Essay 1

gPaul Krassner was a countercultural hero during the 60s. He played a critical part of the development to the American alternative press. Following a time as a stand up comedian and Mad magazine writer Krassner began publishing the Realist. The Realist was an independent journal overflowing with outlandish satire, sociopolitical commentary and many provocative topics. The FBI called him a "raving, unconfined nut." Society tends to put down things and people they do not understand. Krassner interviewed a variety of people from Allen Watts, who had little old women entranced with his knowledge of the orient, to Lenny Bruce, who was deemed an obscene by society.

Allen Watts held a master's degree in theology and a doctorate of divinity. He appeared to have been looking for something. Watts was in search of a better way to live. He refuses to be labeled but he could have been scared to commit to what he thought, believed or felt. This may be due to the fact he had not found what he was looking for. Watts relates religion as a whole with prohibition, which is absurd. Religion give people something to hold onto and look to for answers and yes some religions disapprove of drinking, but many religions allow drinking in moderation. Watt also was under the impression that Christianity is anti-sexual. That is not true at all. Christianity encourages being sexual after marriage, after that be as freaky as you need. The Bible, Christianity's guide book, has a whole book ( Song of Songs) about appreciation of the body and enjoying it. Allen Watts wanted people to live in harmony with nature as it was in the old days before all of our technology. This was why he was fascinated with Buddhism and other Asian religions. He was an intelligent man in search of a better way. Hopefully he found it before his death in 1973.

Lenny Bruce, another of Krassner's interviews, was a controversial comedian in the Ð''60s. He was arrested on obscenity charges numerous times throughout his career. Bruce's material was drawn from the world around him. He focused on race, religion and other sacred issues other comedians considered off limits. This interview was conducted through the mail while Lenny Bruce was on the road before his legal problems began. Bruce was even funny while answering the questions. He prided himself on being different from everyone else. He could not be put in a nice neat category

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