Teach Time Encyclopedia - Learn About Our World
Home Page
Teach Time
Featured Topics

United States
by state

CITYology

Academic Disciplines

Historical Timelines

Themed Timelines

Calendars

Reference Tables

Biographies

How-tos



Friday, May 16, 2008

Gonzo

Gonzo is a style of reportage or film making where the reporter or filmmaker is intrinsically enmeshed with the action (rather than being a passive observer).

The term was coined by Rolling Stone writer Hunter S. Thompson to describe his (often extreme) reporting. Thompson himself would instigate events, often in a prankish or belligerent manner, and then document both his actions and those of others. The term has also come into (sometimes pejorative) use to describe journalism (or generally any writing) that is broadly in the vein of Thompson's writing, where fact and fiction were liberally mixed and his prolific intake of drugs and alcohol led to a febrile, run-on style.

Similarly, in pornographic movies, gonzo refers to productions where the camera operator or director take an overt part the action, either by talking to actors or by themselves being performers. Such movies often eschew narrative and plot, opting (as Thompson did) to present a roughly contemporaneous account of "actual" events. The intention of this partly to involve the audience in the action, in a manner similar to the theater technique of breaking the fourth wall (but also: it's cheap, and no-one has to remember any lines).


Gonzo or The Great Gonzo is a puppet character, one of Jim Henson's Muppets.

Gonzo is blue, with a long hooked nose. On The Muppet Show he performed as a stuntman and daredevil under the name "The Great Gonzo" (or "Gonzo the Great"). He takes pride in his iconoclasm, all the while romantically pursuing Camilla the chicken. A running gag related to Gonzo is that it's not clear what species he is supposed to be. In the film The Great Muppet Caper, he is shipped to England in a crate labeled "Whatever" (while Kermit the Frog and Fozzie Bear are labeled "Frog" and "Bear"). In Muppets from Space it is revealed that Gonzo is an alien, but it is not clear whether this is to be considered a canonical statement of Gonzo's origins.



Internet Hotel Solutions

Site Sponsors
AC Units
Baltimore Harbor
Boot Camp Grads
Bra Size
Burkittsville
College Hotels
Digital Harbor
Free Cell Phones
Golden Hare Travel
Golf Vacations
Golf Courses
Gourmet
Hair Styles
Hippodrome
iWoman
Lesson Plans
Maryland Hotels
MD Genealogy
Minor League Stuff
Motel Site
Ocean City
OC Real Estate
Old Agers
Office Supplies
Orlando
Pet Friendly Hotel
Room Prices
Savannah, GA
Ski Vacations
South Baltimore
Student Teaching
Travel Sources
University Hotels
Visit Military Bases
Washington, DC

Brought to you by NoChildLeftBehind.com and the Beaches and Towns Network, LLC.