Let’s face it. It’s been a whirlwind of headlines this month. It started with the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. Then came the withdrawal of President Biden from the Democratic presidential candidacy. Now it’s the nomination of Kamala Harris as the new hope for Democrats in November. It’s been a roller coaster of emotions for those who follow the topsy-turvy world of American politics. It makes me yearn for the pre-internet days of reading the newspaper and slowly digesting information. Please forgive me as I dive into my nostalgia for the long-defunct tabloid stew of the Boston Record American, the venerable Boston Globe, and the Providence Journal.
As Motif celebrates twenty years as a leading arts and news voice in the Ocean State, we must pay tribute to a bastion of counter-culture journalism, the long-running and brilliant column by the hilarious Phillipe and Jorge: Cool, Cool World. The column began in the late 1970s in a now-defunct dive bar named Leo’s. It was within these walls that the genius of Chip Young and Rudy Cheeks’ collaboration formed. The column spanned decades and was a staple in the Rhode Island news landscape.
In a previous Motif article, Phillipe and Jorge celebrated their 40-year history in publishing. They recounted their journey during their “run in the alternative media circuit, the brand-new Providence Eagle, in 1980. The Eagle was best known, especially in the journalism community, for their publisher Vin Suprynowicz. He once blew a hole in the ceiling of the editor’s office with a shotgun. True story. It was after the editor pressed him for back pay owed…We eventually moved on to The NewPaper, then the Providence Phoenix, and finally, Motif.”
Before the column went out of print in 2021, its last home was Motif. For almost 10 years, our humble magazine gave their voices the perfect home, as we were, and still strive to be, a pillar of social and political commentary. Let’s look back and admire the satirical column that often lampooned local politicians and business leaders in the same breath.
Phillipe and Jorge began when Jimmy Carter became president in 1979. The column ran the length of eight American presidencies. Before the internet and the digital avalanche, Cool, Cool World caught the attention of scores of A-listers and working-class residents in Rhode Island. Young portrayed an openly gay character, Phillippe. Meanwhile, Cheeks played the flamboyant character Jorge. Their weekly spoof reported from the fictitious “Casa Diablo,” a fantasy location where they reported as two “superior” gay correspondents. Both writers later said the phony names behind the column were a way to shine a light on Rhode Island corruption while having a hell of a laugh. Their monikers protected them from would-be revenge seekers, malicious beatdowns, and the always classy smashed windshield.
Ian Donnis, veteran political reporter at Public’s Radio, told us he has fond memories of the venerable columnists. Donnis, who was news editor at the Providence Phoenix from 1999 until 2009, said he edited hundreds of columns by the self-proclaimed “wise asses” during his tenure at the Phoenix, a leading alternative weekly press in the state that spanned nearly two decades. Donnis says, “They were very influential. Before the internet – when the news landscape was very different, they used parody, comedy, and satire beautifully. They were widely read across the state and were probably influenced by Dr. Hunter S. Thompson and his style of ‘Gonzo journalism.’”
Long before the likes of Comedy Central, Jon Stewart, Dave Chapelle, and Bill Maher, the Cool, Cool World was notorious for its comical caricatures of political figures. A few favorites are the re-branding of State House Speaker Joseph DeAngelis as “The Prince of Darkness,” the former millionaire RI governor Bruce Sundlun as “Captain Blowhard,” and former RI governor Edward Di Prete as the “Gerber Baby.” Donnis reflects, “Phillippe and Jorge were admired and scorned almost regularly by the newsmakers they parodied. They were plugged in with the right sources. While politicians hated their negative yet honest coverage, they felt disregarded if Cool, Cool World didn’t cover their misdeeds.”
Young and Cheeks were brilliant. They blended hysterical terminology with sleazy state politics all while using their stylistic Gonzo journalism as a piercing dagger. The presence of two straight guys playing gay reporters, helped propel the start of the Providence Gay Pride Parade. Phillipe and Jorge stated they were “very pleased to be named grand marshals of the Gay Pride March (as it was known in its earliest days) when the Providence police were trying desperately to ban the parade.” Young would later say he wanted the parade to become a true Mardi Gras. One well-known Providence Journal columnist said the iconic column was “more of the truth and less of the facts.” •
So, the next time you read a sarcastic tweet on X or a post on Instagram or TikTok, think about the two brilliant visionaries named Phillipe and Jorge and a little column called the Cool, Cool World.
