Author: Paul Krassner

Paul Krassner calls himself an investigative satirist. Don Imus labeled him \"one of the comic geniuses of the 20th century.\" And, According to the Los Angeles Reader, \"Krassner delivers 90 minutes of the funniest, most intelligent social and political commentary in town.\" On the other hand, a couple of FBI agents went to one of his performances and stated in their report, \"He purported to be humorous about government policies.\" His FBI files indicate that after Life magazine published a favorable profile of him, the FBI sent a poison-pen letter to the editor, complaining: \"To classify Krassner as a social rebel is far too cute. He\"™s a nut, a raving, unconfined nut.\" \"The FBI was right,\" says George Carlin. \"This man is dangerous--and funny; and necessary\"... See more of Paul's bio at paulkrassner.com
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Tuli Kupferberg, RIP

By Paul Krassner, via Toni Dalton:

Tuli Kupferberg is better off dead.

My friend and countercultural icon had been suffering from a couple of strokes, hospitals, breathing tubes, feeding tubes, anemia, infections, blindness, catheter, hearing aids, wheelchairs, psychosis, memory loss, diapers, constipation, anti-depressants, sleeping pills, fatigue and a chronically bed-ridden life that seemed to be no life worth living.

Tuli was a dedicated truthseeker, and I”™d like to honor that quality with a couple of truths.

There was a rumor that Phiip Roth had lifted the onanistically obsessed idea for Portnoy”™s Complaint from a song by the Fugs–a band on the cusp of rock and punk, named after Norman Mailer”™s euphemism for fuck in The Naked and the Dead–but this notion was disavowed by Fugs leader Ed Sanders, who assured me, “Philip Roth did not plagiarize a Fugs song. He came to a Fugs show in 1966, and I think he was inspired by Tuli, in top hat and cane, singing “˜Jack-Off Blues.”™  Many times in reunion concerts, introducing Tuli singing that song, I have suggested that Roth got some of the impetus for Portnoy”™s Complaint from that time he was inspired by the Tuli tune.” Continue reading “Tuli Kupferberg, RIP”

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Paul Krassner on BookTV

Who’s to Say What’s Obscene? Politics, Culture and Comedy in America Today
by Paul Krassner
BookTV.org
Monday, October 12, 2009

paulkrassner-200About the Program
[This is an hour long reading in which] Mr. Krassner assesses the ongoing conflict between the governmental power that be and cultural opponents. The comic, journalist and author looks at how obscenity is defined, by whom and why. He also examines why drugs laws are what they are and why so many are incarcerated for what he believes are victimless crimes.

About the Author
Paul Krassner
Mr. Krassner is founder of the Realist magazine, a journalist, author, stand-up comedien and close friend of Lenny Bruce. He was also editor of Bruce’s autobiography and his articles have appeared in Rolling Stone, Spin, Playboy, Mother Jones, and National Lampoon.

Watch the video here.
Buy the author’s book here.

thanks Toni

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Welcome to Camp Mogul

by Paul Krassner

My irreverent friend, Khan Manka, Chairman & CEO of Manka Brothers Studios, had broken his ankle and was afraid he wouldn’t be able to attend the 26th annual gathering of the nation’s most powerful executives and their trophy wives in Sun Valley, Idaho. I really wanted to spy on this summer camp for billionaires, so I suggested that Manka get a wheelchair, then I could serve as his official wheelchair pusher, and he immediately went for the idea.

13valley1600-200.jpgThis by-now traditional five-day extravaganza for 300 guests has been hosted by Wall Street investment banker Herbert Allen, President and CEO of Allen & Company. There were moguls all over the campground, overflowing with the country’s most influential leaders in business, entertainment and media. I could feel myself developing a severe case of imposter syndrome. Continue reading “Welcome to Camp Mogul”

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Terrorist Scarves and Dangerous Bottle Caps

Coffee, Donuts and Weed
by Paul Krassner

The irony of the Silly Season in America is that those who contribute to it seem to lack a sense of humor. Here are a couple of cases in point.

rachelarafat.jpg

The folks at Dunkin’ Donuts figured they had made a smart move when they hired Rachael Ray–the host of “30 Minute Meals” on the Food Network plus her own syndicated daytime talk show–to hold a cup of iced coffee in their TV commercials and online ads. Simple enough idea, huh?

But a conservative website, Little Green Footballs, compared the fringed black-and-white scarf Ray was wearing to those typically worn by Muslim extremists.

Next came right-wing blogger Michelle Malkin, asserted that the scarf did in fact resemble a keffiyeh, which, Malkin wrote, “has come to symbolize murderous Palestinian jihad. Popularized by Yasser Arafat and a regular adornment of Muslim terrorists appearing in beheading and hostage-taking videos, the apparel has been mainstreamed by both ignorant (and not-so-ignorant) fashion designers, celebrities, and left-wing icons.”

Suddenly Dunkin’ Donuts was bombarded with so many calls from reporters seeking a comment that they chickened out and decided to pull the ad, explaining that “the possibility of misperception detracted from its original intention to promote our iced coffee.” Laughter had been replaced by fear. Continue reading “Terrorist Scarves and Dangerous Bottle Caps”

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