Republican Like Me: Infiltrating Red-state, White-ass, And Blue-suit America

by Harmon Leon

""Whether running through a mock jungle firing an Uzi in Kentucky or enjoying a reasonably priced meal at Applebee's with white supremacists, author, agitator, flaming liberal and first-class playa-hater Harmon Leon is willing to go to great lengths to understand the psyche of right-wing conservatives. In his new book, Republican Like Me, Leon goes undercover as a conservative…The result is one of the funniest and most insightful books ever written, worming into the belly of the Bible-thumping beast and beating the enemy on its own turf. Republican Like Me raises the bar for political humor, turning journalism into a contact sport. There are no pundits or rhetoric-spewing talking heads―just Leon vs. the bad guys in no-holds-barred death match at the juncture of political activism and absurdist theater.”- Boulder Weekly“Funny as hell.”- Howard Stern“Harmon Leon is a free radical, a random element that infiltrates a situation to introduce chaos, mayhem and hilarity ... Republican like Me turns the tables on red state rednecks who paint lefties as exotic and un-American. With each incursion into such conservative bastions as the Republican Party and racist hate groups, brazen liberal Leon exposes the right for the weirdos they are. And he still has time left over to make fun of Democrats! A tour-de-force of political satire. ”- Ted Rall, editorial cartoonist for Universal Press Syndicate

Genres: Humor, Politics, Nonfiction, Sociology

281 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2005

About the author

Harmon Leon is an award-winning author, performer, and former senior writer for National Lampoon. His latest book, The Infiltrator, was released in 2006, and his writing credits for print and television include NPR, National Geographic, Maxim, Cosmopolitan, The BBC, and Showtime Television Network. He lives and works in San Francisco. (from the publisher's website)"

Reviews

[Hatuxka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was, as his first one, funny as shit, only not quite as funny as his previous one. I read his other one while on a work trip, saved what was unread by the end of trip for the next trip and finished it on like the third trip. Same with this one. Made the lay-overs and after the conference down time bearable and sure did beat TV. You don't think at first this could be that great, but somehow living in deep America as I am, the fact that he is so dead-on about the "folks" he depicts really synergizes with his story telling and crazy ass brazenness. Maybe an american Ali-G?

[Vince Darcangelo · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://archive.boulderweekly.com/1110...

This review originally appeared in the BOULDER WEEKLY

Behind Enemy Lines
In Republican Like Me, journalist Harmon Leon infiltrates the Red (State) Menace to find out what makes conservatives so dang kooky

by Vince Darcangelo
- - - - - - - - - - - -

They're angry. They're hateful. They love their God, their flag and their country, and if your croissant-eating liberal ass doesn't love it, too, you can damn well leave it—and God help you if your skin is a bit too tan. But considering the Republicans control all three branches of government, and have God's precious little wonder boy in the White House, you have to wonder what the hell these kooky conservatives are so mad about.

Harmon Leon has made it his mission to find out.

Whether running through a mock jungle firing an Uzi in Kentucky or enjoying a reasonably priced meal at Applebee's with white supremacists, author, agitator, flaming liberal and first-class playa-hater Harmon Leon is willing to go to great lengths to understand the psyche of right-wing conservatives. In his new book, Republican Like Me, Leon goes undercover as a conservative, infiltrating a rogue's gallery of right-wing groups, including white supremacists (or "racial activists"), abortion clinic protestors, anti-immigration groups and Christian wrestlers who grapple for Jesus in church basements. Along the way, Leon works for Ah-nold's gubernatorial campaign, parties with Young Republicans and tackles many burning questions, such as "Do white supremacists like ice cream?" (You may be surprised by the answer.) The result is one of the funniest and most insightful books ever written, worming into the belly of the Bible-thumping beast and beating the enemy on its own turf. Republican Like Me raises the bar for political humor, turning journalism into a contact sport. There are no pundits or rhetoric-spewing talking heads—just Leon vs. the bad guys in no-holds-barred death match at the juncture of political activism and absurdist theater.

Oh, and did we mention that in his spare time Leon co-hosted a celebrity prank show with O.J. Simpson called, what else, Juiced?

Leon will be speaking at the Boulder Book Store on Thursday, Nov. 10, and at Borders on Saturday, Nov. 12. He recently hooked up with the B-dub to talk about journalism, politics, an angry man with a stopwatch, what it was like to hang with "The Juice," and, of course, those zany Republicans.

Vince Darcangelo: What was the motivation for writing Republican Like Me?

Harmon Leon: The current political climate is ripe for satire. You hear so often in the news that we're a red state/blue state country now, divided. These places that I go into are just so alien and foreign to me. For people similar to myself, especially coming from San Francisco or Boulder, this is just foreign terrain to traverse.

VD: What was the most difficult part about pulling off these infiltrations?

HL: It's been the fallout to the stories once they run. Case in point: You're being recruited by white supremacists at Applebee's. Then you have to deal with months of white supremacist hate mail. Other than that, these places are surprisingly easy to get into once you start a rapport. That's the beauty of the Internet. It connects you right to these places.

VD: Did any of the people mentioned in the book contact you after the fact?

HL: Actually, yeah. Bob. I'm thinking back to the militant machine-gun convention in Kentucky. On the jungle walk, as I'm running down a muddy path with an Uzi, Bob was the guy running behind me with the stopwatch. Bob with the stopwatch sent an angry letter.

The most intense was from the white supremacists. They've got you, and they hate. They hate in numbers and intensity. Abortion protestors are another one you get a lot of extreme, creepy hate mail from. People saying I'm going to spend eternity in hell. When you have these topics, no one can see past the issue to the absurdity. They just see the issue.

VD: What about being caught in the act? At anytime did you feel that somebody had a line on you?

HL: Not in this book. In the past I've been outed when I posed as a fourth-rate Austin Powers impersonator at a Vegas celebrity impersonators convention. They made me give up the wig mid-convention. Those guys are pros! They can spot an imposter impersonator.

VD: How can we be sure that you didn't just write this book to infiltrate the hipster, Daily Show-loving, left wing, urban, liberal elite? Is Republican Like Me mere fodder for the real book you're writing? Are you a double agent working for Bill O'Reilly?

HL: Yeah, that could be it. Just a sidenote, I got booked on some extreme right-wing syndicated radio show this upcoming Monday, so I'm trying to think of some good stuff for that.

VD: Knowingly or unknowingly?

HL: Knowingly. They read the book. I assume it's one of those shows where they're going to be screaming at me a lot. I'm trying to think of the right way to play it.

VD: We've seen a rise in irreverent, smart-ass, politically driven comedy on the left, such as Republican Like Me and programs like The Daily Show. At a deeper psychological level, beyond just for the sake of humor, what is the appeal of this type of political comedy/commentary?

HL: One of the basic underlying principles of comedy is the weak taking on the powerful. In the country right now, the right-wing conservatives hold the power, and those more on the left are sort of the weak. That's why it's ripe for that. That's why a lot of people are taking their frustrations out through humor, be it The Daily Show or the Onion or whatnot.

VD: Were there any moments where you really struggled with what you were experiencing? For example, when you were getting people to sign anti-immigrant petitions, did you struggle with some of the things you had to do to get your point across?

HL: I think the creepy one was the ex-gays [Christian support group], where they themselves I think are victims of a larger machine: a religion that puts heavy guilt upon people. They're dealing with religious guilt and probably alcohol problems. I felt they were victims of some larger, um, what word am I thinking of? Put some clever word in there.

VD: I love the juxtaposition of your commentary in these infiltrations. In particular, I love the repeated use of the phrase "tea-bagging" at inappropriate times. Did you ever get the sense that any of these folks interpreted your comments as sarcasm?

HL: Going from their mindset, I don't think they would fathom that someone would be infiltrating them. I don't think they would think it's a ruse at all.

VD: Along those lines, some of the pseudonyms you were able to get away with using, such as Hal Haterman, seem absurd. Do you feel that the people in these groups were so locked in to their own psychoses that it was easier for you to infiltrate their groups since they were unable to recognize a caricature sitting right in front of them?

HL: The names are half the fun. I think these groups are happy to have new members because they usually don't have a high influx of membership. For example, an actress friend of mine and I infiltrated the parent support group for the ex-gays. It was us and one other parent and the people that ran the group. They're excited to have you. The same with the Young Republicans. The president was taking me under his wing, saying things like, "Gotta look after my new investment." There was pathetically like 12 of them. The same with the white supremacists. They're just happy to have new members.

VD: Two of my favorite anecdotes in the book are when you talk about the Grand Wizard of the KKK who was 50 and on welfare and lived with his mom and that guy Carl, the guy dressed as the Grim Reaper at the abortion clinic. What for you is the greatest anecdote?

HL: It's a less serious one. I liked the Christian Wrestling Federation personally. I just thought that was highly entertaining. I thought all the wrestlers were cool and nice and very friendly. They are earnest in what they're doing, but it's just completely ridiculous.

VD: Was that an infiltration?

HL: It was more straightforward because we also wanted to take the opportunity to film a documentary about it, which I might be showing a few minutes of at the reading.

VD: What's next for Harmon Leon? Or Hal Haterman? Or Chas Lemon? Or Drake Sutherland—American? And will it involve wrestling in a church basement?

HL: I'm finishing up a book that's coming out in a year or so along the same lines. It's kind of like a companion piece to Republican Like Me. It tackles the Promise Keepers, which are local. I joined the Promise Keepers prayer team. Team abstinence educators—I went to a three-day conference for them. Things like that. The Minutemen. I spent a week on the border with them.

VD: How intense was the experience with the Minutemen?

HL: It was intense, and then it wasn't intense, because they are just a bunch of senior citizens with lawn chairs and a lot of time on their hands.

VD: Do you have an acting background?

HL: Yes. One of my big acting claims to fame is I co-starred with O.J. Simpson on a hidden-camera prank show a la Punk'd called Juiced. We filmed it last year. It's basically me and O.J. pulling pranks. O.J. has no comedy timing whatsoever, so basically you have this murder icon pulling unfunny pranks.

VD: What was he like off-camera?

HL: He would be wasted. We filmed one week in L.A. and one week in Vegas, and he would just be propped up in some outfit, wasted. It got kind of creepy toward the end. They claim it's coming out on DVD, but it's been, like, more than a year. I keep hearing it's coming out in two months every time I ask.

VD: That would be great if it does come out.

HL: Yeah, but not for society. Not for adding anything to humanity.

[Mariah · Rating 2 out of 5]

In Republican Like Me, Harmon Leon, journalist and flaming liberal goes undercover into a a variety of conservative/right-wing groups. He starts trying to shock us by attending a Neo-Nazi meeting at an Applebee's. The participants are at least semi-normal people with very creepy opinions- they mention that they are very family-oriented. The family that hates together stays together? Often at the various events he goes to, he makes provocative statements (not lefty but more righty)


One of the things we can take from this book is the diversity of conservative thought. All too often liberals think of conservatives as a monolithic group (they seem to do the same of us, however)
I think if a conservative tried to infiltrate liberal groups, they would find just as many absurdities though of different kinds. Goofy hippie behavior, illogical socialist statements, etc.

While entertaining, I was hoping to get more insight and understanding of conservatives and their subcultures- more of a anthropological viewpoint. Coming from a political science background- maybe I am just too serious for this book?

Interestingly, I bought it at a thrift store in a very small town- the proprietress commented that being a liberal living in a small town is rather like being undercover like Leon.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let’s get the bad news out of the way first: Harmon Leon could use a better editor. The writing style throughout this book can be spotty and there are numerous typos. One has the feeling that with a bit more polish, Republican Like Me coulda been a contender. That said, I still found myself laughing out loud so frequently--especially when Leon would choose an inane catchphrase and repeat it throughout his interactions—that I was asked several times to tone it down.

The premise has the author adopting different personas throughout the book. As one may deduce from the title, several of the undercover endeavors have the liberal Leon posing as a conservative among other right-wingers, mostly of the extremist variety. Not all of his stories are political, however, such as the chapter in which he performs as a haunted house actor who inexplicably bellows things like “Go Niners!” to the thrill-seeking visitors. Also of note is the fact that this is the second book I’ve read recently in which the author reports from the firing lines of the Knob Creek Machine Gun Shoot (The other was The Backlash by Will Bunch). Must be a hell of a place.

I’d never even heard of this author until I picked up this title at a discount bookstore, but he actually has several books under his belt.

[Mike · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book turned out to be a disappointment. It wasn't at all what I expected it to be. When I read the blurb on the back I expected someone to pretend to be a republican red-stater and possibly provide me with some insight into how it is that they think they way they do. Perhaps let me know how they manage to be such unquestioning automatons. But alas, this is not what occurs in these pages. Instead, Leon goes to a menagerie of political functions and clubs, goes waaaaay over the top pretending to be like them and basically makes fun of them. In a remarkably infantile way at that.

[Scott DeVogelaere · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book that will make liberals laugh out loud as they read it. It was modeled by the author after the sixties? classic 'Black Like Me' where a man actually painted himself black somehow to fit in with other blacks to expose how whites treated them. So the author of this book attends anti-abortion protests at clinics, fundamentalist churches, gun shows and Republican rallies. What he does is confirm the ignorance of many of these types of people through his antics. It is a funny, quick read that seemed like it could have come from the fiction side of Chuck Palahniuk.

[Dray · Rating 2 out of 5]

I bought this because it was $1 at the used bookstore and because I am a dirty liberal who likes to laugh at people who aren't. (kind of joking)

Like others have said, I enjoyed the content, but the formatting was terrible. It seems like he received no professional opinions when writing. The chapter titles were in a weird font, the text was rarely broken up... It was just kind of painful on the eyes.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is laugh-out-loud funny. First chapter: "My dinner at Applebee's with White Supremacists". Need I say more? Well I will.

This guy infiltrates different groups and writes about his experience amongst them. I like it so far, though I have to admit I haven't picked it up in a few days and am only halfway through. Good brief chapters for people who are in between great books.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know that all the reviews on the back of the book esentially say the same thing but "HILARIOUS" is really the perfect word to describe this book. If you don't like that awkward feeling of laughing outloud at crowded bus stops when no one else knows what your laughing at, make sure to read it at home :)

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leftist goes undercover at various conservative gatherings, hangs out at pro-life rallies, repeatedly yells, "Wake up, America!" at NRA meetings, and meets with white supremacists at Applebees. Funny, but not very informative.

[Cherie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny stuff. A liberal Democrat "dude" infiltrates Republican events including volunteering for Governor Schwarzenegger's campaign. I wouldn't call this non-fiction but the guy did do the things he writes about.

[Nichole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why did it take me this long to finally read this book?! Harmon Leon is hilarious. But it also makes me sad to read this. Tighten up that Canadian Border! The version I read had quite a few grammatical errors, hopefully those were corrected in subsequent editions.

[Steph · Rating 5 out of 5]

HILARIOUS!

[Mell · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not what I expected. Was looking forward to smart criticism and witty insights, but got low brow commentary.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

God, this was hilarious. Absolutely hilarious. Laughed my ASS off.

[Amelia Holcomb · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm pretty willing to laugh at people on both sides of the political spectrum, but this book sucked.

[Dane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny but over the top liberal.