the brilliance of his earlier stuff. But I suppose you only have so much funny in you. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-p-j-orourke-written-any-good-columns-lately/318670/9 "2005-08-26T17:08:15Z")
> [@Sam Stone](#): > > You know, a lot of serious journalism can be wrapped in humor. Ask John Stewart. O’Rourke has traveled to every helllhole on this planet, and his writing about it is not only funny, but often very insightful and reading, say _Holidays in Hell_ I often got the sense that I was getting a truer picture of what a country was like than from any ten mainsteam news articles. And that’s exactly what journalism is supposed to about. I loved _Holidays in Hell_, and it did indeed contain some very interesting material. I was also a big fan of _Modern Manners_, _Republican Party Reptile_, and, perhaps my favourite, _Parliament of Whores_. But i haven’t found any of O’Rourke’s more recent stuff (i.e., the last ten years or so) to be very good at all. Of course, i often disagreed with his politics, but i still loved to read him when he was really funny. Now, most of the funny and witty stuff seems to have gone, so all i’m left with is a guy whose politics i don’t like very much. Not much point, really. ---
**Author:** ![deevee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@deevee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/deevee)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-p-j-orourke-written-any-good-columns-lately/318670/10 "2005-08-26T20:45:05Z")
Nothing like financial security, wedded bliss, and parenthood to kill the funny in anyone. I always liked the fact that he was a non partisan right winger. He didn’t feel the need to defend idiots or their idiotic policy just because he belonged to the same club. If he’s not so funny anymore it’s a bummer but he sure doesn’t owe me any more laughs after 3 decades of hilarious insight. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-p-j-orourke-written-any-good-columns-lately/318670/11 "2005-08-26T21:36:34Z")
I still think “The King of Sandusky, Ohio” is one of the funniest short stories ever written. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-p-j-orourke-written-any-good-columns-lately/318670/12 "2005-08-26T22:10:04Z")
> [@deevee](#): > > Nothing like financial security, wedded bliss, and parenthood to kill the funny in anyone. I always liked the fact that he was a non partisan right winger. He didn’t feel the need to defend idiots or their idiotic policy just because he belonged to the same club. If he’s not so funny anymore it’s a bummer but he sure doesn’t owe me any more laughs after 3 decades of hilarious insight. You nailed my opinion of him in that statement. Plus I bought “CEO of the Sofa” about 1 day before 9/11, so everything in it seemed completely irrelevant when I began reading it just after. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2005, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-p-j-orourke-written-any-good-columns-lately/318670/13 "2005-08-26T22:16:18Z")
All the Trouble in the World was good…that comes in just under the ten year mark, I think. And I liked his fairly recent column about talk radio shows and the decline of political debate in the country.