Read Hard or Die

Blue-Collar Aristocrats by E. E. LeMasters (The University of Wisconsin Press 1975)

In Blue-Collar Aristocrats, LeMasters, a college professor, details the lifestyle and mores of what is now an almost extinct species: the highly paid skilled blue-collar worker. From 1967 to 1972, the author became a regular at a Wisconsin tavern frequented by local workers whom he befriended. Through this contact, he was able to piece together a portrait of the lives of his subjects and the picture that emerges is not a pretty one. These men love fucking, drinking, gambling, watching sports, hunting, and polka music. They hate women, blacks, gays, and book learnin'. The book is ultimately pretty funny because the subjects are such unbelievably stupid assholes that they almost come off as caricatures. Here they are in their own words:

On Women's Liberation: What in the hell are they complaining about? My wife has an automatic washer in the kitchen, a dryer, a dishwasher, a garbage disposal, a car of her own-hell, I even bought her a portable TV so she can watch the goddamn soap operas right in the kitchen. What more can she want?

The goddamn women are trying to take over this town-they're just like the niggers: give them an inch and they'll take a mile.

On Rape: Did you ever try to screw a woman that didn't want to screw? It ain't easy, I can tell you. They can put up one hell of a fight. Take my word for it.

On Child Rearing: My boy came home from school the other day with a cut lip. I asked him what happened and he said this other kid hit him. I told him that if he didn't go back and lick that other kid the next day I would whip him when he got home.

On Integration: I realize that something has to be done for the black bastards, but I sure as hell don't want them living next to me. I don't care to work with them either.

On Interracial Dating: You should have seen the pretty white girl I saw with a big black jigaboo on the campus today. Sonofabitch if I can see how those girls can do it.

On College Campus Protests: I think we should get our shotguns and go down there some night and teach those bastards a lesson.