This is the first of two book collections of columns Ellison wrote for the Los Angeles Free Press. Dating from Oct. 1968 to January 1970, the subject is ostensibly television criticism (if that doesn't strike you as an oxymoron or an exercise in futility!), and as such it might seem badly dated (who wants to read detailed discussions of Adam-12, Mod Squad, or the Banana Splits show now?), but Ellison comments on many other events of the day -- Yippies and the Chicago Democratic Convention riots, his participation in the march on Selma and the Grape Pickers' Strike, his speaking trips to deepest Texas and Dayton, Ohio -- and thereby provides a fine snapshot of a turbulent time in the country's recent history. Included are his infamous indictments of "the Common Man." Profane, irreverent, and lots of fun, it's an entertaining and thought-provoking read. (Hey, Walter Cronkite called it "nothing less than a memorable book.")
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The review of this Book prepared by David Loftus
