I have to say that watching and listening to William F. Buckley as a young child, I was fascinated by his enormous vocabulary, for which I understood nothing. My dad would watch his rhetoric but had great disdain for him. He was a “know-it-all”, an arrogant SOB who fueled Republicans.
I have to say that watching and listening to William F. Buckley as a young child, I was fascinated by his enormous vocabulary, for which I understood nothing. My dad would watch his rhetoric but had great disdain for him. He was a “know-it-all”, an arrogant SOB who fueled Republicans.
I only saw him in my twenties when a few W.&L. class-mates suggested I watch Firing Live because I reminded them of Mr Buckley. Almost as bad as being told I was Holden Caulfield in the flesh. I finally read 'Catcher in the Rye' and watched Mr Buckley in my senior year of college. I did not know whether to thank these friends or whack them with a two-by-four. Caulfield was a self-centered brat and Buckley a drunken pedant -- pronounced pee-dant (rhyme with slant) 😉 -- who never seemed to get to his point so enamoured was he of his own virtuosity.
One of the best things I've seen was a replay of a debate (I forget where and when -- sorry) between Buckley and James Baldwin. Buckley was annihilated and it was so satisfying! Such an affected idiotic snob.
Really a pleasure to watch because Baldwin was so intelligent. Here we saw a brilliant gay Black man take down an arrogant SOB who was white. So fabulous!
I have to say that watching and listening to William F. Buckley as a young child, I was fascinated by his enormous vocabulary, for which I understood nothing. My dad would watch his rhetoric but had great disdain for him. He was a “know-it-all”, an arrogant SOB who fueled Republicans.
I only saw him in my twenties when a few W.&L. class-mates suggested I watch Firing Live because I reminded them of Mr Buckley. Almost as bad as being told I was Holden Caulfield in the flesh. I finally read 'Catcher in the Rye' and watched Mr Buckley in my senior year of college. I did not know whether to thank these friends or whack them with a two-by-four. Caulfield was a self-centered brat and Buckley a drunken pedant -- pronounced pee-dant (rhyme with slant) 😉 -- who never seemed to get to his point so enamoured was he of his own virtuosity.
Accurate summary! And, if he had a point and had gotten to it quickly, the flaws in his perspective would have been much more apparent...
Thank you, Kem, for indulging my latest rant. I always though Mr Buckley was over-rated, vastly over-rated.
He truly loved hearing himself talk.
And he was so boring.
That last sentence is exactly how I remember Buckley!
Thanks for the memories, as said by that great mid-century American philosopher. Bob Hope. 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmE7gVkK14I
One of the best things I've seen was a replay of a debate (I forget where and when -- sorry) between Buckley and James Baldwin. Buckley was annihilated and it was so satisfying! Such an affected idiotic snob.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tek9h3a5wQ
Wow, thanks! I look forward to watching that again.
I don't know if you have watched this debate at the Cambridge Union, but I found it totally fascinating...otherworldly! Yet, like today? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tek9h3a5wQ&ab_channel=AeonVideo
I have watched it before and Baldwin took Buckley to the mat!
Marlene...Baldwin flung Buckley to hell....😇
Really a pleasure to watch because Baldwin was so intelligent. Here we saw a brilliant gay Black man take down an arrogant SOB who was white. So fabulous!
Thanks Bruce. Saving it to watch .
Precisely.