Insights from the Cowboy Philosopher
Will Rogers – edited by socalwritersshowcase.com
A newspaper recently reported the following pertinent political commentary:
“A fool and his money are soon elected.”
And
“If stupidity got us in this mess, how come it can’t get us out?”
Yet even more striking than the remarks, the source turned quite a few heads. Why? Because Southern Californian Will Rogers (1879-1935) made them nearly a century ago. Let’s backtrack to clarify. Oklahoma-born and of part Native American ancestry, Rogers famously said that his forefathers didn’t come to our country on the Mayflower, but they were there to meet the boat. Rogers had a first career as a rancher, then became a rope twirler in a Wild West show. This took him to vaudeville, where he added jokes to his act, then to the New York stage and the Ziegfeld Follies, where he headlined as a political satirist. His highly original, good-natured wit led to books, radio, and a column eventually syndicated in 350 publications that cinched his reputation as the “Cowboy Philosopher.” His starring roles in movies brought him to Hollywood, and he lived in Santa Monica where he owned a 31-room ranch house, a stable, corrals, riding ring, roping arena, polo field, golf course, and hiking trails on 186 acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Visitors can see his home today on the grounds of Will Rogers State Historic Park.
One of the most successful writers of his time and in fact the highest-paid actor in Hollywood in the early 1930s, he covered a wide variety of topics. Not surprisingly, he had some good advice to share for others who deal in persuading with language:
“When you put down the good things you ought to have done, and leave out the bad ones you did do well, that’s Memoirs.”
“In Hollywood the woods are full of people that learned to write but evidently can’t read. If they could read their stuff, they’d stop writing.”
“Nothing you can’t spell will ever work.”
“I love words but I don’t like strange ones. You don’t understand them and they don’t understand you. Old words is like old friends, you know ‘em the minute you see ‘em.”
“I have always noticed that people will never laugh at anything that is not based on truth.”
“You shouldn’t say anything mean about people who can’t read. You should write it instead.”