RUclips commentators “DavidCullen37,” “Dawson23a,” “zyrrhos,” and “scruffsa4065” have helpfully echoed Menchen’s cautionary drinking advice. Essentially, the Charm City sage, is saying one’s work, social life, and sobriety are more important than the drink itself. Isn’t it great that a dedicated army of RUclips commentators enhance the viewing and listening experience by alternately reinforcing, condemning, contextualizing, praising, and inserting content of their own in response to presentations?
"Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule -and both commonly succeed." -H. L. Mencken, 1956
I read Mencken's Chrestomathy when I was in high school. A brilliant collection. I came upon this interview serendipitously; fortune has smiled upon me.
I am listening to this remarkable journalist Mencken's voice again on this documentary. It is 5:00 a.m. on November 3, 2023. Thank you to the gentleman interviewing him. Why was he forgotten? Because he had a moral compass. He knew the newspaper business very well even back then. How about journalism and newspapers today with the introduction of television? Acquisitions and mergers. Strange shoelaces of politics that tie their shoes and can't keep them tied Corperations own them!!! Meichen would be outraged. Subsequently, so am I. Would it not be nice of all religious people today could not hate? Neighbors get along with others. Free speech in America today? What happened with that? I'm still listening 🎶
Stumbled upon Mencken’s work while reading “The Sun Also Rises” by Hemingway. There’s a great line in there where Jake attributes a quote about the chicken and egg trope to Mencken as a joke. It’s relevance to the characters in the novel was so funny I decided to look him up. Ended up here. Worth the trip.
I love this video so much. Now whenever I read Mencken, I "hear" him speaking the words as well. It adds a wonderful dimension to his magnificent prose!
Henry Richards couldn't have said it better myself. His coarse, raspy voice reading, 'Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.' Casts an entirely new and different light on the tenacity and viciousness of the quote 🍻
I hear him in the voice of the narrator who reads the Veblen chapter in this compilation, Dr. Philip Gould: ruclips.net/video/_6Nr4mnZL7o/видео.htmlsi=aogSTBnvOcee_djx
Mencken got into journalism at the time when newspapers were growing rapidly and a college degree wasn't needed if a reporter could write. Forget about doing that these days.
@@zacharycat There are few degrees less valuable than one in journalism. It doesn't lead to competence or perspicacity, and it doesn't guarantee a job.
Wow. I hadn't realized that this delightful interview is the only recording of The Sage's voice that was ever preserved. God bless Mr. Kirkley for doing this!
I am a Christian conservative. Mencken was an agnostic libertarian. I disagree with him on some issues, but am in accord with him on many others. And being a journalist and critic who loves our magnificent English language, I can't help but admire Mencken. He was a great journalist and one of the greatest American prose stylists. I also love a man who loved both alcohol and tobacco, but used both judiciously --
Mencken was a full-blown atheist. Brilliant writer, but a fool. God has the final word. Have you ever read his diary? Eye opening. Mencken was a real jerk.
Mencken ended by saying “catastrophe” in response to the interviewer claiming him an Idealist. There is no way in hell he should be considered an Idealist. The interviewer probably doesn’t know what that means. The way that Mencken responded, by first answering the question of “his plans that night” and circling back around to address the error of labeling him an idealist, was the best part of the entire interview. I hope you listened all the way through. This is probably the best video on youtube. Should have 10 million hits
@@shanosantwanos3908 I have added you quote to my "quote" collection. A better definition of an Idealist I doubt I shall ever find, especially with such brevity,
How prophetic More people would benefit from his witty conversations.His descriptions of politicians of those days,still hold true today,and 100 years from now. I miss the great minds that served as our moral compass. rare indeed and honor to hear a giant at his craft. Witt
Is this the last time someone with such a large amount of intelligence and a healthy amount of the truth was ever given such a platform or widely acknowledged?
Thank you Herr Leibnitz for posting this. It is otherwise only available in the original 1960 LP album, which is selling online for up to $50 as I write this.
"On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."
Thanks so much for this insightful audio clip. I'm doing research on H.L. Mencken as the man who coined the term "Bible Belt:. You're helping me to understand a little bit more about his character and who he was as a journalist.
Someone cited: “Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.” ― Henry Louis Mencken I needed to look that man up - as expected a fellow libertarian - thanks a lot for this video, I will hear that again one day!
an honor to hear this guys voice. Interesting that he doesn't have much of a Baltimore accent--certainly not as bad as my parents and grandparents had.
Menckin would have a massive stroke in November 1948, and be left unable to speak, or to read. So this really is his swan song. I wonder what sort of crazy Doctor he fell victim to, because Listening to this, "hay fever" or Not, he sounds old, mentally tired and somewhat disconnected. The sort of voice you hear from FDR in Early 1945, when he had both feet in the grave, too.
If you read his published diaries, Mencken had been aware for years that he was at risk for a stroke. He was something of a hypochondriac and wrote of his ailments, symptoms, and frequent visits to doctors in his diaries, and his doctors had advised him of his medical risks all the way back to the 1930s. There was no anti-hypertensive medication in the 1940s. That's also partially why FDR (Mencken's bete noire) died at only 63.
I apologize for my frank response to the comments and general response to this natural intelligence, HL Mencken. This is my rhetorical comment: what a dearth of intellectual people today. He wold have have been in the class of Christopher Hitchens had he been born decades later. But to the lot of time we are captive to the accidents of our birth. Had more men with such articulate wit spoke today in the era of social media in the heat of the debates about religion. Please check out Mencken's critique of religion.
5 months after this interview Mencken had a stroke from which he never fully recovered. He was able to talk but could not read or write, which greatly frustrated him.
When an acquaintance heard that he’d had a stroke, he called his doctor and asked about his condition. His doctor replied, “He survived, unfortunately.”
@@stationtavern8527 Both. Too bad because he was a great writer. If we look for perfection in humans, we won't find it. His racism and anti-Semitism bums me out.
We definitely won’t find perfection in humans, but that’s not really the point since “racism” is a terrible character deviation regardless of one’s great writing skills.
I find Mencken's notion that agnostics are normally superstitious fascinating. My life experiences suggest quite the contrary - including that of my self, personally. I look upon superstition and religion in much the same way, in fact, and dismiss them both similarly. One of the many, many topics I'd love to have had an opportunity to discuss with the Sage!
I suspect you've never been in an aircraft that was on fire. I, like many fellow agnostics, atheists and those whose intellects were far too superior to fall for primitive superstition and the mumbo-jumbo of religious zealots, contemptuously dismissed the notion of a Supreme Being. Then one day I was flying a trouble-shooting hop on a Navy P3 Orion. Long story made short, a primary prop pump failure on the number 3 engine threw the propeller out of synch which lead to the engine tearing itself apart, which in turn lead to a fire that the extinguisher couldn't suppress. Looking out the starboard observer's port, I saw a fire that stretched from the engine past my position all the way aft to the horizontal stabilizer. In fact, it was heavily singed from the flames. At that moment, as I watched the flames streaming past me, I became religious, and I am proud to say I still am to this day.
Obviously such extreme events CAN and sometimes will change one's position on these matters. I've discussed this with non-believer friends in the military who have endured traumatically violent/directly life-threatening situations that failed to change their non-belief an iota. In the main though, I have no desire to debate the matter here to be honest. Everyone's life-experiences will inform their beliefs or non-beliefs to varying degrees. But again - my original comment had nothing really to do with atheism/agnosticism, beyond Mencken's notion that agnostics are virtually all superstitious - and my own experiences suggest otherwise. Glad you landed your plane despite all that - best regards to you.
+CaesarInVa It (the knowing and believing in God) is put in ALL men and women by our Creator. It is after one grows up, along with the things they watch or listen to - - that they make their own "Personal Decision" as to what one believes. Make no mistake about it. It does not matter one iota what "you" believe as to what "The Truth" really is. There will come a day and it IS coming, whether you believe it will or not makes no difference as to the event actually going to take place. That silly "book" that just about everyone owns - yet never read - says that the day will come when "every knee WILL bend and every head WILL bow and every tongue WILL confess that Jesus Christ IS Lord." That includes ole' H.L. himself, he wouldn't confess that while he was alive. He had his chance. More than a couple I am sure. What he believed to be his "superior intellect" in regard to his Creator and his Son Jesus Christ....will have cost him. And cost him dearly. That man will spend eternity (that's a scary word when one really thinks about it) wishing he had thought and did things differently but alas it is too late for H.L. It's not too late for anyone reading this though. I guess the question is, will YOU be joining Mr. Mencken for eternity? Just use your "Common Sense" that He literally gave you, after all - - this really isn't rocket science.
+MrPocketfullOfSteel I always find it says a great deal about a belief when its votaries race to the bottom of the moral valley in order to threaten disbelievers with pain, not in the here and now but after death ... something not even thugs, gangsters and serial killers stoop to, death for them being considered sufficient.
MrPocketfullOfSteel you know, you and I are equally atheist to every God in history but 1. Many of those God myths you don't believe contain the roots of the Jesus myth. Born on the 25th, son of a Virgin, performed miracles, died and resurrected after 3 days etc. These are details taken from older myths you don't believe. Absolutely agree with the commenter above me- don't threaten people with fear of eternal torture to believe in things that you don't even believe in every context save one.
He sounds just like you’d expect him to. It’s kind of a shame the old curmudgeon never did a radio series. And it may not have been 1000 years but it has been 70 and even his assessments of papers are still relevant (i allude in particular to his conclusion that “scoops” are almost always terrible stories that are dreadfully embellished).
If I'm wrong, and there's a heaven, I would murder to see Mencken, Carlin, and Clemmens at a table with a healthy drought of whiskey, cards, and the urge to argue about everything.
Mencken likely wouldn't want any part of a card game. In his writing, he frequently disparaged those kinds of leisurely pursuits, along with golf, and pool, which he saw as the province of dimwitted babbits. I think the whiskey and conversation would be sufficient.
@@weathforjr I beg to differ. Nowhere did I deny your point that it would be of great interest to bear witness to a conversation between the men you mentioned. That's all well and good. My point was to correct what appeared to be your gross misapprehension of the essential character of Mencken. Have a nice Thanksgiving.
@@MattsRUclipsChannel I would, but we can't have nice things because the entire sentiment was ruined when grandma announced she doesn't like stuffing, and it crashed the entire premise of sharing time together.
@@weathforjr You made an ill-advised comment, and you are now taking pains to display your bitterness about it. Please cry on someone else's shoulder. I am done.
Paul Krupa Well, do tell us what it is then. Inquiring minds certainly would love to know, especially given that the great man happened to live in Baltimore his entire life.
Muy buena la forma critica de pensar, hoy en día tendría que estar mas a la vista, recuerdo leer algunas notas hace como 20 años atras y siempre las e tenido en cuenta, se cumplen hoy día porque las personas no cambia demasiado ni con los años ni con el idioma.
Did he just pronounce Baltimore as "Baltimur"? Is that one of those things that everyone else mispronounces, like "Nevawda" for Nevada, and "Oregawn" for Oregon ("Oreg'n" the natives say). Or my stomping grounds, San Fran-cisco (which we say as "San Frncisco"). I love language.
I've lived in San Francisco most of my life, and when I hear it pronounced "San Fran-cisco" it makes me think of WWII propaganda films, or 1970's sexploitation directors like Russ Myers. lol
Javier G Madrigal Jr. The immediate postwar period witnessed a rapid improvement in recording technology: the rise of the LP and 45 RPM formats, the replacement of shellac with vinyl playing surfaces, the widespread adoption of magnetic tape recording by major record labels and radio networks (the Reichs-Rundfunk-Gesellschaft was employing the medium for recording broadcast performances as far back as 1939). But even shellac 78 RPM recordings from the early electrical period (1925 - 1945) often do not sound as bad as most people imagine. Records that are well cared for, competently recorded and produced, and played back on good equipment can sound remarkably vivid to modern ears. The quality of this recording sound just about right for 1948.
Néstor Castiglione I as a student of recorded sound, very much agree! Men who were monitoring Hitlers speeches during the War could not understand how he sounded live in Munich, and 2 hours later sounded just as vivid in Berlin! It was discovered after the War by I believe Jack Mullins, the secret was High Fidelity Bias tape recording. Mullins contacted Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby, and Crosby had several massive Magnetophone tape recording machines packed up and sent to his studios in Los Angeles and started “taping” his Kraft Music-hall radio shows. I had read that he wanted to be either playing golf or at home when he otherwise would have had to been in the Radio Studios. Fascinating stuff, that!
Me too, although Mencken's voice was deeper and he had that Baltimore/Ballmer accent. Not sure what accent Stewart had. I'd call it largely Midwestern, but he was from Pennsylvania, as I recall. Speaking (writing) as a born-and-raised cheesehead with a Midwest/WisKAAHNsin accent. I studied classical acting and singing for many years, so I can easily drop the accent in favor of Standard English. But while working, relaxing or kinda tired (especially after two or three beers), the accent is born again😁
As they say at the start, he was dealing with his "annual affliction, Hay Fever" so he was dealing with allergies. His sinuses are stuffed up. You can even hear him sniffling a few times.
calling this man a reactionary in any sense tells me that you really don't know much about him. he was an anarchist, a nihilist, an enemy to every form of collectivization and even a bit of a misanthrope. however, calling him a "reactionary" is absurd and untruthful.
***** "he wasn't an anarchist" yeah, he was. the nihilist bit could be argued, but a look through his writings shows that he was certainly an anarchist
How much of his writings did you look through? Did you read Men vs The Man for example? He had nothing but contempt for anarchists. I could post a few very clear and very big quotes to prove you wrong, but I highly doubt I'll earn anything in return. The Nihilist part is not arguable either, he wasn't one. Next time you gonna run your mouth fact check first.
***** you simple bastard, men vs the man was railing against socialists, not anarchists. get the fuck down from your high horse. mencken was what was known as a "tory anarchist". he had a strong disdain for socialism. jesus christ, just google "h.l. mencken anarchist" and you'll see plenty of articles about his anarchist tendencies.
***** don't bother to copy and paste, i'll do it for you: "The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable." "Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats." "Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance." "The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule." "Democracy is only a dream: it should be put in the same category as Arcadia, Santa Claus, and Heaven." "Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under." lemme guess: you're gonna sit there and give me some appeal to history about "hurr durr you can't be an anarchist without believing in democracy and socialism!" or some such nonsense, right? you're going to point out (as i already have) that mencken despised - and rightfully so - the idea of democracy and would instead rather let every man and woman live their lives the way they see fit as opposed to bending to some dictatorship of the majority which you will then turn around and tell me is "REAL anarchy". get fucked. you vapid fucking luddites that cling to your historical appeals do no service to discourse. tory anarchists were, and arguably still are, an anarchist movement. anarcho capitalists are an anarchist movement. just because you don't agree with something doesn't mean it doesn't exist you goofy fucking ponce. so go on, start baying on and on about how "b-b-but bakunin said THIS!" and "proudhoun said THAT!" - you will only be proving my point that your entire argument is reliant upon appeals to history and is therefore, not a logical argument at all.
Professional contrarian! The poor interviewer practically worships him and Menck will have none of it. Imagine what he would think of what Baltimore has become. Sad.
Let’s stop for a moment and give thanks to the farsighted fellow who encouraged Mencken to record this piece of immortal treasure!
"Never drink when you have work to do, Never drink alone, and never drink when the sun is up".
Never drink when you have work to do never drink alone and never drink when the sun is up.
@@Kerys23a Never drink when you have work to do. Never drink alone, that’s the way to become a drunkard. Never drink when the sun is shining.
@@zyrrhos True
@@zyrrhos Never drink when you have work to do. Never drink alone, that’s the way to become a drunkard. Never drink when the sun is shining.
RUclips commentators “DavidCullen37,” “Dawson23a,” “zyrrhos,” and “scruffsa4065” have helpfully echoed Menchen’s cautionary drinking advice. Essentially, the Charm City sage, is saying one’s work, social life, and sobriety are more important than the drink itself. Isn’t it great that a dedicated army of RUclips commentators enhance the viewing and listening experience by alternately reinforcing, condemning, contextualizing, praising, and inserting content of their own in response to presentations?
"Under democracy one party always devotes its chief energies to trying to prove that the other party is unfit to rule -and both commonly succeed." -H. L. Mencken, 1956
I read Mencken's Chrestomathy when I was in high school. A brilliant collection. I came upon this interview serendipitously; fortune has smiled upon me.
I am listening to this remarkable journalist Mencken's voice again on this documentary.
It is 5:00 a.m. on November 3, 2023. Thank you to the gentleman interviewing him.
Why was he forgotten?
Because he had a moral compass. He knew the newspaper business very well even back then. How about journalism and newspapers today with the introduction of television? Acquisitions and mergers. Strange shoelaces of politics that tie their shoes and can't keep them tied
Corperations own them!!!
Meichen would be outraged.
Subsequently, so am I.
Would it not be nice of all religious people today could not hate? Neighbors get along with others. Free speech in America today? What happened with that?
I'm still listening 🎶
A true treasure of our culture
Yes.
Yea
Stumbled upon Mencken’s work while reading “The Sun Also Rises” by Hemingway. There’s a great line in there where Jake attributes a quote about the chicken and egg trope to Mencken as a joke. It’s relevance to the characters in the novel was so funny I decided to look him up. Ended up here. Worth the trip.
The internet has its good points. This is one of the best. Does anyone else hear Jimmy Stewart?
Yes, he sounds like Jimmy. I don't know if it's some kind of Eastern affect--the drawl or just a unique character trait.
I love this video so much. Now whenever I read Mencken, I "hear" him speaking the words as well. It adds a wonderful dimension to his magnificent prose!
Henry Richards couldn't have said it better myself. His coarse, raspy voice reading, 'Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.' Casts an entirely new and different light on the tenacity and viciousness of the quote 🍻
💯 correct
I hear him in the voice of the narrator who reads the Veblen chapter in this compilation, Dr. Philip Gould:
ruclips.net/video/_6Nr4mnZL7o/видео.htmlsi=aogSTBnvOcee_djx
"I never went to college, thank God" ROFL I wish I had thought that way.
Mencken got into journalism at the time when newspapers were growing rapidly and a college degree wasn't needed if a reporter could write. Forget about doing that these days.
@@zacharycat what are bloggers doing?
@@zacharycat There are few degrees less valuable than one in journalism. It doesn't lead to competence or perspicacity, and it doesn't guarantee a job.
@@WhoDatGuyJ blogging.
@@nicmart No degree "guarantees" a job, that's not how degrees work.
Wow. I hadn't realized that this delightful interview is the only recording of The Sage's voice that was ever preserved. God bless Mr. Kirkley for doing this!
I am a Christian conservative. Mencken was an agnostic libertarian. I disagree with him on some issues, but am in accord with him on many others.
And being a journalist and critic who loves our magnificent English language, I can't help but admire Mencken. He was a great journalist and one of the greatest American prose stylists.
I also love a man who loved both alcohol and tobacco, but used both judiciously --
Mencken was a full-blown atheist. Brilliant writer, but a fool. God has the final word. Have you ever read his diary? Eye opening. Mencken was a real jerk.
Mencken ended by saying “catastrophe” in response to the interviewer claiming him an Idealist. There is no way in hell he should be considered an Idealist. The interviewer probably doesn’t know what that means. The way that Mencken responded, by first answering the question of “his plans that night” and circling back around to address the error of labeling him an idealist, was the best part of the entire interview. I hope you listened all the way through. This is probably the best video on youtube. Should have 10 million hits
There is debate about the meaning of your handle as well
Mencken was a fascist
An idealist smells pumpkins then smells roses and decides that rose flavoured soup would taste better.
He was a bigot and inveterate cynic. Should not be lionized.
@@shanosantwanos3908 I have added you quote to my "quote" collection. A better definition of an Idealist I doubt I shall ever find, especially with such brevity,
Having read several of his works, it's a real treat to hear him speak.
How prophetic More people would benefit from his witty conversations.His descriptions of politicians of those days,still hold true today,and 100 years from now.
I miss the great minds that served as our moral compass.
rare indeed and honor to hear a giant at his craft. Witt
💯 correct
Is this the last time someone with such a large amount of intelligence and a healthy amount of the truth was ever given such a platform or widely acknowledged?
Excellent question!
Arguably Evelyn Waugh also had it
I am pleased this bit of history has been preserved. I did enjoy it.
Thank you Herr Leibnitz for posting this. It is otherwise only available in the original 1960 LP album, which is selling online for up to $50 as I write this.
he sounds like jimmy stewart.
Or does Jimmy Stewart sound like him?
I thought so too. Same accent or very similar, and same pitch and timbre.
What a gem! Thanks so much for posting this!
The man had an eye for beauty, that’s for sure. What a guy.
"The American lust for the hideous..." a more apposite comment was never made.
has anything described america better in less than 7 words?
It's precisely what makes America so beautiful!
What a seasoned genius!! Thanks for uploading this gem!
Its been a hundred years and here i am
926 years to go, but we're doing our part!
He would be right in his element today, sad he missed it. Loved his books.
Thank you for posting this!
"On some great and glorious day the plain folks of the land will reach their heart's desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron."
Sir. Very prophetic. They have one now.
"C'mon man, you know, the thing!"
thanks for uploading this.......
Thanks so much for this insightful audio clip. I'm doing research on H.L. Mencken as the man who coined the term "Bible Belt:. You're helping me to understand a little bit more about his character and who he was as a journalist.
First podcast ever?
Dank
Also, recorded just a few months before he suffered a stroke that made it difficult for him to speak. Good catch.
Someone cited: “Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.” ― Henry Louis Mencken
I needed to look that man up - as expected a fellow libertarian - thanks a lot for this video, I will hear that again one day!
"Most people who write letters to newspapers are fools." :)
And now we're all in comments sections!
an honor to hear this guys voice. Interesting that he doesn't have much of a Baltimore accent--certainly not as bad as my parents and grandparents had.
Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard.
This is great, thank you for posting it.
Thank you so much.
Menckin would have a massive stroke in November 1948, and be left unable to speak, or to read. So this really is his swan song. I wonder what sort of crazy Doctor he fell victim to, because Listening to this, "hay fever" or Not, he sounds old, mentally tired and somewhat disconnected. The sort of voice you hear from FDR in Early 1945, when he had both feet in the grave, too.
If you read his published diaries, Mencken had been aware for years that he was at risk for a stroke. He was something of a hypochondriac and wrote of his ailments, symptoms, and frequent visits to doctors in his diaries, and his doctors had advised him of his medical risks all the way back to the 1930s. There was no anti-hypertensive medication in the 1940s. That's also partially why FDR (Mencken's bete noire) died at only 63.
I apologize for my frank response to the comments and general response to this natural intelligence, HL Mencken. This is my rhetorical comment: what a dearth of intellectual people today. He wold have have been in the class of Christopher Hitchens had he been born decades later. But to the lot of time we are captive to the accidents of our birth. Had more men with such articulate wit spoke today in the era of social media in the heat of the debates about religion. Please check out Mencken's critique of religion.
5 months after this interview Mencken had a stroke from which he never fully recovered. He was able to talk but could not read or write, which greatly frustrated him.
Poor guy
When an acquaintance heard that he’d had a stroke, he called his doctor and asked about his condition. His doctor replied, “He survived, unfortunately.”
Fascinating piece of history. Thank you for this!
Interesting to hear his voice❤️
Agree.
Agree ❤
@@cheri238 He sounds just as I expected : no nonsense, curmudgeonly, terse.
Mencken was an intellectual genius.
I agree. And, far ahead of his time in his loathing for all things blindly accepted as religious, scientific, social, or political fact.
Completely agree.
"Intellectual genius" or damn racist?
@@stationtavern8527 Both. Too bad because he was a great writer. If we look for perfection in humans, we won't find it. His racism and anti-Semitism bums me out.
We definitely won’t find perfection in humans, but that’s not really the point since “racism” is a terrible character deviation regardless of one’s great writing skills.
I find Mencken's notion that agnostics are normally superstitious fascinating. My life experiences suggest quite the contrary - including that of my self, personally. I look upon superstition and religion in much the same way, in fact, and dismiss them both similarly. One of the many, many topics I'd love to have had an opportunity to discuss with the Sage!
I suspect you've never been in an aircraft that was on fire. I, like many fellow agnostics, atheists and those whose intellects were far too superior to fall for primitive superstition and the mumbo-jumbo of religious zealots, contemptuously dismissed the notion of a Supreme Being. Then one day I was flying a trouble-shooting hop on a Navy P3 Orion. Long story made short, a primary prop pump failure on the number 3 engine threw the propeller out of synch which lead to the engine tearing itself apart, which in turn lead to a fire that the extinguisher couldn't suppress. Looking out the starboard observer's port, I saw a fire that stretched from the engine past my position all the way aft to the horizontal stabilizer. In fact, it was heavily singed from the flames. At that moment, as I watched the flames streaming past me, I became religious, and I am proud to say I still am to this day.
Obviously such extreme events CAN and sometimes will change one's position on these matters. I've discussed this with non-believer friends in the military who have endured traumatically violent/directly life-threatening situations that failed to change their non-belief an iota. In the main though, I have no desire to debate the matter here to be honest. Everyone's life-experiences will inform their beliefs or non-beliefs to varying degrees. But again - my original comment had nothing really to do with atheism/agnosticism, beyond Mencken's notion that agnostics are virtually all superstitious - and my own experiences suggest otherwise. Glad you landed your plane despite all that - best regards to you.
+CaesarInVa It (the knowing and believing in God) is put in ALL men and women by our Creator. It is after one grows up, along with the things they watch or listen to - - that they make their own "Personal Decision" as to what one believes.
Make no mistake about it. It does not matter one iota what "you" believe as to what "The Truth" really is. There will come a day and it IS coming, whether you believe it will or not makes no difference as to the event actually going to take place.
That silly "book" that just about everyone owns - yet never read - says that the day will come when "every knee WILL bend and every head WILL bow and every tongue WILL confess that Jesus Christ IS Lord."
That includes ole' H.L. himself, he wouldn't confess that while he was alive. He had his chance. More than a couple I am sure. What he believed to be his "superior intellect" in regard to his Creator and his Son Jesus Christ....will have cost him. And cost him dearly. That man will spend eternity (that's a scary word when one really thinks about it) wishing he had thought and did things differently but alas it is too late for H.L.
It's not too late for anyone reading this though. I guess the question is, will YOU be joining Mr. Mencken for eternity?
Just use your "Common Sense" that He literally gave you, after all - - this really isn't rocket science.
+MrPocketfullOfSteel I always find it says a great deal about a belief when its votaries race to the bottom of the moral valley in order to threaten disbelievers with pain, not in the here and now but after death ... something not even thugs, gangsters and serial killers stoop to, death for them being considered sufficient.
MrPocketfullOfSteel you know, you and I are equally atheist to every God in history but 1.
Many of those God myths you don't believe contain the roots of the Jesus myth.
Born on the 25th, son of a Virgin, performed miracles, died and resurrected after 3 days etc.
These are details taken from older myths you don't believe.
Absolutely agree with the commenter above me- don't threaten people with fear of eternal torture to believe in things that you don't even believe in every context save one.
Shemp pinched his haircut.
Ombibulous. I like that. He doesn’t understand addiction very well but his strong opinions on the subject, wrong though they are, are entertaining.
Addiction. What bunk. Every bit as much a superstition as any religion, which is why AA is so prominent in it.
Addiction is the pursuit of freedom from choice.
@@klaunwelt4404 ill chew on that for a sec
@@klaunwelt4404And the abandonment of responsibility
He sounds just like you’d expect him to. It’s kind of a shame the old curmudgeon never did a radio series. And it may not have been 1000 years but it has been 70 and even his assessments of papers are still relevant (i allude in particular to his conclusion that “scoops” are almost always terrible stories that are dreadfully embellished).
If I'm wrong, and there's a heaven, I would murder to see Mencken, Carlin, and Clemmens at a table with a healthy drought of whiskey, cards, and the urge to argue about everything.
Mencken likely wouldn't want any part of a card game. In his writing, he frequently disparaged those kinds of leisurely pursuits, along with golf, and pool, which he saw as the province of dimwitted babbits. I think the whiskey and conversation would be sufficient.
Can I offer you a scope? 'Cause that's so far off the point that it's off the paper...
@@weathforjr I beg to differ. Nowhere did I deny your point that it would be of great interest to bear witness to a conversation between the men you mentioned. That's all well and good. My point was to correct what appeared to be your gross misapprehension of the essential character of Mencken. Have a nice Thanksgiving.
@@MattsRUclipsChannel I would, but we can't have nice things because the entire sentiment was ruined when grandma announced she doesn't like stuffing, and it crashed the entire premise of sharing time together.
@@weathforjr You made an ill-advised comment, and you are now taking pains to display your bitterness about it. Please cry on someone else's shoulder. I am done.
read his biographer, "Disturber of the peace". Fascinating insight into his life and the 20th century.
" People believe what they want to believe". A cliche that cannot be emphasised enough.
-> See SARS/COV plandemic !
I went on a H.L. Mencken house tour in 1986.
This is really cool. Can't wait to listen more!
So far, I've learned the words "unbibulous" and "salubrious" from this interview.
Bibulous - excessively fond of drinking alcohol.
Salubrious - giving health
BTW. What's the accent? He sounds like the actor James Stewart.
John K Lindgren He speaks the Bawlmerese of the turn of the last century. It has changed little.
I lived in Balmore in late 70's. I live in DC for the past 30 years and regularly visit Balmore. That is not "Bawlmerese" hon.
Paul Krupa Well, do tell us what it is then. Inquiring minds certainly would love to know, especially given that the great man happened to live in Baltimore his entire life.
Néstor Castiglione Having been born and raised in Bawlmer, he sounds like my late Wonderful Grandfather!
Reminds me of Jimmy Stewart lol
Doesn't his voice sound like Jimmy Stewart's, in his later years?
Somewhat. But Mencken's voice was deeper. And he had that Ballmer accent.
Muy buena la forma critica de pensar, hoy en día tendría que estar mas a la vista, recuerdo leer algunas notas hace como 20 años atras y siempre las e tenido en cuenta, se cumplen hoy día porque las personas no cambia demasiado ni con los años ni con el idioma.
currently reading a book on mencken
Auf jede heikle und komplizierte Frage gibt es eine ganz einfache, klare Antwort, die falsch ist.
Zitat
Henry Louis Mencken
Did he just pronounce Baltimore as "Baltimur"? Is that one of those things that everyone else mispronounces, like "Nevawda" for Nevada, and "Oregawn" for Oregon ("Oreg'n" the natives say). Or my stomping grounds, San Fran-cisco (which we say as "San Frncisco"). I love language.
If "everyone else" is mispronouncing something ... are you sure you're not the one saying it incorrectly? ;) Cheers.
I've lived in San Francisco most of my life, and when I hear it pronounced "San Fran-cisco" it makes me think of WWII propaganda films, or 1970's sexploitation directors like Russ Myers. lol
He lived there his whole life , he pronounced it as those who lived there pronounced it.
year of this interview?
1948.
LMAO@ 23:42
Mencken sounds a bit like Jimmy Stewart.
Sounds like President Nixon!
i can't help but feel suspicious.
This could be two actors pretending, and reading Mencken writing.
Shouldn't there be more scratchy sounds?
Maybe the recording has been digitized and cleared of any pops and crackles.
Javier G Madrigal Jr. The immediate postwar period witnessed a rapid improvement in recording technology: the rise of the LP and 45 RPM formats, the replacement of shellac with vinyl playing surfaces, the widespread adoption of magnetic tape recording by major record labels and radio networks (the Reichs-Rundfunk-Gesellschaft was employing the medium for recording broadcast performances as far back as 1939). But even shellac 78 RPM recordings from the early electrical period (1925 - 1945) often do not sound as bad as most people imagine. Records that are well cared for, competently recorded and produced, and played back on good equipment can sound remarkably vivid to modern ears.
The quality of this recording sound just about right for 1948.
Néstor Castiglione I as a student of recorded sound, very much agree! Men who were monitoring Hitlers speeches during the War could not understand how he sounded live in Munich, and 2 hours later sounded just as vivid in Berlin! It was discovered after the War by I believe Jack Mullins, the secret was High Fidelity Bias tape recording. Mullins contacted Harry Lillis “Bing” Crosby, and Crosby had several massive Magnetophone tape recording machines packed up and sent to his studios in Los Angeles and started “taping” his Kraft Music-hall radio shows. I had read that he wanted to be either playing golf or at home when he otherwise would have had to been in the Radio Studios. Fascinating stuff, that!
He writes a lot better than he speaks.
"Ball-i-mur"
What year was this interview done please?
1948
'The recording was made on a warm day in June" But in *what year* ?
1948.
Is this a re-enactment of this interview? Sounds suspiciously like James Stewart.
voice reminds me a bit like Jimmy Stewart
Me too, although Mencken's voice was deeper and he had that Baltimore/Ballmer accent.
Not sure what accent Stewart had. I'd call it largely Midwestern, but he was from Pennsylvania, as I recall.
Speaking (writing) as a born-and-raised cheesehead with a Midwest/WisKAAHNsin accent.
I studied classical acting and singing for many years, so I can easily drop the accent in favor of Standard English. But while working, relaxing or kinda tired (especially after two or three beers), the accent is born again😁
As they say at the start, he was dealing with his "annual affliction, Hay Fever" so he was dealing with allergies. His sinuses are stuffed up. You can even hear him sniffling a few times.
calling this man a reactionary in any sense tells me that you really don't know much about him. he was an anarchist, a nihilist, an enemy to every form of collectivization and even a bit of a misanthrope. however, calling him a "reactionary" is absurd and untruthful.
He wasn't an anarchist nor a nihilist.
*****
"he wasn't an anarchist"
yeah, he was. the nihilist bit could be argued, but a look through his writings shows that he was certainly an anarchist
How much of his writings did you look through? Did you read Men vs The Man for example? He had nothing but contempt for anarchists. I could post a few very clear and very big quotes to prove you wrong, but I highly doubt I'll earn anything in return.
The Nihilist part is not arguable either, he wasn't one. Next time you gonna run your mouth fact check first.
*****
you simple bastard, men vs the man was railing against socialists, not anarchists. get the fuck down from your high horse. mencken was what was known as a "tory anarchist". he had a strong disdain for socialism. jesus christ, just google "h.l. mencken anarchist" and you'll see plenty of articles about his anarchist tendencies.
***** don't bother to copy and paste, i'll do it for you:
"The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out... without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, intolerable."
"Every normal man must be tempted, at times, to spit on his hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats."
"Democracy is a pathetic belief in the collective wisdom of individual ignorance."
"The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule."
"Democracy is only a dream: it should be put in the same category as Arcadia, Santa Claus, and Heaven."
"Every decent man is ashamed of the government he lives under."
lemme guess: you're gonna sit there and give me some appeal to history about "hurr durr you can't be an anarchist without believing in democracy and socialism!" or some such nonsense, right? you're going to point out (as i already have) that mencken despised - and rightfully so - the idea of democracy and would instead rather let every man and woman live their lives the way they see fit as opposed to bending to some dictatorship of the majority which you will then turn around and tell me is "REAL anarchy". get fucked.
you vapid fucking luddites that cling to your historical appeals do no service to discourse. tory anarchists were, and arguably still are, an anarchist movement. anarcho capitalists are an anarchist movement. just because you don't agree with something doesn't mean it doesn't exist you goofy fucking ponce. so go on, start baying on and on about how "b-b-but bakunin said THIS!" and "proudhoun said THAT!" - you will only be proving my point that your entire argument is reliant upon appeals to history and is therefore, not a logical argument at all.
38:10-38:43 LOLL
There is no 1524 Holland in Baltimore.
There was then
Hollins*
why do people have to act so intelligent - to impress others! Write simple, plain English.
a men!
Professional contrarian! The poor interviewer practically worships him and Menck will have none of it. Imagine what he would think of what Baltimore has become. Sad.
LOL 35:57 - 36:50
Racist and anti-Semitic - doesn’t make him any less brilliant.
lol Liberterian are always aware of the jewish ploy
He was a product of his time, much as was Milton Hershey.
To the contrary... more brilliant!!!!
@mordy43 friend ... You've comment is so well put . Concise but speaks volumes yes, truth
All brilliant minds of his time were, just as they continue to be today.
Odioso, indiferente, nada. Espalda, polvo, una ligera brisa de aire, nada.