Southern's ideas live on - in print, in the movies he wrote, and, strangest
of all, in the culture at large. As time moves on, it becomes clearer and
clearer that he understood all too well the directions in which American
society was headed. In "Easy Rider," (1969) he anticipated the violent events
(Altamont, Kent State) that blunted the idealism of the "love generation";
"Dr. Strangelove" (1964) was repeatedly cited by columnists writing about the Nixon
administration (Henry Kissinger in particular was often compared to the good
doctor); Guy Grand was definitely a forerunner of today's eccentric
millionaires - H. Ross Perot, Ted Turner, and that guy who paid millions to
accompany the Russians into outer space; Candy Christian can be seen on
daytime talk shows in the form of those young women who talk about the
bloodthirsty serial killer they intend on marrying - "charitable" lasses
indeed. From "The Jerry Springer Show" to the Supreme Court "selection" of
the current President, one doubts that Southern would be a bit surprised at
a single contemporary occurrence. Perhaps sociologists should pay more
attention to those silly "satirists," after all....
