--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I left the Lampoon, I went west to…" description: "\"When I left the Lampoon, I went west to try that out, and discovered that I hated it.They were awful people turning out awful product .\" — P. J. O'Rourke" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26a/p-j-o-rourke-184_awful_when-i-left-the-lampoon-i-went-west-to-t_2230615.png" --- # When I left the Lampoon, I went west to try that out, and… ![“When I left the Lampoon, I went west to try that out, and discovered that I hated it.They were awful people turning out awful product .” quote by P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26a/p-j-o-rourke-184_awful_when-i-left-the-lampoon-i-went-west-to-t_2230615.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26a/p-j-o-rourke-184_awful_when-i-left-the-lampoon-i-went-west-to-t_2230615.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/26a/p-j-o-rourke-184_awful_when-i-left-the-lampoon-i-went-west-to-t_2230615.png) > “When I left the Lampoon, I went west to try that out, and discovered that I hated it.They were awful people turning out awful product .” [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Leaving a creative group led to disappointment, describing the new environment as toxic and the output as poor. **In simple terms:** I left and hated the new place. Key Takeaway Avoid environments that stifle creativity. Themes career culture disillusionment creativity workplace Mood cynical humorous Type satire personal When to use this quote - job change - team selection - project management - career planning Key Concepts group dynamics product quality personal fulfillment Questions to Reflect On - What factors made the new setting undesirable? - How can you assess cultural fit before joining? A Different Perspective Not all changes lead to improvement. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Awful People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/awful-people/) [Lampoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lampoon/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [In that shrinking moment he discovered that he had never hated anyone until now. 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You cannot put 20 humorists together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/lampoon-was-exactly-the-opposite-the-work-was-a-lot-of-fun-but-the/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [ I was never in the office \[of Rolling Stone\]. It was very different from Lampoon, where we spent a lot of time together socially,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/i-was-never-in-the-office-of-rolling-stone-it-was-very-different-from/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [From National Lampoon, you go directly to Saturday Night Live, because it's a lot of the same people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/from-national-lampoon-you-go-directly-to-saturday-night-live-because/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [In the wake of Animal House, all of us at the Lampoon had a lot of Hollywood opportunities. We could definitely get people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/in-the-wake-of-animal-house-all-of-us-at-the-lampoon-had-a-lot-of/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [As a former writer for the 'National Lampoon,' I've probably contributed to the sea of sarcasm in which we live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/as-a-former-writer-for-the-national-lampoon-i-ve-probably-contributed/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [The Lampoon started in 1970, and I began writing freelance for them around the end of 1971, and then all through '72. They hired…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/the-lampoon-started-in-1970-and-i-began-writing-freelance-for-them/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Lampoon was a very collegial operation, though "collegial" usually means "friendly" and it wasn't that friendly. But we were tight, like a family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/lampoon-was-a-very-collegial-operation-though-collegial-usually-means/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [Donald Trump is way worse than George W. Bush. George W. Bush is a fundamentally decent man of limited intelligence who surrounded himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-weingarten/donald-trump-is-way-worse-than-george-w-bush-george-w-bush-is-a/) [Gene Weingarten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-weingarten/) > [“I love people who play guitars on roofs!" said Rose, hopping along the pavement in one of her sudden happy moods. "Don't you?" "Never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mckay/i-love-people-who-play-guitars-on-roofs-said-rose-hopping-along-the/) [Hilary McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mckay/) ## More by P. J. 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