I recently just finished re-reading “Parliment Of Whores” and was struck all over again by what a great book it was—one of the greatest political humor/satire screeds of all time, up there with the best of Hunter S Thompson or George Carlin…
Anyone know what he is now up to?
What was his take on GWB and Iraq?
Any great books from the past few years I should check out?
He shows up frequently on Real Time With Bill Maher.
I highly recommend Holidays In Hell, which is my favorite of his books.
P.J. is still writing lots. His web page is here.
He’s a regular on NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me
Peace Kills was pretty funny (“We invaded Iraq because they have bad haircuts”).
He consider himself a Libertarian now - I think it had something to do with George W. Bush - and is a fellow at the Cato Institute.
My favorite book of his is Republican Party Reptile. I disagree with him politically, but love reading him. He is the rare member of the Right who is actually funny.
I remember laughing a lot reading Modern Manners, but it’s full of 80’s references and I’m not sure how well they would age.
All the Trouble in the World was good too, but it’s pre-9/11.
He always sounds half in the bag on Wait, Wait.
His Bachelor Home Companion has tons of useful advice. 
And is hilarious.
He recently underwent treatment for anal cancer, and is now apparently cured. His cancer was a much less virulent type than Farrah Fawcett’s.
I think you just unfairly limiting it to intentionally funny members of the right. P.J. himself said so on an episode of Wait, Wait…
I loved his early stuff. I was a big fan of his writings when he edited NatLamp. And I loved his books through the end of the 20th century, even though I disagreed with him politically.
However, I had the misfortune to read “CEO of the sofa” right after 9/11 and his humor in that book rang quite hollow as a result.
And when he later wrote that with Bush and Cheney in office “the grownups were now in charge”, it was just too galling to enjoy him further.
He was the managing editor for National Lampoon when that was the funniest magazine on the entire planet.
His “Foreigners Around the World” is one of the most politically incorrect and hilarious things I have ever read. Guaranteed offensive to every single member of the human race.
Or so it was to me in the mid 1970’s. My taste has probably changed a bit over the course of time, and I believe P.J.'s taste has changed as well.
After all, that was a few years ago.
I have met P.J. O’Rourke twice. He’s one of my favorite humorists. He even signe my copy of “Parliment of Whores” with: “Here’s how to drive fast on drugs while getting your wing-wang squeezed and not spill a drop of your drink.” (The greatest title to a short story EVER.)
Anyways, his writing isn’t as sharp as it used to be, but in October he is publishing “Don’t Vote, It Just Encourages the Bastards,” which I hope is a return to a Parliment-quality of a book.
P.J.'s most recent book is Driving Like Crazy, which I loved, even though I am not a car nut at any level.
Prior to that was P.J. writing about On The Wealth Of Nations by Adam Smith, which was also terrific.
He’s got a new book coming out this fall: Don’t Vote, It Just Encourages The Bastards.
I have a Google Alert on him and catch many of his TV spots. Hoping to hear him speak when he is promoting Don’t Vote …
And I agree, Parliament of Whores is Brilliant. Should be required reading by all voters and politicians.
Anne
In reference to a previous comment, P.J. considers himself a small “l” libertarian and would only vote for a Libertarian candidate under special circumstances, ie, the candidate had a chance to win and that the vote wouldn’t help the Democrat candidate (both very unlikely)
As opposed to zero members of the Left who are funny. Or intelligent.
Thanks to all for the info—I have never had cable TV, and Parliment Of Whores is the only O’Rourke book that I have ever read (though I had a subscription to Rolling Stone in the early 1990’s) so I do not know much about his overall body of work…
I will head to the used bookstore and see if I can pick up some more of his stuff.
Matthew
:rolleyes:
Depart from me into the everlasting BBQ Pit.
What a hateful little reply.