In this 1967 televised confrontation, Hells Angel says Hunter S. Thompson's book is "sixty percent cheap trash"

[muser]

@frauenfelder

The biker knows hows to win over the audience, which breaks out in laughter and applause when he says to Thompson, “I want to know why we didn’t get the two kegs of beer you promised us.”

@frauenfelder

it becomes clear that the audience is populated with deplorable people who cheer the Hells Angel

If you’ve ever been in the audience of a tv show, you know that there are big electric signs like APPLAUSE hanging in front of the audience that light up when the producers want you to applaud, and before the show they tell everyone to laugh and applaud and sound loud and enthusiastic when the sign lights up. They often even promise prizes to the people who show the most enthusiasm.

So I don’t think this shows that they agree with the guy, it just shows that the producers are creating a show that will provoke you, to increase ratings.

[jimp]

Only 60%? Seems very charitable.

[Yri]

Back in the mid 80s, I spent money on a not-cheap ticket to see Hunter S. Thompson talk. He arrived over an hour late and was rather too intoxicated to be very coherent.

So I don’t care for either side of this conflict tbh