Is The Kentucky Derby As Decadent & Depraved As Hunter S. Thompson Found It In 1970?

Is The Kentucky Derby As Decadent & Depraved As Hunter S. Thompson Found It In 1970?

In the spring of 2008, a year into my Internet career, I came up with the idea to weave the words of Hunter S. Thompson together with then-modern digital imagery to see if the Kentucky Derby was as decadent and depraved as the gonzo journalist found in 1970. The post featured fist fights, women ripping off their shirts, drunks sprawled out across the Churchill Downs infield. Degenerates being degenerates. It was pure chaos unlike many on the Int…

The Kentucky Derby: Decadent, Depraved, Still Going Strong

Presley Meyer I’M SITTING AT MY DESK in my home office. It’s the first Friday in May. The windows have been open since I settled in with my second cup of coffee and reluctantly flipped open my laptop. Cardinals, Bluejays, and Chickadees sing over each other nearby, serving as constant reminders of the vibrant energy across the city. The last two days, I’ve bounced back and forth between the office and the world’s most famous race track. Today, h…