The Daring Spectacle: Adventures in Deviant Journalism

by Mark Morford

The Daring Spectacle is award-winning San Francisco Chronicle/SFGate columnist and culture critic Mark Morford’s hilarious modern record of sex and media, politics and pop culture, love and lust, as told in ninety-two delectable parts—not including all the delicious photos and terrifying hate mail. Since its inception in SFGate.com nearly 10 years ago, Morford’s hyperliterate, often controversial, smartly unhinged “Notes & Errata” column has achieved an avid cultlike status, and is regularly one of the most read and emailed works on the entire site. The book contains nearly 100 columns, 50 pieces of nicely shocking hate mail, with fresh commentary added to every column, along with photos, snippets, banned work, and various journalistic sacrilege that all points to one undeniable fact: There's simply no other opinion columnist quite like Morford in American media today. Please undress accordingly.

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Politics, Essays, Social Justice

346 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2010

About the author

Mark Morford is a columnist and culture critic for the San Francisco Chronicle and SFGate.com. His opinion column is called Notes & Errata and is published weekly. His topics vary from sex and deviance to popular culture, technology, spirituality, music and politics.

Reviews

[Veronica · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Daring Spectacle: Adventures in Deviant Journalism by Mark Morford is a collection of Morford's "best" essays over the past decade. It's not a book that you need to sit down and read all at once. Rather this is one of those books you keep handy when you think you are the only rational person left on earth. Not that Morford exhibits rationality, but his ability to skewer those who leave you with a WTF look on your face will make you laugh and shake your head.

I just picked up the book to find my favorite essay, alas how can one pick a favorite when Morford tackles subjects from George W. Bush, the Duggers to designer vaginas? You just can't. And that's the beauty of this book. Just when you think you have Morford figured out, he goes on a topic and leaves your head spinning...and you'll also be shaking your head in agreement. Of course you won't always agree with Morford, but if you did, it wouldn't be that fun, now would it?

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

WARNING: THIS BOOK IS NOT THE KIND OF BOOK YOU READ ALL AT ONCE

That said this is the BEST bathroom, bedroom, office, and commuter friendly book I've read in a while.

I've been a fan of Mark Morford's "Notes & Errata" online column ever since 2004 when I was sent the link by a friend who had just moved to San Francisco and thought I'd get a kick out of it. Well, she was certainly right because I just love opening my inbox on Wednesday's and Friday's to see Mark's new topic flash before my eyes. Mark Morford's column is bad medicine and his brand of bad medicine is just what I need!

This book is a compilation a lot of his writings over the years, as well as, hate mail (funny and sad all at the same time) and mullet haiku's (my favorite).

So, if I ever get a chance to take a month off and go on my route 66 tour in an awesome convertible, I most certainly plan on making a pit-stop in San Francisco, just to visit Napa Valley and take one of Mark's Vinyassa classes that he teaches (I won't look weird because I've been practicing this form of yoga pretty steadily for the last year or so) and briefly take up a few seconds of his time to state in no uncertain terms that I'm a HUGE fan of his writing! Watch out Mark Morford here I come :-)

[James]

A weekly contributor to SF Gate, this man's scathing, hilarious, mind-expanding and spot-on commentaries will have you mulling over his insightful ruminations long after you put the book down. Delightful hyperbole: a great read. But you already knew this.

[Justin Renquist · Rating 5 out of 5]

ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS, IRREVERENT. Gotta love Mark Moford.

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Mark Morford and will buy/ read anything he puts out.

[Alyce Muldoon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Find him @ SF Chronicle on line. You won't be sorry

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mark is my favorite columnist. You can find him at sfgate.com

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a lover of Morford's column and politics, I had already read many of the articles he selected to be in this collection. I didn't read the whole book, because as he himself said, it's not a book you read cover to cover, and his style can get a bit arduous after a long reading session. It was a library book, so it had to go back.

Morford is brilliant, so if you're tolerant enough of the lefties that San Francisco is riddled with, check it out.

Noteworthy: the hate mail he includes in the book and his professed love of one of my favorite authors, Tom Robbins.

[Lafcadio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reprints of Morford's San Francisco Chronicle columns. I bought the book after reading his brilliant June 4, 2010 column about the BP oil spill, "Behold Our Dark, Magnificent Horror," but nothing in this book tops that one.

[Tuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

morford collects some of his "best" articles from over the years. a must have for newspaper readers and liberals. all you others can just
hah, what?

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wicked, wicked pen this guy wields. 100% vitriol, but largely right on target and funny. Taken in small doses, a good browse of a book.

[Tinquerbelle]

Essays.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hoot! Hoot!

[Leslie]

Definitely not something you read all in one sitting. Morford can be scathing, but has a funny take on pop culture.