Marty Beckerman
Encyclopedia
Marty Beckerman is an American journalist
, humorist, and author. He is a native of Anchorage, Alaska
, and started his career with The Anchorage Daily News
, when he was still a junior and sophomore at Steller Secondary School
. His humor columns appeared between 1998 and 2000 in The Anchorage Daily News, which is Alaska's largest newspaper, maintaining a circulation of 70,000 readers. He gained international attention when he was fired from his $15 per week columnist job, after asking a 13-year-old female cheerleader — during an unapproved interview — how it feels "to be a urine stain on the toilet seat of America."
Beckerman wrote his first novel at the age of 16 and graduated from the American University
in Washington D.C. with a degree in journalism in three years. He is known for the professional attention he received from the literary community at a relatively young age, as well as his literary skills and the subject matter of his work, which focuses primarily on teen angst. On June 21, 2010, it was announced that Beckerman was brought on board the staff of Esquire Magazine
to serve as the News and Features Editor of the magazine.
, Lenny Bruce
, and the Pulitzer-prize winning author, Dave Barry
.
Following the publication of Death to Cheerleaders, Beckerman gained a patron in John Strausbaugh
, contributor and editor of The New York Press
. An October 5, 2000 review of the book by the Press stated that "Marty is a very precocious smart-ass with a mean streak of cynicism."
The Anchorage Daily News stated on September 29, 2000 that "Once the initial shock of Beckerman's profanity and hatred wears off, there are some highly readable and humorous gags. Frequently hilarious."
In addition to his work with The New York Press, Strausbaugh is also a regular contributor to the New York Times, The Washington Post, and Cabinet Magazine. He found a copy of Beckerman's self-published novel, loved it and hired him as a columnist, which necessitated a move to Brooklyn, New York.
While living in New York, Beckerman met a literary agent who had reviewed a recent manuscript that he had written and began contacting publishing houses on behalf of the author. They ended up making a lucrative connection with MTV
Books, and working jointly with Simon & Schuster
, Beckerman's second novel was published.
and MTV Books. S.L.U.T. is Beckerman's acronym for "Sexually Liberated Urban Teens". This second book authored by Beckerman is critically acclaimed and is considered one of the first explorations into the sex lives of modern teens. The success of S.L.U.T. brought Beckerman to the national and international literary arena, while he was still a student in his junior year at American University.
One of Beckerman's primary goals in writing S.L.U.T., was to present a balance between sexual freedom and sexual responsibility. The book describes the problems and pressures with which teens of this modern era are constantly bombarded. Beckerman was just 20 years old at the time of publication. While HBO Films
optioned the movie rights and hired a director, the film has not yet begun production. The options have also since expired.
When asked whether the book is a work of fiction or nonfiction, Beckerman replies that it is both. "The core of the book is the novella, but then I've got all the statistics, quotes from real kids, news clippings and other nonfiction elements. So I'm making the emotional case with my fictional characters, and the journalistic case with the hard numbers and quotes." The book has been translated into numerous languages. His book was notably reviewed by Hunter S. Thompson
, who said of S.L.U.T, "Good work, you morbid little bastard," of which Beckerman considers the greatest compliment of his career.
published Beckerman's third book, Dumbocracy: Adventures with the Loony Left, the Rabid Right and Other American Idiots. Journalist Daniel Kurtzman, who has been widely cited as an expert on political humor by major media outlets around the country, recommended and proclaimed on his political humor guide on About.com that Dumbocracy was one of the Top 25 political humor books of all time, comparing the novel to the works of Dave Barry, P.J. O'Rourke, Bill Maher
, Al Franken
, Jon Stewart
, and Stephen Colbert
.
Ralph Bernardo, managing editor of Disinformation said of Dumbocracy, that Beckerman spent "four years with foot soldiers of the Left and Right-pro-choice and anti-choice, pro-gay rights and anti-gay rights, pro-war and anti-war, and delivers a searing, hilarious indictment of the True Believer mentality." Andrew Sullivan of The Atlantic Magazine, said of the book, "This is called thinking. And if more people — on both sides — were prepared to acknowledge their own shifts of view and to explain and examine exactly why they have changed with the times, our public discourse would be immeasurably improved."
Beckerman says that he also acquired "a finger-wagging puritan bent, which made absolutely no sense for a 20-year-old guy who was getting laid and intoxicated on a steady basis." By 2008, after disputes with friends and family, and a long running email conversation with a psychologist, he moderated his position to a more laid-back liberalism.
, the New York Post
, The Guardian
, ABCNews.com, MSNBC, Salon.com, Fox News Channel, and National Public Radio.
, Discover Magazine
, Radar Magazine
, Reason Magazine
, The Huffington Post
, New York Press
, Jewcy.com, AintItCoolNews.com, and The Daily Beast
.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, humorist, and author. He is a native of Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
, and started his career with The Anchorage Daily News
Anchorage Daily News
The Anchorage Daily News is a daily newspaper based in Anchorage, Alaska, in the United States. It is often referred to colloquially as either "the Daily News" or "the ADN"...
, when he was still a junior and sophomore at Steller Secondary School
Steller Secondary School
Steller Secondary School is an alternative school located in Anchorage, Alaska. It is based on the philosophy that students have the right to control their own education. The Anchorage School District established the school in 1974 as a response to a proposal by the Committee of Alternative...
. His humor columns appeared between 1998 and 2000 in The Anchorage Daily News, which is Alaska's largest newspaper, maintaining a circulation of 70,000 readers. He gained international attention when he was fired from his $15 per week columnist job, after asking a 13-year-old female cheerleader — during an unapproved interview — how it feels "to be a urine stain on the toilet seat of America."
Beckerman wrote his first novel at the age of 16 and graduated from the American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
in Washington D.C. with a degree in journalism in three years. He is known for the professional attention he received from the literary community at a relatively young age, as well as his literary skills and the subject matter of his work, which focuses primarily on teen angst. On June 21, 2010, it was announced that Beckerman was brought on board the staff of Esquire Magazine
Esquire (magazine)
Esquire is a men's magazine, published in the U.S. by the Hearst Corporation. Founded in 1932, it flourished during the Great Depression under the guidance of founder and editor Arnold Gingrich.-History:...
to serve as the News and Features Editor of the magazine.
Death to All Cheerleaders
In 2000, Beckerman compiled his newspaper columns published by the Anchorage Daily News and wrote his first novel. Death to All Cheerleaders: One Adolescent Journalist's Cheerful Diatribe Against Teenage Plasticity, although published independently, gained national attention. At the time that his book was published, he was still a sophomore in high school. In spite of his youth, his work has often been compared to that of Hunter S. ThompsonHunter S. Thompson
Hunter Stockton Thompson was an American journalist and author who wrote The Rum Diary , Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 .He is credited as the creator of Gonzo journalism, a style of reporting where reporters involve themselves in the action to...
, Lenny Bruce
Lenny Bruce
Leonard Alfred Schneider , better known by the stage name Lenny Bruce, was a Jewish-American comedian, social critic and satirist...
, and the Pulitzer-prize winning author, Dave Barry
Dave Barry
David "Dave" Barry is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American author and columnist, who wrote a nationally syndicated humor column for The Miami Herald from 1983 to 2005. He has also written numerous books of humor and parody, as well as comedic novels.-Biography:Barry was born in Armonk, New York,...
.
Following the publication of Death to Cheerleaders, Beckerman gained a patron in John Strausbaugh
John Strausbaugh
John Strausbaugh is an American author, cultural commentator, and host of the New York Times "Weekend Explorer" video podcast series on New York City....
, contributor and editor of The New York Press
New York Press
New York Press was a free alternative weekly in New York City, that was published from 1988 to 2011. During its lifetime, it was the main competitor to the Village Voice...
. An October 5, 2000 review of the book by the Press stated that "Marty is a very precocious smart-ass with a mean streak of cynicism."
The Anchorage Daily News stated on September 29, 2000 that "Once the initial shock of Beckerman's profanity and hatred wears off, there are some highly readable and humorous gags. Frequently hilarious."
In addition to his work with The New York Press, Strausbaugh is also a regular contributor to the New York Times, The Washington Post, and Cabinet Magazine. He found a copy of Beckerman's self-published novel, loved it and hired him as a columnist, which necessitated a move to Brooklyn, New York.
While living in New York, Beckerman met a literary agent who had reviewed a recent manuscript that he had written and began contacting publishing houses on behalf of the author. They ended up making a lucrative connection with MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
Books, and working jointly with Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster, Inc., a division of CBS Corporation, is a publisher founded in New York City in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. It is one of the four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins...
, Beckerman's second novel was published.
Generation S.L.U.T.
In 2004, the widespread publicity of Cheerleaders led to a deal for Generation S.L.U.T.: A Brutal Feel-Up Session with Today's Sex-Crazed Adolescent Populace, which was published by Simon & SchusterSimon & Schuster
Simon & Schuster, Inc., a division of CBS Corporation, is a publisher founded in New York City in 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. It is one of the four largest English-language publishers, alongside Random House, Penguin and HarperCollins...
and MTV Books. S.L.U.T. is Beckerman's acronym for "Sexually Liberated Urban Teens". This second book authored by Beckerman is critically acclaimed and is considered one of the first explorations into the sex lives of modern teens. The success of S.L.U.T. brought Beckerman to the national and international literary arena, while he was still a student in his junior year at American University.
One of Beckerman's primary goals in writing S.L.U.T., was to present a balance between sexual freedom and sexual responsibility. The book describes the problems and pressures with which teens of this modern era are constantly bombarded. Beckerman was just 20 years old at the time of publication. While HBO Films
HBO Films
HBO Films is a division of the cable television network HBO that produces feature films and miniseries. While much of HBO Films' output is created directly for the television market, such as the film Witness Protection and the mini-series Band of Brothers, Pacific, Generation Kill and Angels in...
optioned the movie rights and hired a director, the film has not yet begun production. The options have also since expired.
When asked whether the book is a work of fiction or nonfiction, Beckerman replies that it is both. "The core of the book is the novella, but then I've got all the statistics, quotes from real kids, news clippings and other nonfiction elements. So I'm making the emotional case with my fictional characters, and the journalistic case with the hard numbers and quotes." The book has been translated into numerous languages. His book was notably reviewed by Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter S. Thompson
Hunter Stockton Thompson was an American journalist and author who wrote The Rum Diary , Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 .He is credited as the creator of Gonzo journalism, a style of reporting where reporters involve themselves in the action to...
, who said of S.L.U.T, "Good work, you morbid little bastard," of which Beckerman considers the greatest compliment of his career.
Dumbocracy
In September 2008, the Disinformation CompanyDisinfo
The Disinformation Company is a privately held, limited American publishing company that focuses in current affairs titles and seeks to expose disinformation. It is headquartered in New York City, New York...
published Beckerman's third book, Dumbocracy: Adventures with the Loony Left, the Rabid Right and Other American Idiots. Journalist Daniel Kurtzman, who has been widely cited as an expert on political humor by major media outlets around the country, recommended and proclaimed on his political humor guide on About.com that Dumbocracy was one of the Top 25 political humor books of all time, comparing the novel to the works of Dave Barry, P.J. O'Rourke, Bill Maher
Bill Maher
William "Bill" Maher, Jr. is an American stand-up comedian, television host, political commentator, author and actor. Before his current role as the host of HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, Maher hosted a similar late-night talk show called Politically Incorrect originally on Comedy Central and...
, Al Franken
Al Franken
Alan Stuart "Al" Franken is the junior United States Senator from Minnesota. He is a member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, which affiliates with the national Democratic Party....
, Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart
Jon Stewart is an American political satirist, writer, television host, actor, media critic and stand-up comedian...
, and Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert is an American political satirist, writer, comedian, television host, and actor. He is the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, a satirical news show in which Colbert portrays a caricatured version of conservative political pundits.Colbert originally studied to be an...
.
Ralph Bernardo, managing editor of Disinformation said of Dumbocracy, that Beckerman spent "four years with foot soldiers of the Left and Right-pro-choice and anti-choice, pro-gay rights and anti-gay rights, pro-war and anti-war, and delivers a searing, hilarious indictment of the True Believer mentality." Andrew Sullivan of The Atlantic Magazine, said of the book, "This is called thinking. And if more people — on both sides — were prepared to acknowledge their own shifts of view and to explain and examine exactly why they have changed with the times, our public discourse would be immeasurably improved."
Personal politics
Beckerman has held divergent political positions. According to an article he wrote for Salon, he was initially a "passionate liberal" upon entering college, as was his very liberal girlfriend. As he progressed through his education, he began rebelling against other strong liberals in college, including professors who pushed their "utopian and hypersensitive politics". Beckerman became a strident hard-right conservative for a time, notably when writing and promoting Generation S.L.U.T. This shift in his political outlook and advocacy caused a bit of confusion among his fellow students on campus. Not surprisingly, his liberal girlfriend chose to end their relationship.Beckerman says that he also acquired "a finger-wagging puritan bent, which made absolutely no sense for a 20-year-old guy who was getting laid and intoxicated on a steady basis." By 2008, after disputes with friends and family, and a long running email conversation with a psychologist, he moderated his position to a more laid-back liberalism.
Print, television, and radio appearances
The publication and success of Generation S.L.U.T. propelled Beckerman onto the national and international spotlight. He has been featured by The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, the New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
, The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, ABCNews.com, MSNBC, Salon.com, Fox News Channel, and National Public Radio.
Featured magazine publications
Beckerman has written for PlayboyPlayboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
, Discover Magazine
Discover (magazine)
Discover is an American science magazine that publishes articles about science for a general audience. The monthly magazine was launched in October 1980 by Time Inc. It was sold to Family Media, the owners of Health, in 1987. Walt Disney Company bought the magazine when Family Media went out of...
, Radar Magazine
Radar (magazine)
RadarOnline is an American online publication. It started as a magazine first printed in 2003 as a test issue, relaunched twice in 2005 and 2006, and ceased publication in 2008. The magazine published articles on entertainment, fashion, politics, and human interest...
, Reason Magazine
Reason (magazine)
Reason is a libertarian monthly magazine published by the Reason Foundation. The magazine has a circulation of around 60,000 and was named one of the 50 best magazines in 2003 and 2004 by the Chicago Tribune.- History :...
, The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
, New York Press
New York Press
New York Press was a free alternative weekly in New York City, that was published from 1988 to 2011. During its lifetime, it was the main competitor to the Village Voice...
, Jewcy.com, AintItCoolNews.com, and The Daily Beast
The Daily Beast
The Daily Beast is an American news reporting and opinion website founded and published by Tina Brown, former editor of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker as well as the short-lived Talk Magazine. The Daily Beast was launched on October 6, 2008, and is owned by IAC...
.
Further reading
- Beckerman, Marty. Death to All Cheerleaders: One Adolescent Journalist's Cheerful Diatribe Against Teenage Plasticity, Infected Press, 2000, 200 pages. ISBN 978-0970062901
- Beckerman, Marty. Generation S.L.U.T. Online, Simon & Schuster, 2004, 224 pages. ISBN 978-0743480369
- Beckerman, Marty. Dumbocracy: Adventures with the Loony Left, the Rabid Right and Other American Idiots The Disinformation Company, 2008, 224 pages. ASIN: B001NEKIGS