MUSTACHE OF THE DAY
by Orson on Feb 27, 2008 3:04 PM EST
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PrintOn pain of red-carding, accept for one moment the eschewing of the politics, and just consider the life on the enthusiasms alone: he sailed as an expert, spoke prose despite having Spanish and French as his first languages, proposed the introduction of bike lanes in New York City to reduce traffic, worked for the CIA, wrote spy novels, served as a delegate to the United Nations, founded a successful magazine, hosted a popular television show, and once played the harpsichord on the Conan O'Brien show.
He's dead, but the tank had to be empty. We bestow this week's tribute to William F. Buckley, who really should have had this stache.
Ah, yes: RIP, Bill. HT to Holly
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With the possible exception of…well, I don’t believe anyone living in the past 300 years or so, the man had a firm command over the most impressive latinate vocabulary.of anyone I’ve ever heard or read. I received a copy of of his word-a-day calendar at an extremely young age and after dazing through an entire year’s worth of incomprehensibly obscure yet perfectly precise and elegant language he used as effortlessly as I find myself mumbling “umm” and “you know,” I decided that being a writer really wasn’t for me. I think it takes a special kind of brilliance to uninspire someone in such a profound way. Memento Mori, everybody.
by rjsplow on Feb 27, 2008 3:20 PM EST reply actions
The handlebar mustache was the missing ingredient. As for Mr Buckley: not my cup of tea politically, but never ever dull; I should be so lucky.
by DC Trojan on Feb 27, 2008 3:24 PM EST reply actions
He was the only man who, even when perambulating, walked leaning back in a chair looking bemused.
by Orson Swindle on Feb 27, 2008 3:25 PM EST reply actions
I may have watched Firing Line as a kid if he’d been sporting that mustache.
by Biggus Rickus on Feb 27, 2008 3:40 PM EST reply actions
It should also be noted that, well over a decade ago, his magazine changed its editorial policy to reflect a position that would, to put it lightly, have had a wide-ranging effect on the Fulmer Cup: the legalization of drugs. Enlightened and impressive, I think
by spartanmike on Feb 27, 2008 3:42 PM EST reply actions
I took Latin in HS because of William F. Buckley. His vocabulary was inspirational. A true conservative in every sense of the word. Watching the modern-day GOP probably brought on his demise.
Mr. Buckley, you will be sorely missed.
RIP.
by blon57 on Feb 27, 2008 4:02 PM EST reply actions
So I guess Terrance Moore will soon be stepping into this vacuum.
The King is dead! Long live the King!
by hunglikehussain on Feb 27, 2008 4:14 PM EST reply actions
As for Mr Buckley: not my cup of tea politically, but never ever dull; I should be so lucky.
Precisely. Salut.
by Holly on Feb 27, 2008 4:19 PM EST reply actions
Indeed, I have always enjoyed him, even though I am as left as left can be (I’m a baseball fan, too), and his writing will be deeply missed.
by sjs1959 on Feb 27, 2008 4:23 PM EST reply actions
Man, I came over to EDSBS to forget about this.
I don’t know what hurts more, losing two straight title games or losing the greatest thinker of the past century. RIP, William.
by poguemahone on Feb 27, 2008 4:41 PM EST reply actions
Well done, Swindle.
A man who had sailed outside of the territorial waters of the US to smoke pot.
R.I.P.
by OhioDawg on Feb 27, 2008 5:00 PM EST reply actions
Was that photo taken immediately after he invented the Guinness can?
by Chips O'Toole on Feb 27, 2008 5:02 PM EST reply actions
define “successful” magazine; i seem to remember the national review not breaking even.
by 2L over the line, sweet jesus on Feb 27, 2008 5:03 PM EST reply actions
He used his tounge prettier than a 20 dollar whore.
by oc phil on Feb 27, 2008 5:15 PM EST reply actions
@ 16, 17 – I’ve got a brilliant idea
What’s that then?
We shall set sail for an indeterminate point slightly beyond the reach of the American authorities. Territorial waters having been exceeded, we shall partake of the relaxing qualities of the ganja that is denied us by the pusillanimous puritanism of American law.
Sail a boat.. out to sea… and smoke dope? BRILLIANT.
Well, yes, if you must be so crude.
by DC Trojan on Feb 27, 2008 5:16 PM EST reply actions
#18:
Well, it’s been around for 52 years….I guess it would depend on your personal definition of “successful”
by sandman227 on Feb 27, 2008 5:48 PM EST reply actions
In the interest of fairness, Orson, next Mustache Wednesday should honor Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
by TigerNacho on Feb 27, 2008 7:27 PM EST reply actions
I’m not sure I always agreed with him but that could only be because, in those instances, I was wrong. Who’s left that could even compare?
by Cruzer on Feb 27, 2008 8:32 PM EST reply actions
Nothing got past that Billy Buck. I wish you had given him a Buckner ’stache instead of the Rollie.
by sonofsamford on Feb 27, 2008 9:05 PM EST reply actions
the dude picked up playing the harpsichord at 50 just for the challenge of it.
by kleph on Feb 27, 2008 10:39 PM EST reply actions
I am an unreformed and unrepentant, but to me, Mr. Buckley was, how would I put it….ah yes, a truly formidable opponent.
by Signal to Noise on Feb 28, 2008 3:58 AM EST reply actions
That should say “unreformed and unrepentant lefty.”
by Signal to Noise on Feb 28, 2008 3:58 AM EST reply actions
Yep, besides his command of the American language, and his unyielding belief in the free market, he was one of America’s best novelists. My grandmother made me read his editorials as a youngster to improve my vocabulary – so sad that it never stuck. And it is too sad that Blackford Oakes is no more…
by Southern Papa on Feb 28, 2008 9:41 AM EST reply actions
I don’t think we should heap such praise on his vocabulary until we have confirmation that he had used the phrase “fuck lion” correctly in context.
But I gotta say… dying suddenly at 82 while doing what you love… that’s how I want to go. But unlike him, I won’t be on top of a keyboard.
by ChemE93 on Feb 28, 2008 9:53 AM EST reply actions
Godspeed, WFB.
A titan of intellectual prowess, civility, humor, and (from what I understand) kindness and graciousness. A life well lived indeed.
by Irwin Fletcher on Feb 28, 2008 10:22 AM EST reply actions
I’m the exception here in that my opposition to his politics comes from the right, but he was a good man who will be missed.
by DenverGregg on Feb 28, 2008 11:00 AM EST reply actions
He looks like that ginger lady from “In Living Color.”
by MiseanAuFan on Feb 28, 2008 12:47 PM EST reply actions
I got hooked on the clipboard he always had on Firing Line, still use one to this day. He lived part of the year in Camden, SC for a long time & Firing Line was an SCETV production. KInd of an oxymoron there.
Back in 1968, when Gore Vidal called him a neo-nazi racist or something like that, he called Vidal a “goddam queer” to his face. On CBS – live, no less. He didn’t take any shit.
by yoyofutbawl on Feb 28, 2008 3:28 PM EST reply actions
Guy was a swashbuckling renaissance kind of guy who chose $10 words when a $5 word would suffice, he did make conservativism respectable and less illiterate and KKK’ish — not like he didn’t have those kind of moments, as when he sided with Southern segregationist b/c he believed and always believed that poor blacks were too dumb to vote.
But he did create a lot of avenues where intellectual debate could occur:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYlMEVTa-PI
Chomsky bests him in this I believe. It’s a far cry from the screaming idiots that pass for debate today.
by BKdawg on Feb 28, 2008 6:55 PM EST reply actions
some people will stop at nothing…
don’t confuse football with real life
by Kecalf Bailey on Feb 29, 2008 12:19 AM EST reply actions
My favorite Buckley moment was his response to the heat he took for the Playboy interview. He said he wanted to do the Playboy interview so his son would actually read it. What a guy. Nobody else could pull off sprawling casually back in a chair while brutally beating someone at a debate like Buckley could. It’s just a shame that Buckley lived to see conservatism get completely abandoned by the party he brought it to.
by Dante on Feb 29, 2008 10:25 AM EST reply actions
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