Chuck Klosterman Analysis

Chuck Klosterman is renown because of his unique style in writing. This author takes risks in what he writes and he does not follow a template that is commonly used as he really tries to make his writing one-of-a-kind by being very open minded and making assertions that are non-conforming to what people want to hear. This style of writing embodies a type of man that is not afraid to take risks and gets his ideas across in a very unique and interesting way.

In "What We Talk about When We Talk about Ralph Sampson" by Klosterman, he depicts the idea that celebrities and their pay does not match the kind of work that they are put through as they are taken advantage of by getting under-payed. He speaks about Brittney Spears and says that “[He would

not] want her life.” This is important because it shows a more powerful image that even the most affluent people are still at a disadvantage and this can seem paradoxical but in reality it makes sense that Klosterman makes this assertion. This is the thing about Klosterman, he is very honest and sincere in his essays and writing in general which really appeals to the reader. He does not sugar coat and he makes an attempts to make his work genuine throughout its entirety. In this particular essay, we see that he speaks of many celebrities and he highlights the views from the people and the reality of their situation. He realizes the burdens and benefits that these celebrities had and he speaks on behalf of them almost. It’s personal and not at all like you would see in a more structured type of writing. This ultimately shows the openness of Klosterman’s writing.
Additionally, in the rest of the essays, the topics do not correlate in a direct manner but the style of writing and the ability to persuade in a more honest way really ties the essays in a concise manner.

For example, a thing that I noticed was Klosterman’s unique way of viewing things as he states that Germans think Americans are “retarded.” This is explained because of how Americans laugh a lot and this in sorts makes them goofy. In Klosterman’s writing, it seems like very interesting and unexpected ideas are analyzed and then written but they vary in importance and they kind of seem like fun facts rather than real research that is reliable and furthermore beneficial. In “Through a Glass, Blindly,” Klosterman speaks about television and the fact that people would not be interested if they knew the people they watched knew they were being watched. This is peculiar but an ideal that seems true because people seek entertainment and therefore they look for new ways that is fun to see and experience new things. In “The Passion of Garth,” Klosterman states different shows and produced projects and how they have come about throughout the past few years. These indirectly correlate because they all talk and depict various ideas that are related to the arts and they do so in a way where Klosterman is stating facts and this impacts one because aficionados of the particular topics are excited and can relate to the significance that it had to become a

sensation.
This being said, Klosterman’s essays correlate not because they have an underlying central idea but because they are able to show that there is correlation between pop culture and he does so by showing the importance and the way that people see the culture in many different ways. Through all of his writing, he makes sure that pop culture is present but he makes it so that there is more than just white pop culture that is being analyzed which ultimately makes it more relatable to those that are not influenced or characterized by white cultural viewpoints. As said before, there is no clear underlying idea that these essays are all correlated but there is a distinction which Klosterman uses to identify and express his opinions as well as a more honest reality which is a key factor in making Klosterman’s writing unique and special. Klosterman’s techniques are successful because they aim to all the people that are influenced by pop culture and this is not necessarily aimed for a specific group or race. Even though this is a wonderful way to write his opinions and embody those of many, there are flaws in which he might come off as confusing or uninterested as some of this writing relates to only one aspect of the pop culture spectrum such as T.V., music, movies, sports, politics, etc. While it is effective for the most part, Klosterman could be a little more general and still appeal to the same audience he is attempting to reach through all of his essays.
Overall, Klosterman uses unique literary and rhetorical devices to depict the viewpoints of people as well as his own in his essays. He wrote his essays to depict the real pop culture which includes everyone and not just one race to be relatable to them. Klosterman writing is full of analogies that served for a purpose of showing that there is more to pop culture than just exclusive and unaccepting viewpoints. Through this legitimate and unique way of showing these problems, as well as providing interesting facts that allow for the people to truly see that there is a problem with glorifying public figures as they are also human and this glorification could lead to disappointment and unrealistic beliefs. Klosterman figured out a way to be a successful writer but he did it in a form that spoke and appealed to more people as it was a lot fairer and it took a lot more of an audience into consideration rather than attempting to appeal to one sole group. This is seen in all of his writing and this open-mindedness that is present has been a key to giving a more subtle way of support and righteousness to the people that are fanatics.