Before Memes, Gutfeld and Limbaugh, Conservatism Got Its Irreverent Humor From The American Spectator and Founder R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.
PRINCETON, N.J. — The American Spectator has long stood as a shining beacon of irreverent conservative wit, combining common sense, fearless journalism, and literary flair. Now, author and award-winning filmmaker Robert Orlando is bringing that legacy to the screen in a bold new documentary: Surviving the Kultursmog: R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr. and the Rise of The American Spectator.
What is Kultursmog? Culture is the cult of what we worship as a society and Tyrrell defines Kultursmog as that laughable, widespread assumption that “Americans do not think at all, and so Kultur’s sacrosanct duty is to make us think by disturbing us.” Before Rush Limbaugh, modern memes, and Greg Gutfeld showed us how to laugh at the Left, Tyrrell was showing them the way.
With unprecedented access and interviews with the magazine’s key contributors—past and present—this fun film chronicles how Tyrrell’s creation became a cultural juggernaut, influencing presidents, provoking the mainstream press, and launching the careers of some of America’s sharpest political minds. From the Reagan Revolution to the Clinton “Troopergate” Wars to the populist surge of the 2010s, The American Spectator has been both a witness to and participant in the conservative movement’s evolution.
Director Robert Orlando, known for documentaries like Silence Patton, The Divine Plan, and Trump’s Rosebud, brings his signature cinematic touch and narrative depth to this documentary, using a blend of archival footage, stylized reenactments, and personal storytelling to explore Tyrrell’s journey—from Midwest upstart to Beltway icon.
“Bob Tyrrell wasn’t just in the room—he helped build it,” Orlando explains. “His magazine made conservatism stylish, smart, and subversively fun. This film is a tribute to that spirit.”
Featuring interviews with political insiders, media figures, and cultural commentators who knew Tyrrell across five decades—and even five presidential administrations—the film is a historical reckoning, a tribute, and a cultural autopsy of America’s battles over truth, narrative, and satire.
Kultursmog: The Legacy of R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr is slated for release in 2025, with a national rollout planned in 2026 alongside special screenings, panel discussions, and media coverage through The American Spectator’s wide readership.
Trailer at: Kultursmogfilm.com
For media inquiries, interviews, or preview screeners, contact:
Joe Serwach, Nexus Media Communications Director, (313) 485-0531, X: @joeserwach Email: info@kultursmogfilm.com
Joe Serwach, Nexus Media Communications Director, (313) 485-0531, X: @joeserwach Email: info@kultursmogfilm.com
