Today its exactly 15 years ago that comedian Bill Hicks (1961 - 1994) died. The reason I bring this up is because Bill Hicks was not just a comedian. Bill Hicks was the best comedian. Perhaps even in history and he also is my hero.
And he was not just the best comedian. He was much more than a comedian. "An inspired and inspiring truth teller, dangerous and brave and scary, all at once."
He was the social critic in the 80ies and was described as the dark poet because of his way with words. He challenged mainstream beliefs, aiming to enlighten people to think for themselves. In both his stand-up performances, and during interviews, he often criticized media and popular culture as oppressive tools of the ruling class, meant to keep people stupid and apathetic. Lots of his stuff is perhaps is even more true today then when he said it over 15 years ago. So what would Bill Hicks say if he were around today ?
Bill Hicks carried a message with him. I think it's love. His shows would be filled with progressive and thought provoking subject matters and he would close his shows with 25 minutes of dick jokes.
For those of you that have never heard of Bill Hicks, shame on you ! However you are in luck. Here is some stuff to remember him by.
Here are some youtube clips, but if you think you'll like him I suggest you go here and listen for free to some of his best live shows !
Gays in the military
It's just a ride - Positive drug story
The homeless
Terminally ill stunt people
Danceclubs (I agree 100%)
Marketing
Your Children Aren't Special
Another thing I share with bill is the fascination of the JFK assassination.
Smoking
Smoking2
Evolution (beautiful 2001 space odyssey reference)
Christ and Christians
Great times on drugs (someone cut these clips up so the whole flow of his set is gone, but it's still the truth)
Abortion
Some geezer on wikipedia wrote this:
Little of Hicks's material contained jokes related to the everyday banalities of life, with the majority of his act concentrating rather on the deeper issues of existence, interweaving above all political, psychological and philosophical concepts in a broad message that centered more on reflection than comedy; the comic moments were inserted almost as an afterthought to highlight the ridiculousness of a given situation, rather than being an end in themselves. Importantly, he would invite his audiences to think "outside of the box" and to challenge the hypocrisies of authority and the existentialistic nature of "accepted truth"
Bill got censored a lot and was hardly known in the United States. Then he went to England and he repeatedly sold out the biggest theaters. Later he got some fame in the US and then sadly he died because of cancer.
He liked to rant and this is his most famous one. A drunk woman is heckling hicks.
Possibly hicks is drunk too in this one.
Hicks also made some horrible kung fu movies with his friends (view Ninja bachelor Party). Something that I also did as a teenager, wow, we are so alike !
This or perhaps next year Russel Crowe will play Bill Hicks in a big hollywood production, I can't wait to see the end result !
