On the death of the good doctor Hunter S. Thompson... That you sought fit to take your leave now could only mean that you felt it truly was time for you to check out. However your judgment in the past has strayed from even the most generous definition of reasonable, of your own charter and fortune we cannot question your command. Because you gave so much you will be missed. Because you gave so much you will not be forgotten. So drive off into the night, good doctor, and godspeed.

It cannot be a good omen for the American economy that the most compelling reality shows echo the class tension and overnight success fantasies of movies produced in, or set in, the Great Depression. But the unquenchable appeal of "The Apprentice" and "American Idol" lies at least in part in their poignancy: both series combine the preposterous feel-good optimism of "42nd Street" with the desperation of "They Shoot Horses, Don't They?"