P.J. O’Rourke was a conservative political satirist, journalist, and author known for books including “Parliament of Whores.”
- Died: February 15, 2022 (Who else died on February 15?)
- Details of death: Died at his home in Sharon, New Hampshire of complications of lung cancer at the age of 74.
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A leading voice of his generation
O’Rourke often shared the story of his political evolution – a liberal hippie as a student, he shifted to the other side of the political spectrum as a young graduate, becoming a conservative Republican with libertarian leanings. But he was happy to poke just as much fun at Republicans as he did at Democrats, pointing out what made each side ridiculous.
O’Rourke first rose to prominence as a writer for National Lampoon in the 1970s, becoming the magazine’s editor-in-chief and spearheading their popular “High School Yearbook” and “Sunday Newspaper” parodies. Later, he moved to Rolling Stone, becoming a foreign correspondent. His book “Holidays in Hell” collected many of the articles he wrote for Rolling Stone, covering his travels in the 1980s to volatile places including Lebanon, the Gaza Strip, and Warsaw. O’Rourke spent two decades at Rolling Stone, as well as freelancing for periodicals including Playboy, the Atlantic, and Vanity Fair. He published more than two dozen books, including “Republican Party Reptile,” “Eat the Rich,” and “Parliament of Whores,” Subtitled “A Lone Humorist Attempts to Explain the Entire U.S. Government,” “Parliament of Whores” was a popular skewering of the U.S. system of governance that topped the New York Times best-seller list.
Not just a writer, O’Rourke was also a media personality who frequently appeared on talk shows across the political spectrum. He did a regular point-counterpoint segment on “60 Minutes,” the conservative voice to Molly Ivins’ (1944–2007) liberal one. He was a frequent panelist on NPR’s news quiz show, “Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me!”
Notable quote
“I have only one firm belief about the American political system, and that is this: God is a Republican and Santa Claus is a Democrat.” —from “Parliament of Whores”
Tributes to P.J. O’Rourke
Full obituary: The New York Times
