Bill Hicks

Okay, this guy’s work you must know.

Bill Hicks Live

Check it out.

Here’s the Wikipedia entry, which starts more or less:

Hicks is often compared to Lenny Bruce (although he frequently denied knowing much about Bruce’s life or work) and Sam Kinison (a contemporary and friend). Comedian Richard Pryor figured largely as an inspiration and stand-up idol for Hicks, as did Woody Allen who also served strongly as a very early influence for a pre-teen Hicks. Like Lenny Bruce, Hicks challenged formal and informal forces of censorship, and suggested a disconnect between the values and operations of modern life, particularly in the United States, a country toward which his humor frequently adopted a tone ranging from cynicism to scathing critique. Hicks characterized his own performances as "Chomsky with dick jokes".

And see his "official" website as well.

We miss you, Bill.

A parting quote from the master:

But you know, I saw this movie last year called Basic … Instinct. Okay. Now, Bill’s quick capsule review: Piece of shit. Okay, now … yeah, yeah. End of story, by the way. Don’t get caught up in that fevered hype phoney fucking debate about that piece of shit movie. "Is it too sexist? And what about the movies, are they becoming too …" You’re just confused, you’ve forgotten how to judge correctly. Take a deep breath … look at it again. "Oh, it’s a piece of shit!" Exactly, that’s all it is. Satan squatted, let out a loaf, they put a fucking title on it, put it on a marquee – Satan’s shit, piece of shit, walk away. "But is it too … and what about the lesbian content, they …" You’re getting really baffled here. Piece of shit! Now walk away. That’s all it is, it’s nothing more! Free yourself, folks. If you see it: "Piece of shit!" Say it and walk away. You’re right! You’re right, not those fuckers who want to tell you how to think! You’re fucking right!
And then I come to find out after that film, that all the lesbian sex scenes … let me repeat that. All the lesbian sex scenes … were cut out of that film because the test audience was turned off by them.

Boy, is my thumb not on the pulse of America.

I don’t want to seem like Randy Pan, the Goat Boy, but that was the only reason I went to that piece of shit. If I had been in that test audience, the only one out front protesting that film would have been Michael Douglas, demanding his part be put back in, all right. "I swear I was in that movie. I swear I was!" "Gee, Mike. The movie started. Sharon Stone was eating another woman for an hour and a half. Then the credits rolled. I don’t remember seeing your scrawny ass, Mike." "Was Bill Hicks in that test audience?"

Robert Devereaux