Corey Taylor of Slipknot has revealed that Hunter S. Thompson's 1973 book "Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72" fundamentally changed his perspective on politics. The acclaimed musician, who is himself well-read and has authored three books, cited the gonzo journalism work as transformative because it revealed the human dimension of political discourse beyond mere statistics and voting records. This discovery inspired Taylor's broader interest in following political events with greater awareness of their real-world consequences.

Thompson was commissioned by Rolling Stone to cover the 1972 presidential campaign at a retainer of £1,000 monthly, spending approximately one year reporting from Washington DC. The resulting book blurred the lines between fact and fiction through gonzo journalism, with Thompson both participating in and critically observing the campaign. The work documented the Democratic Party primaries and dismantling whilst simultaneously critiquing journalism's relationship with politics, ultimately proving influential enough that decades later, commentator Johnny Knoxville drew parallels between Thompson's 1972 observations and contemporary American politics.