Wednesday marked the twentieth anniversary of the death of Bill Hicks. More than just about any other comedian, Hicks retains a cult – even cultish – following, as the quote above from a Guardian reader testifies. The trouble was that far from being a purveyor of The Truth (whatever the hell that is), Hicks was preaching to the prejudices of his audience, delivering sarcastic commonplaces while being, for the most part, resolutely unfunny.
Of course, humour really is a matter of taste. What one person thinks is hilarious may leave another person cold. (The continued popularity of Miranda Hart is a case in point, in my humble opinion.) Yet as one commentator has noted, fans of Hicks tend not to mention how funny he was. They like to talk about how he cut through the ‘bullshit’ to tell it how it was, barely bothering with humour. That’s because he was, for the most part, a ranting barroom bore.
His acts were just one angry lecture about the stupidity of just about everything: Christians, rednecks, corporations, single mothers, Republicans.
Bill Hicks was God. As in, a gratuitously belligerent asshole whose tantrums have been set down as Scripture by his fanatical followers.
March 3, 2014 @ 4:51 pm
I hope you also don't feel this way about George Carlin (PBHN). If you do, Damian…..I just don't know what to say. (LOL
March 3, 2014 @ 10:58 pm
LOL. I like his older, rantier segments the best.
How can one not watch "There's an invisble man. And he lives in the sky. And he has this list of ten things he doesn't want you to do. And if you do any of these, he has this special place full of fire and suffering and torture for ever and ever. Because HE LOVES YOU. he loves you…and HE NEEDS MONEY.
March 3, 2014 @ 10:59 pm
newer. More recent rants! Argh!
March 3, 2014 @ 7:01 pm
Carlin had his Hicksy moments, and I think the last couple decades of his career show the influence, but no, he was more than just a ranting blowhard.