Gonzo journalism - what is it, how did it come about and why do creative youth like it?

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:45

Sometimes from the lips of representatives of the media world you can hear the word "gonzo". Few people understand what this term means. And this is despite the fact that this phenomenon has been in our country for more than forty years. Fortunately or unfortunately, the concept of "gonzo" is not very common today. What it means, too, is not known to everyone. And it certainly arouses interest.

A bit of history

The origin of such a phenomenon as "gonzo journalism" is attributed to the sixties of the last century. Most art historians associate his appearance with a certain history.

They say that at that time the writer and journalist H. S. Thompson lived and worked in America. Once the editor of Rolling stone sent him to do horse racing material. But Hunter Thompson failed the task because he could not meet the allotted time. Actually, he did not see the race itself. In order to somehow get out of the situation, the correspondent sent his boss the so-called marginal notes - sketches made in the notebook not so much of the races as of the people acting around - the spectators.

UnfulfilledThe editor assessed the task in his own way. He liked the marginal notes, because they were written in an interesting, new way. The journalistic presence was felt in every line, behavioral problems were raised (the writer noted fraud and drunkenness among the viewers of the spectacle). Readers also liked the new presentation of the material, although they were somewhat shocked by the style.

Gonzo journalistic material

What are facts, but "wrapped" in a shell of subjective interpretation? How to call a story about an event, a work of art or a photo exhibition, which is conducted by a correspondent in the first person and where the presence of profanity is possible? What definition best fits a reportage in which the author not only covers what is happening, but resorts to hyperbole, exaggeration and even sarcasm?

Gonzo journalism will become clear to ignorant people if they can put all these definitions together.

Translation of the term into Russian

It will help to understand, "gonzo" - what is the translation of this word from English. Dictionaries open the veil: the term refers to definitions such as "crazy", "nutty" or "insane".

In fact, many journalists, especially to people of the old formation, conservatives, seem to be such outrageous inadequacies, even somewhat mentally ill.

Really, how can you take seriously the host of YouTube channel "Plus one hundred and five hundred" Max, who makes faces, taunts usingprofanity, and over the heroes of the video, and somewhere over himself? This is also gonzo journalism. After all, the presenter covers the events, albeit captured on video clips. And he does it according to all the rules of the new trend.

It is worth noting that most of the youth enthusiastically watches all his programs. And if the video caught the eye of Max, then the popularity of the video is guaranteed.

Gonzo trends

In the traditional press, the facts are often presented in the same way and without a twist. The gonzo style contrasts this stagnation with a creative presentation of material with a huge amount of expression. The manner of the journalist, his personality, his view and assessment of what is happening, the effect of presence and immersion arouse genuine curiosity.

Events here take place as if around the author, envelop him, make him a hero. There are practically no borders. The task of a representative of the mass media of the “gonzo” style is to surprise or shock the reader, to produce an effect with his introduction. The bigger the better.

Media working in this style

Unusual presentation of material is used in many media. And if they are not completely adherents of an original style, then some headings of publications gravitate towards it for sure. This happens on radio, and on television, and in newspapers, and in the Internet space.

The well-known publication "Lenta.ru" with the section "Offtopic", the magazine "YE! NOT", a resource about the world of rock music and cinema "Rock-Review. Ru", the magazines "Afisha", "Russian Reporter", Internet program "Minaev LIVE".

Modern literary scholars and believe thatgonzo journalism appeared only in the second half of the last century. In fact, already in the nineteenth century, one can notice the first steps of correspondents along this path. For example, the experiments of Mark Twain in the journalistic field - why not gonzo? What is this direction, then no one, of course, knew. But his story "Journalism in Tennessee" is an example of grotesque, sarcasm, based on real events, which the correspondent himself was an eyewitness to.

Thomas Wolf is one of the brightest representatives of the direction.

Features of gonzo journalism

This direction has the main features:

• The material appears before the reader in the reportage genre.
• The journalist focuses on himself.
• The author expresses a subjective view of the event.
• The material abounds in the author's, and sometimes obscene, jargon.

This distinctive style is far from ambiguous. It goes beyond traditional journalism, which is based on truthfulness, evidence and impartiality. All this is very disturbing. And the question is raised: does this direction have a future?

Adherents of this type of journalism argue that gonzo as a way of life is no longer such a rarity today. In reality, this style of existence can be characterized as the absence of conventions and rules, ideals and responsibility. And so gonzo will develop, gaining more and more fans.

Indeed, it is hard not to notice and note as positive qualities the novelty, a fresh look at events and objects, the original and interesting presentation of the material. But narcissism, which often replaces impartial coverage of the event, bad taste, expressed in the use of obscene words and jargon, the choice of facts sometimes immoral, shocking, emphasizing the immorality of modern citizens, or simply purely physiological blunders - all these accompanying distinctive features of gonzo disgust cultured people.