Interview: Harmon Leon
Even before the flap over Harmon Leon's incorrectly dated Infiltration of the VMAs, which led to his parting of ways with the SF Weekly, we'd been looking forward to reading his most recent book, Republican Like Me: Infiltrating Red-State, White-Ass, and Blue-Suit America .
A collection including some of his greatest Infiltrator hits, Republican Like Me contains pieces familiar to any regular reader of Leon's former SF Weekly column. Packaged as Leon's social experiment to "explore what being a conservative really means", readers can revisit such gems as the self-explanatory "My Dinner at Applebee's With White Supremacists!".
However, the theme is tenuous at best in some pieces, like "For The Love of God, Country, and Cheerleading!", in which Leon infiltrates Raiderette tryouts. The sorta tacked-on assertion that becoming a NFL cheerleader is the "conservative girl all-American dream" is a load of crap, as any of us who have ever met either an NFL cheerleader or a conservative girl would be the first to argue. While we understand that it's easier to package previously-published material as having an overarching commonality, forcing these consistently excellent and very, very funny pieces into a thematic mold do them a disservice.
We really enjoyed this book, as we got to reread some old favorites and some we hadn't had a chance to see before (like our new fave "I'm a Little Angel With The Guardian Angels"). If you're truly looking for a book that'll give you deep and penetrating insight into the Republican condition (though chances are that if you're reading SFist you probably aren't), you're going to be disappointed in Republican Like Me. If you're a fan of the irreverent and hilarious, however, we think you'll be more than pleased.
We had a chance to talk to Leon about his new book, his split with the Weekly, and the part SFist unwittingly played in all of it. After the jump, Harmon'll express opinions that are his alone, and are not the opinions of SFist or Gothamist, L.L.C. (And that, right there, is why we love Leon so -- because it just wouldn't be a conversation with him if it didn't necessitate a legal disclaimer.)
Harmon, what the fuck? Seriously, what the fuck? We've certainly got our theories, but we want to hear it from you: why did the Weekly can you?
One no longer working for one of the two free weekly alternative papers (the other of which is the locally owned and operated Bay Guardian) does not mean that one was "canned." It could also be the case that one told new editor of one of the two free weekly alternative papers (the other of which is the locally owned and operated Bay Guardian) that he (the new editor) should execute an unnatural sexual act upon himself. The request for new editor (him) to perform an unnatural sexual act upon himself (I think it involved a fist) was over the phone during a dispute, the catylist of which was due to your (SFist) writer printing on unathorized email of mine (I believe the writer goes by the name Jackson and might possibly be in the cubicle sitting next to you). Thus, the request for new editor (he goes by the name Tom Walsh) to perform an unnatural sexual act upon himself (the suggestion of which perpetuated our divide), was also due to the following factors: factors: dramatic new editorial change, New Times cutting SF Weekly's staff salary budget, general personality clash between new editor and said writer.
Now, having in mind that new editor (Tom Walsh) was told to perform an unnatural sexual act upon himself, reread the knee-jerk clarification that was written in the Weekly, and it will seem to make sense.
It's very sweet that you think we have cubicles! Actually, Jackson's lying in bed with me as I type this, feeding me grapes and combing my hair. This is what Rita and I demand of all the SFist staff, except she wants her grapes peeled. So, you're saying that if we hadn't quoted you, you'd still be working with the Weekly?
The quote itself was harmless.
Sequence of events.
Monday Jan. 16th : The correction which new editor (Tom Walsh) sent me was to read:
Correction: In the Infiltrator column last week ("Dieter Gone Wild"), the award show attended by the author was misidentified as the AVN Awards. It was actually the FOXE (Fans of X-rated Entertainment) Awards which was held in Los Angeles. We regret the error.
Tuesday: Argument
Wednesday: Correction read as printed.
It's so weird, because the Weekly's comments made it sound like they fired you for lying to them about the provenance, in some sort of Steven Glass-type situation. Are you saying that that's not the case?
Of course that's not the case! The printed clarification was a pissy knee-jerk reaction to being told to commit an unnatural sex act upon himselfhimself (I told him to "go fuck himself!'). Look at the two clarifications he
(Tom Walsh) wrote a day a part and you can read between the lines.
I'm not saying the following to be bitter, but Tom Walsh is the worst editor I've ever worked for. The reason I say this, an editor's job is to make a writer look good, not to make people questions a writer's credibility.
Out of my entire span as writer, working for publications ranging from Esquire to National Geographic and Hustler as well as writing 3 books, the only two times my credibility has been questioned were on articles that Tom Walsh edited. The first was when he asked to run my white supremacist story in the Sacramento News & Review that first appeared in the Weekly. His edit of the piece made it seem like recent events in Sacramento were the catalyst of the story. The second was the porn award show story, that he knew was an old story the week before publication. I submitted a line for him to use that would tie the piece to the current award show (which was to take place that weekend). His editorial decision was to not include the submitted line. And through his editorial decision, it was he who made people think the story at hand was about the most recent award show (the story was submitted two days before the event even took place).
Also, here's his exact words from an email he sent the Friday (Jan 6th) before the story ran, which gives his blessing to run an old story:
From this point forward, you need to tell me beforehand how old your infiltration is. I would hesitate to point out to weekly newspaper readers that this event took place.
To give an idea of the creative contribution he (Tom Walsh) provided to the column process, he was really adamant about wanting me to infiltrate a gay sperm bank. Like the guy most have mentioned it about 6 times. Each time, I kept having to explain to him why that idea wasn't really funny, but every few weeks he would pipe back, "(monotone voice) So, hey what about that gay sperm bank idea?"
Yeah, we've heard a lot of kind of upsetting stuff about Walsh since the white supremacist story thing, and Tommy Craggs' departure sure didn't help. We're acquainted with several Weekly staffers, and it seems like morale is kinda in the shitter right now, especially now that they've lost you. Have you heard from any of your former colleagues, and how are they reacting to your departure?
I could only imagine the laughs had at those Monday editorial meetings. The man seriously lacks people skills. New Times cutting the paper's budget probably doesn't help either (according to Walsh, the Weekly is a money-losing venture in the franchise). I actually don't know I actually don't know many of the staff members because I worked from home, or, of course, undercover in some horrible right-wing subculture. I wasn't even invited to the Christmas party. (Ed note: Aww, Harmon, we were! We would have brought you as our date, had we known!)
All and all I'm not bitter about the whole thing. I enjoyed working with John Mecklin and happy with the body of work I produced, (much of which I cultivated into my recently released book Republican Like Me: Infiltrating Red States, White Ass, and Blue Suits). I also enjoyed making the loyal readers laugh.
When the new Tom Walsh regime moved in back in October, and there was a dramatic editorial shift, it sort felt like it was time to move on (that along with getting another book deal with a nice sized advance). You don't really get rich by working at the Weekly (for my efforts, I got $320 per column), and if it stops being fun, you're just left with working for some small time Napoleon who thinks his sinking row boat is the biggest ship in the sea.
Unfortunately, in all this, those who really get the bad end of the bad-end-stick are readers who liked reading the column, and will have to look towards other publications to read about such recent stuff as infiltrating the Freemasons, militant pro-war, patriotic skinhead bands in Georgia, becoming a chapter president of the Protest Warriors (Fighting the Left, doing it Right), and of course military weaponry trade shows. Or simply wait for my new book to come out this fall called The Infiltrator: My Undercover Exploits in Right Wing America,
In the meantime, read the Bay Guardian. It's locally owned and operated.