I Wear the Black Hat

Essays on Villains (Real and Imagined)

By: Chuck Klosterman

Narrated by: Chuck Klosterman

One-of-a-kind cultural critic and New York Times bestselling author Chuck Klosterman “offers up great facts, interesting cultural insights, and thought-provoking moral calculations in this look at our love affair with the anti-hero” (New York magazine).

Chuck Klosterman, “The Ethicist” for The New York Times Magazine, has walked into the darkness. In I Wear the Black Hat, he questions the modern understanding of villainy. When we classify someone as a bad person, what are we really saying, and why are we so obsessed with saying it? How does the culture of malevolence operate? What was so Machiavellian about Machiavelli? Why don’t we see Bernhard Goetz the same way we see Batman? Who is more worthy of our vitriol—Bill Clinton or Don Henley? What was O.J. Simpson’s second-worst decision? And why is Klosterman still haunted by some kid he knew for one week in 1985?

Masterfully blending cultural analysis with self-interrogation and imaginative hypotheticals, I Wear the Black Hat delivers perceptive observations on the complexity of the antihero (seemingly the only kind of hero America still creates). As the Los Angeles Times notes: “By underscoring the contradictory, often knee-jerk ways we encounter the heroes and villains of our culture, Klosterman illustrates the passionate but incomplete computations that have come to define American culture—and maybe even American morality.” I Wear the Black Hat is a rare example of serious criticism that’s instantly accessible and really, really funny.

Still great

Funny and thoughtful, his writing feels like interesting conversations for intellectuals. What makes evil and why don't we remember bad things about our heros? Muhammad Ali turned Joe Frazier into a hated Uncle Tom , not a real black man, the tool of racists who is stupid and ugly. Ali went nasty and personal for no reason. Frazier had been his friend , had helped Ali in his time of need. Had loaned him money. Frazier came from a much more difficult environment; and lived among the disadvantaged, had more of a claim of 'keeping it real'. Why ruin Fraziers life and make him as hated as the Klan among Fraziers own community? Why doesn't anybody care today?

Neat book

I was interested in the idea of everyday villains, and I felt like the book delivered.

Needs professional narration

An excellent essay ruined as an audio book by amaturish narration. Mr. Klosterman should stick to writing and hire a narrator .....

Vintage Klosterman

Terrific book. Funny and insightful, never boring. So glad he read it, which he did a great job at. Highly recommend this book.

interesting mix of short stories

I love Chuck Klosterman. I've read many of his books. I've met the dude at a book signing. I'll listen to anything he wants to ramble on about, really. I loved the mix of stories in this collection. my favorite is chapter 3 ....who doesn't feel that way about The Eagles & their song "Take it easy" I'm right there with you, man!