Have you ever just wanted to gonzo an assignment?

I was wondering if anyone else ever just gets the urge while covering something ridiculous to just do what Hunter S. Thompson did at the Kentucky Derby.

I don't necessarily mean get drunk, but just lay out your true feelings and thoughts about a scene, the event itself be damned. I get the urge quite often, but two things stop me: one, I like being able to pay my bills, and two, I ain't Hunter S. Thompson.

I've actually seen it done objectively. I read an old story from one of the Chicago papers where the reporter went to a city hall meeting, but instead of turning in a boring story about a boring meeting, the writer detailed how absurd the meeting was, noting things like the council members took 11 minutes to decide if they were going to decide about something. It was written brilliantly, allowing the readers to make up their own mind about the situation while keeping them laughing.

 

So do it.
We publish 365 days a year. I see no problem with doing something different on ... let's say ... 125 of those.
I think the readers would appreciate a change of pace every so often.

 

That's the kind of renegade thinking that's going to get you in trouble. Best not to think outside the box in this business.

I would love to do something like that, but honestly, I don't know if many people in my readership would get it. I would imagine most people would be more upset than happy, even if it was written brilliantly.

 

Do it while you're in college at a student paper ... it's fun to get a laugh out of, but I'd probably never do it in a legit publication.

Though, the school board meeting would be a good time to break it out -- covered enough of those to know how ridiculous they can be.