Bill Hicks

[PastaMasta]

[youtube]<object><param></param><param></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vX1CvW38cHA&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/youtube]

 

[aenemic]

Bill Hicks was totally awesome. hilarious and highly intelligent. it's such a shame he had to go.

 

[Deleted member 53669]

Bill Hicks was totally awesome. hilarious and highly intelligent. it's such a shame he had to go.

That's what everyone says about Hicks. The constant echo is deafening. It's a shame that all we can do about it is sit around and jerk eachother off over how much we liked Hicks, just hoping the circle of handjobs gets bigger.

But hey, this is the first time Hicks was mentioned to my knowledge on this forum. Fucking horny bastards.

 

[PastaMasta]

Bill Hicks was totally awesome. hilarious and highly intelligent. it's such a shame he had to go.

That's what everyone says about Hicks. The constant echo is deafening. It's a shame that all we can do about it is sit around and jerk eachother off over how much we liked Hicks, just hoping the circle of handjobs gets bigger.

But hey, this is the first time Hicks was mentioned to my knowledge on this forum. Fucking horny bastards.

At the minute my uncle is dying of the same thing Hicks had, which reminded me of him. Such a shame.

Oh bill, Crime is horrible! Just yesterday some Hooligans knocked over a dustbin in shasburry!

 

[Deleted member 53669]

Oh bill, Crime is horrible! Just yesterday some Hooligans knocked over a dustbin in shasburry!

Hahaha, pretty funny considering most people on NMA are European.

I wana see the Hooligans get into a gang war with the Bloods.


Bill is dead. Richard Pryor is dead. George Carlin is dead.


All we have left is Joe Rogan, and he's a semi-douchebag 3 inches away from being a full fledged douchebag.

Funny asshole though.

 

[PastaMasta]

Oh bill, Crime is horrible! Just yesterday some Hooligans knocked over a dustbin in shasburry!

Hahaha, pretty funny considering most people on NMA are European.

I wana see the Hooligans get into a gang war with the Bloods.


Bill is dead. Richard Pryor is dead. George Carlin is dead.


All we have left is Joe Rogan, and he's a semi-douchebag 3 inches away from being a full fledged douchebag.

Funny asshole though.

What if they grow up to be...Ruffians?

 

[Stag]

David Cross is still alive...

anyway, yeah...Bill Hicks was great. He sometimes gets kind of weird with his drug-induced religious stuff, but whatever.

 

[UniversalWolf]

Now if we could just get rid of Dane Cook...

Personally I prefer Mitch Hedberg to Bill Hicks when it comes to dead comedians with cult followings.

 

[Brother None]

That's what everyone says about Hicks. The constant echo is deafening. It's a shame that all we can do about it is sit around and jerk eachother off over how much we liked Hicks, just hoping the circle of handjobs gets bigger.

Never heard of him, and he doesn't seem that funny from this clip.

 

[Stag]

That's because you shoot heroin straight into your eyeballs.

...you really need to quit doing that.

 

[generalissimofurioso]

No one does bloody eye heroin shots anymore.

It's all about the testicles now.

 

[Deleted member 53669]

Never heard of him, and he doesn't seem that funny from this clip.

Was an American comedian of the 80's and early 90's. About 75% of modern political and sex humor is a derivative of his work. His delivery is more theological rather than "Punch-Line". A close similar to the style would be that of Will Rogers, with a dark and cynical twist.

He was actually most popular in the United Kingdom because his acts were usually too cerebral and vulgarly idealistic for most American audiences of the time.

Alot of references in Fallout and Fallout 2 are from Hick's work, most notable the commentary of nuking the entire west-coast of the U.S.

The entire TOOL album AEnima is dedicated to Bill Hicks.

And other nifty facts as well.....

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcPQhS8W8g4[/youtube]

 

[TwinkieGorilla]

Never heard of him, and he doesn't seem that funny from this clip.

holy fucking fuck. if this isn't a troll this is the lamest thing i've ever seen you post. holy fucking mother of fucking fuck.

beyond Lenny Bruce, there was never a greater social troubador than Bill Hicks. i am sorely disappointed, Kharn.

(i'm not even joking here, folks. i hold B. Hicks in such high regard this is like a "i'd never consider marrying you if you don't get this" type thing.)

 

[Brother None]

He was actually most popular in the United Kingdom because his acts were usually too cerebral and vulgarly idealistic for most American audiences of the time.

You call this cerebral?

I think you guys are giving me bad examples, because this is just crass humour on semi-intellectual topics. Smarter than the usual (American) stand-up from what I can glance on Youtube but not exactly awe-inspiring. I mean, this is all poignant but not exactly clever. More kicking in open doors constantly.

Maybe I'm a bit spoiled because Dutch stand-up (cabaret) has a tradition of intellectualism and social commentary over just joke-telling - so none of this strikes me as particularly new. I know American stand-up has more of a tradition of strings-of-punchlines, whereas the the British stand-up tradition is almost purely about exploring areas people feel awkward in (which for Britain and its tradition of prudishness is a lot) and getting cheap laughs that way.

He's funny, tho'.

holy fucking fuck. if this isn't a troll this is the lamest thing i've ever seen you post. holy fucking mother of fucking fuck.

beyond Lenny Bruce, there was never a greater social troubador than Bill Hicks. i am sorely disappointed, Kharn.

And this post explains your circle-jerk remark, Dope. Is like Hicks like like a status symbol, like - err - the EV1?

Because TG is just wafting poserism here.

Also TG, I think you're using the term troubadour wrong. Troubadours are lyricists, which means there inheritance is with the lyricists. Y'know, like Bob Dylan or Jacques Brel. I'm not sure what you think troubadour means, but I think you're thinking of jesters.

 

[TwinkieGorilla]

Because TG is just wafting poserism here.

he is one of the most celebrated figures to stand in front of the mic in the history of the art of social satire. he was a crusader and he is highly respected.

the fact that you've never even heard of him is not on me, BN.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMUiwTubYu0[/youtube]

and yes, thank you...i used "troubador" in exactly the way i meant it. if you spent enough time beyond your cursory doubts, i'm sure you'd understand. Bill Hicks' statements went much further than your usual topical humor. he was a front-runner in the fight against all that is wrong with this world and he was not afraid to say it. he went on tour as a dying man, knowing that he must adhere to the duty he gave himself as a humorous spokesperson with more to say than "here's a funny joke!". i swear to whatever you believe that you owe it to yourself to investigate this man further. i've got all of his work and would be more than willing to send it to you. that is, no joke, how serious i am about this man.

 

[Brother None]

In the US, he is one of the most celebrated figures to stand in front of the mic in the American history of the art of social satire. he was a crusader and he is highly respected in America.

Fixed it for you. I think Bill Hicks would be disappointed in your one-sided, US-centric thinking (popularity in the UK notwithstanding) Not exactly the most enlightened attitude towards the wide world if it stops at your borders, dude.

Seriously, I'm not sure why you'd think American "social satire" would have a lot of penetration in Europe - I mean obviously it has some, but you're acting like it is some failing in my upbringing that I don't know an American comedian? Seriously, dude, learn to look beyond your borders. The world doesn't revolve around the States.

Like I mentioned, the Dutch have their own tradition of social commentary through stand-up comedy that stems from before Hicks was born. Looking at the vids you guys are providing (and on Youtube), I'm seeing a funny guy but not someone who would add anything to the current state of Dutch stand-up. I can get more meaning from an average Claudia de Breij song - only she is way more subtle in meaning, rather than the kicking in open doors (I wish there was a translation of Het Laatste Woord, as bizarrely enough it is the most meaningful song on 9/11 I ever heard*).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMUiwTubYu0

Kicking in open doors. Again.

* ach bastiches now I listened to that song again. I can never not cry with that song.

 

[TwinkieGorilla]

you may very well be right about me, and who i am on many levels regarding an "american-centric" world-view. i admit that much.

as far as Hicks? no. i disagree. but maybe he's not relevant to you as a Dutchman, i truly would not know...but i find that hard to believe. are Lenny Bruce, Woody Allen or Groucho Marx not relevant to you? i don't see Hicks as less a universal figure.

but seriously, don't take MY word for it. a few google's and i think i'd look a bit less "centric" to you.

 

[Brother None]

as far as Hicks? no. i disagree. but maybe he's not relevant to you as a Dutchman, i truly would not know...but i find that hard to believe. are Lenny Bruce, Woody Allen or Groucho Marx not relevant to you? i don't see Hicks as less a universal figure.

Oh really? Do you know Jacques Brel? Sergei Eisenstein? A. Den Doolaard? Kim Ki-duk? I'd say they are some of the most relevant cultural figures in recent history, but you won't find me insulting people who don't know or dislike them. What is important or meaningful to you does not have to be meaningful to others - take Claudia de Breij who I just mentioned. I would never, ever expect a non-Dutch person to get why or how she personifies everything Holland is or how meaningful her songs are, and that's ok. Sometimes things just stop at your borders and have less meaning to others, why would that be a problem unless you need affirmation to embrace something? And if you do, well, let's not get too philosophical here, but...read Dopemine Cleric's first post in this thread and think about it for a while: does circle-jerking over how great this guy really add anything to the experience? When someone is first shown his stuff and says "not impressed", does it make your experience better to call that guy a troll or lame? In my perspective, nothing ruins true enjoyment like that kind of self-entitlement. And if you're like me and just wish to share the brilliance of a gem, do you really think insulting people is the way to do it?

Anyway, man, I'm not saying he's not present in the Dutch consciousness at all, but I'm not exactly insulated enough not to have heard of him if he were a big deal here. Like I said, it makes sense for him not to have penetrated here: by Dutch standards, he's just a crass stand-up who kicks in open philosophical doors (from the clips I've seen). Wikipedia also mentions American social commentary - but honestly, do you think Europeans give a shit about how controversial a guy is by making Gulf War jokes? We're too free-thinking a nation to get kicks out of controversial taboo-breakers anyway.

but seriously, don't take MY word for it. a few google's and i think i'd look a bit less "centric" to you.

I'm not sure what google is supposed to tell me? Other than that a fragment of his work was in the Zomergasten piece with Theo Maasen. But that's not surprising since I could recognise Maassen (a Dutch comedian) is inspired by Hicks the moment I saw the first clip here - so I figured Maassen knew and was inspired by him.

The Dutch internet brings up little else, tho', but the google is not exactly ideal as an interest poll. Dunno. Don't know why it's important either come to think of it. Regardless of how popular he is in the Netherlands, this thread raised my interest, and I've been watching some funny clips - just don't try to sell the intellectualist angle to me, his material just isn't that smart.

 

[Deleted member 53669]

Yeah, a lot of hypocritical attitude and thinking ironically stems from culture trends here in the states. People grab onto one piece of information, and throw it at others in a blind "Learned than thou" attitude. You see it everywhere.

Dutch stand up comedy? The sound of crickets will emerge from groups of Americans.

American media and entertainment focuses more on individuals and their perceptions subjectively more than adhering to ideas. That is why Bill Hicks is popular. He does have cerebral content, but most of the time he's elevated to public awareness because of his "Kicking in doors" approach. Also, his material is best absorbed from his albums, which he directs as a composition of music, containing music, which he explains his thesis at the end of the act, punch-lines being crescendos.


Beyond that, cultural divides aside, Bill Hicks was known best as the "Comic Martyr", and praised for more or less attacking the status quo at the time in an almost suicidal manner. His personal beliefs, although strange compared to most, stood as a flag of the "FUCK YOU IM USING LOGIC FOR ONCE" movement in the U.S.

It's sad, but he's a hero over here. Talent of humor aside, his biographical content more than his actual material elevated him. A kind of Nietzsche knock-off figure if you must.

I still like his material, alot.

 

[TheGM]

I'm live in the states and I don't even know who this fucking guy is?

was he regional act?

He is like a crappy version of George Carlin.