R.I.P., P.J. O’Rourke

One of the many P.J. O’Rourke books in the Mad Dog library.

P.J. O’Rourke, The Last Funny Republican, has shoved off, stage right. He was 74.

I first read P.J. in the National Lampoon, where he was frequently hysterical. If you never read “How to Drive Fast on Drugs While Getting Your Wing-Wang Squeezed and Not Spill Your Drink,” you have not lived. You can can find that 1979 gem in his collection “Republican Party Reptile.”

His book “Parliament of Whores” is a must-read, if, like P.J., you often wonder: “Our Government: What the Fuck Do They Do All Day, and Why Does It Cost So Goddamned Much Money?” (An actual section header.)

He got his knife into just about everyone, including cyclists (“A Cool and Logical Analysis of the Bicycle Menace”). The dipshit fools who excrete their own feeble takes on this original every spring should hang their heads in shame, or simply hang.

There wil never be another P.J. O’Rourke, which is a tremendous pity. The right needs to learn how to laugh at itself, if only so the rest of us can catch our breath.

12 thoughts on “R.I.P., P.J. O’Rourke

  1. “The dipshit fools who excrete their own …” I bet wherever Mr. O’Rourke is resting at this time, he likely chuckled at that one. Perhaps he startled the late evening janitor at the funeral home.

    Yep, we lost another who knew how to properly describe the truth.

    RIP Mr. O’Rourke and don’t hesitate to use your angelic powers to influence the errant bird to drop a shit bomb on a political harlequin every so often; or perhaps to butter up the old brain factory of our favorite Irish Albuquerque-an.

    1. But if you polled everyone present at one of not-so-father Arango’s baptisms, wouldn’t they all likely agree that the child was indeed baptized. So “we” really wouldn’t be incorrect. Oh! That’s right. I believe the thought is that “We” cannot exist on the same level as “He” so the baptism is invalid. Give me a break!

    2. Good Gravy!! Does this mean that those improperly baptized might suddenly immolate in a sudden fireball and be gone from this world? If so you folks out that way need to be careful who you stand next to at the Shop N Go.

    3. They ain’t baptized, so they means it they married in the church, they ain’t married either. Don’t be coming in here for bread and wine neither since you ain’t baptized. It’ will be funny to see how they fix this. I people are practicing Catholics, they still have to wonder at the absurdity of this. Seems to me the Pope could fix it with one command, right?

      1. Didn’t think of issues. If one of these invalid unions produced “issues” are they illegitimate children? Are their baptisms valid? What happened if one of the folks that “we” baptized died? Oh my, something must be done! Maybe the dumpster can fix it.

      2. Meanwhile, God shakes His head and mutters, “Give ’em books and all they do is chew on the MeDamn covers.”

        Down below, the Devil shakes his head and grins. “Baptized y’say? We have no record of it. While we try to sort this out how’bout you give me a few hot laps in the Lake of Fire?”

  2. Damn. I missed this, despite living only a few miles from the lad. He was a voice of something approaching reason on the right, even years ago. These days? I haven’t heard him for a while, as the Goopers have gone completely off their collective jumps, but I think he might not have been all that impressed.

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