Gotta Get Theroux This: My Life and Strange Times in Television

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He describes a lot of his doubts about his work and the extent of his imposter syndrome, he's also very critical of himself, particularly for not uncovering Jimmy Savile's sexual abuse somehow. A lot of this book recounts scenes from his documentaries, some of which I've seen many times already.. I was interested in behind-the-scenes moments or details about abandoned projects. To me, Gotta Get Theroux This was just okay for me. I think it could be rated higher and have a more positive experience by someone who’s actually seen some of his documentaries like Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends or When Louis Met…. Come round to Louis Theroux’s house, where the much-loved documentary-maker finds himself in unexpected danger . . . Louis Theroux’s, The Call of the Weird – Travels in American Subcultures, is an eye popping, heart stopping, and at times down right depressing telling of stories about some of America’s most unusual groups of people. In a Hunter-esque Thompson, gonzo journalism fashion, Theroux places himself within the story itself, often living with the interviewee for a short period as a means to really uncover the character behind the personality. As Theroux both interviews, shadows and stalks his prey he will engage with them in what at first appears to be banal conversation, but will then slip in questions loaded with both cynicism, and sarcasm, the nuances of which are far too subtle for his often dim witted interviewees to perceive. At times you are left feeling that all Theroux is doing is ridiculing fools and their foolish ideas, and the reason you may think this is because that’s what he does. Essentially his journalism is the equivalent of shooting fish in a barrel. His prey includes a pair of young twin girls who perform of white supremacist ‘folk’ music, the owners of and workers of a brothel, UFO abductees, self proclaimed aliens, alien hunters, and the fervent followers of incomprehensible religious cults.

So, why did I remove a star from my rating? Jimmy Bloody Savile. Once he turns up, he never leaves. Just when I thought I'd heard the last of him, he pops up in another chapter. After a while, Louis reminds you of that annoying Uncle at the family gathering who talks you into a corner - excitedly telling you all about his favourite obscure hobby, and not quite realising you don’t share the enthusiasm. An assumed level of knowledge regarding UK celebrity has-beens is placed on the reader too – I often didn’t know who he was talking about.

I'm a pretty big fan of Theroux's weird weekends and his other BBC documentries so I was excited to read this. Reading this kind of changed my view of Louis for the worse. Watching him is interesting and he genuinely seems like he wants to understand those he is following. And it's funny sometimes because he gives subtle looks and awkward silences that are much deserved some times. Reading this, you get inside Theroux's head and you understand that he might be a much bigger snob then he seems. That seems like a lot more malice or something knowing that he actually is exploiting some times rather then being fully interested in what these people stand behind. He might not have meant to be like that, but it comes out that way sometimes. It almost feel like a "get a load of this guy" attitude. The American journalist, inventor of Gonzo journalism, and voice of the counter culture, Hunter S. Thompson once commented, “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. Theroux, Paul (2016-10-22). "Opinion | Pardon the American Taliban". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-07-20. Louis Theroux’s memoir is exactly how you’d expect an account of his “life and strange times in television” to be; self-deprecating, eager to please and shot through with a sense of bewilderment. “I am a TV presenter who specialises in getting out of his depth,” he writes and, indeed, this book’s pleasures lie in behind-the-scenes tales of Theroux’s offbeat documentaries, chief among them the Jimmy Savile encounter. Perhaps because it cast a shadow over his career (how could he have found himself so drawn to this monster?), Theroux spends a lot of time grappling with his feelings about the affair. Little Siberia

Cheuse, Alan (June 4, 1989). "A worldly education Paul Theroux imagines a much-traveled writer's active erotic life". Chicago Tribune. Shavin, Naomi. "The Deep South, As Seen Through the Eyes of Renowned Photographer Steve McCurry". Smithsonian Magazine . Retrieved 2022-07-20. Thor Templar - self proclaimed Lord Commander of the Earth protectorate - an alien resistance movement he set up to protect people from aliens.In the 2004 remake Flight of the Phoenix, Captain Towns (played by Dennis Quaid) owns a copy of Theroux's travel book The Happy Isles of Oceania [47] I had no idea Louis got his start in TV working for Michael Moore. It was a nice touch that things came a bit full circle by the end. I was also relieved to discover how ‘authentic’ and ‘real’ his documentary-making process is. I’ve certainly gained newfound appreciation for Louis Theroux documentaries after reading this. Chinese Box (1997), a film about the British handover of Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China, credits Theroux as a source for the story, based on themes he explored in his 1997 novel Kowloon Tong. Louis (Sebastian) Theroux was born in Singapore in 1970. His father, the American novelist and travel writer, Paul Theroux, met his mother, who worked for the V.S.O., in Uganda. Louis’ older brother Marcel Theroux was born in Kampala, "so as children we sort of globe trotted." But his father decided to buy a family home in England, and they settled down in a big, rambling, dilapidated house in Wandsworth, South London. Louis went to Westminster School and then gained a First Class Degree in History at Oxford University. going to dive straight into this read!! it was brill. I loved louis theroux’s reflective tone, splashed with humour and revelations that were completely therapeutic to me😌

Despite its downfalls, I still enjoyed Gotta Get Theroux This and recommend it to fans of his work, or those interested in journalism and TV. Theroux married a second time to Sheila Donnelly, on November 18, 1995. His wife runs a luxury travel/hotel PR agency. [44] They reside in Hawaii and Cape Cod, Massachusetts. [45] [46] In popular culture [ edit ] Review: interesting, in-depth and interspersed with lashings of misgivings and personal fear of failure. Not entirely chronological but delving into the issues which occur during filming, the sheer length of time it takes and the various hurdles were enlightening. What makes the cut and what never sees the day we’re also very interesting. In 1994 fledgling journalist Louis Theroux was given a one-off gig on Michael Moore's TV Nation, presenting a segment on apocalyptic religious sects. Gawky, socially awkward and totally unqualified, his first reaction to this exciting opportunity was panic. But he'd always been drawn to off-beat characters, so maybe his enthusiasm would carry the day. Or, you know, maybe it wouldn't...

Theroux has worked extensively with the celebrated photographer Steve McCurry. Their book The Imperial Way appeared in 1987, and McCurry's photographs are included in Theroux's Deep South [36] and On the Plain of Snakes [35] . Magazines such as Smithsonian and the National Geographic have paired Theroux and McCurry on assignments. [37] Admissions: 1) I’m a Louis Theroux fan (so perceptions may be biased). 2) I’ve watched/listened/read most of his work (hmm...May skew the bias). 3) Listened to the audio version narrated by Louis (I always seem to enjoy the author/narrator presentations a little more). Theroux has criticized celebrity activists like Bono, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie as "mythomaniacs, people who wish to convince the world of their worth." [28] He has said that "the impression that Africa is fatally troubled and can be saved only by outside help—not to mention celebrities and charity concerts—is a destructive and misleading conceit". [28] V.S. Naipaul, Paul Theroux, and me: What I learned from reading about their tumultuous relationship". salon.com. 23 September 2018 . Retrieved 21 October 2018. There was a weird bittersweetness in revisiting the events of the past few years and Louis speaks at length about his frustration throughout the whole ordeal and we see how communication breakdowns and unhealthy habits are facilitated by a removal of what we both know to be his purpose in life, to date. Adjusting to life certainly looked very different for Louis and whilst I don’t think his reflections on this period came off as gloating they could definitely sound a bit insensitive at times to people who worked in PPE day to day and weren’t able to have as many enjoyable moments.