Denis stole many of great comedians bits, I love how Greg Geraldo tore into him on Tough Crowd.. Louis CK talks about how Denis ripped off his bit too.. Denis is good at performing, but terrible at writing his own material.
I saw Bill Hicks in San Diego in 92 or 93. I never laughed so hard in my life and probably never will again. He attempted to clear the room by insulting everyone and everything, it was awesome! My girl friend at the time didn’t think so. She made me get up to leave and he said “that’s OK, I understand”. Loved his act and never will forget it, what a great talent!
Lucky! Was living in Encinitas at the time ... so wanted to try and sneak into the show, but I was only 16, and was already having a hell of a time trying to sneak out of my house
Sadly, we never got to see the apex of Bill Hicks. He was a voice of reason in a mad world and I often wonder what he would think about these times. R.I.P. Sane Man
He would probably go bald, start his own internet channel called InfoWars and play an over the top caricature of a rightwing conspiracy theorist with Andy Kaufman-esk conviction.....
I just got hit with a nostalgia wave, off to watch some Rickles! ...Ok, his racist jokes weren't funny, I know he's from another era but if you're going to try to joke like that it should be DAMN FUNNY to EVERYONE.
Thanks for doing this. Everyone needs to know Hicks. Letterman sold out. So sad watching that 2009 show with Mary. She was upfront. Still dismayed of what happened. I still remember her asking Dave, "Really?" It was a mic drop.
Nah ah! He changed his name.. He became Alex Jones, the Letterman ban opened his eyes to what was going on in the country more than his comedic acts could portray so he became Alex Jones to further his career and influence
@@Seven.And.The.RaggedTiger Thank you , it takes a fellow Irish man to realize the " blarney" narratives. In this age of holograms ,you can't even believe what you " think" you see. So the believe ,what you hear, AKA, What they want to tell you is even more suspicious, than ever. Once Hicks got "blackballed" as a comedian, He was able to , re-invent" himself as an investigative reporter, Patriot, conspiracy theory advocate, (10million fan base) on-line media, Anti- leftist hell raiser
It still doesn’t explain why Letterman did what he did. The set was approved. They were friends. I guess they weren’t as close as Bill thought. Kinda sad.
The only reason Letterman did a tribute show and apologized to Bill’s mom is because there was talk of a Bill Hicks movie coming out and he knew he was going to look bad so he wanted to get ahead of it. Cynical bastard.
Let's start with the fact that this was not the first time Dave Letterman censored Bill Hicks. His very first appearance in 1984 was edited--also hastily--because NBC (or Letterman) were worried about a bit where Hicks talked about being in school, stealing a girl's pencil, tossing it around and hitting a classmate in the eye. Every time Bill Hicks was on Letterman's show on NBC, Hicks and Robert Morton would go over his material with a fine-toothed comb, making the sets as inoffensive as possible and, in the process, defanging much of Bill's humor. This was covered in an episode of 60 Minutes in the late 1980s, where Ed Bradley talked with HIcks and Morton about the process of going from initial rehearsal to live appearance. When Bill was booked on Letterman in October 1993, one month after Letterman had moved to CBS and an earlier time slot, obviously the same need to "clean up" Bill's act was in place. But as Bill pointed out, the set was approved and re-approved by Letterman, Morton and the show's other producers. And at no time did anyone from CBS's Standards and Practices department complain about the final product. As you correctly stated, it was Dave Letterman who pulled the trigger. Again, this is understandable when you realize that Letterman was new to the network and the earlier time slot. But--and I can't stress this enough--he knew what he was getting when he booked Bill Hicks. Bill was not Jerry Seinfeld, or John Mulvaney. He was a satirist, and a potent one, like George Carlin and Lenny Bruce before him. He was an iconoclast--no target was off-limits. In other words, to quote Super Chicken, "You knew the job was dangerous when you took it, Dave."
I think Letterman changed his mind on airing the set because it was quite violent and he was still worried about pleasing CBS. New to the company, trying hard to keep and expand his new audience, he was perhaps a little overzealous in making sure he walked the line between offense and humor. I think Bill Hicks' set was funny, but I would not expect to see it on CBS. It's a little more HBO's style.
Dosen't really suprise me about Letterman. He's ALLways came off as a "I'm sooooooo much more important than anyone else and my farts smell like fresh baked chocolate chip cookies." Kind of person.
Letterman didn't want to jeopardize that $14 million. In the documentary "It's Just a Ride", they go into the 32 page letter that was written to John Lahr at the The New Yorker and how he knew some people were just not ready for his brand of comedy. He could be cutting and cynical, but there were moments of sweetness and hopefulness that did not see past his 32 very short years here. Like Carlin, Hicks managed to puncture the bubble that is American life and the South, where he came from, in sharp, quick jokes. His brand of comedy was black, cutting, and meant to make you question everything. I loved him, I miss him. I was 22 when he died. I was fan for 7 years. The things he had to say about America, very much like Carlin, are still coming true. He didn't see the future, but he did warn us. That has to suffice, but dammit, the good ones always go so young...
Letterman invited Bill Hicks' mother on the show in 2009 and aired the entire segment. Letterman seemed genuinely apologetic and said he doesn't understand today what was wrong with it or why he did it. He just put it down to a lapse in judgement. I imagine he may have been giving in to more conservative censoring standards of the day. To him, it was probably just a business decision. In TV, you cut material all the time, its not a big deal. I doubt he realized Bill would take it so hard.
@@DWQJVB and people complain censorship is worse today and its all televised brainwashing by liberal elites. I remember that it's always been this way. For instance, guy like Bill Hicks would never have been censored today. Its just that conservatives (and mostly of christian sentiment) are on the wrong side of popular opinion this time around. Now they feel it's "forced agenda", but back then it was apparently just common sense prevailing.
@@blurgle9185 yes but the religious right didn't try to get people fired and permanently ostracized from public life the way you liberals do. Oh but you are on the 'right side of history' aren't you?
When Letterman switched from NBC to CBS he instantly felt like a sell-out. I was an avid, enthusiastic fan of Late Night on NBC, and I was excited about his new show up against the Tonight Show, but after the first two weeks, it clearly wasn't the same Dave, he completely lost his edge. It was as if he had aged 20 years in a few short months. I gave up on his show at that point and have seen only a tiny handful of shows over the rest of his career. I'm not surprised that he treated Hicks, a brilliant comedian this way.
I love Bill Hicks. I got to see him live in Austin, Tx (in 1991 I think?) at some dive with only about 25-30 people. I didn't know who he was at the time and it was only after he died did i begin to appreciate him as a person and comedian. But you know, I heard that he was pretty famous in Britain.
@G S W Oh really? That's interesting. Thanks for keeping his memory alive. I saw on DVD one of his shows in Britain and it was great. I never understood why he did not break through in the US like he did in Britain.
As a Brit I can assure you he was such a success here, we loved him. I can watch his stuff today and it still creases me up. His thoughts on Tiffany.... The guy was a genius. We were devastated when he died, because we knew what we had been deprived of. A great man and all the future routines he would have done. What are we left with, mealy mouthed hypocrites toeing political lines. We need the guy who don't give a s*** and say what everyone is secretly thinking. I bet he can make your deity of choice p*** themselves laughing.
As you eluded to in the video. This is the World we now live in where fear of others opinions and mass media disapproval outweighs what is right and honourable. Don't blame Letterman, it is the finger pointers and those that insist on bleeding all happiness out of life that should be pointed at and berated.
Austin Jetton different focks different strokes, I loved his preachy introspective views mixed with dark humor. Yeah he definitely wasn’t for everyone just like Jeff foxworthy isn’t for me lol
Leno won the ratings war with Letterman's show. The numbers don't lie; Letterman had been "phoning it in" for a long time; and got in the habit of coasting and not striving for excellence.
My elementary history class was do 3 word searches. My hs AP history class was memorize 300 names and dates. I would've loved it if it was this interesting.
I first heard Bill Hicks around 2005 on a cd my friend gave me. There are a lot of great comedians..but he is genuinely laugh out loud funny. Man, it is sad he had to leave us...but i suppose we all have to at some point. R.I.P Bill Hicks.
Hicks was everything a comedian should be - truthful, honestly controversial (as in challenging the status quo for genuine reasons and not just for attention), thought provoking, philosophical and honest. I was gobsmacked when I first heard him - I had never been challenged like that before and never been made to think about so much about everything around me. everything he said was form a place of honesty and love; yes, even his monolog about rush Limbaugh lol still cracks me up to this day!
This is such clickbait bullshit. Over 4 minutes in and we're still no closer to the answer to the question posed in the title than we were in the beginning. I'd never even heard of Hicks until today, and I'm not sure I knew who Letterman was in 1993. Boring video...I'm outta here.
Because David Letterman is not funny and was threatened by intelligent satire that provokes thought. Bill Hicks, along with George Carlin, are among my favorite comedians of all time.
I'm a Christian. I consider myself one anyway. Maybe some people would think otherwise. With that said, this is a perfect example of ridiculous cowardly two-faced nonsense. You didn't like the guys jokes, you edited him out, you used "the network" as an excuse. Why not just be a man about it and be honest and tell it straight and to the point. I can't stand when people do things like this to others.
He is my favourite comedian ever. He worked hard but the Denis Learys (wasnt he a friend 2 Bill once). That traitor Letterman. Was it bcos Letterman was scared cos Bill was a comedian. Letterman stitched him well. He had his own show planned. Life isnt fair. We lost someone with guts who made me think. I hope u r right life is a ride & u r looking at us & laughing. I hope & pray & I aint a believer that u r right Bill RIP
NBC made the right choice going Leno. Letterman was not likable or funny. I also didn't want to hear Letterman's politics. Jay is the man. I still watch Jay Leno's garage on RU-vid.
The CBS suits were right to cut Bill Hicks’ stand up. Just the little bit that was on this video was not just in bad taste but reprehensible. And low these many years later, Hicks’s material (I don’t call it comedy) is only suitable for cable. I would’ve felt the same way at the time in 1993 and I certainly feel about it that way in 2020. Now to those of you who disagree with me, do you really think, do you really truly in your heart of hearts think that Johnny Carson would have allowed Bill Hicks to spew that violent material on Carson’s own show?
I dont know this Hicks guy, but I have heard of Lettermen, and from what I have seen of his shows I can't imagine he would "feel" offended by anything. This incident had to be something to do with something personal.
Some people think Bill Hicks faked his death, and assumed the identity of Alex Jones. As bat shit as that conspiracy theory sounds, I have heard Bill Hicks do comedy routines that sound exactly like an unhinged Alex Jones.
I used to think the same and never watched the Tonight Show. But then I heard his hour-long interview with Joe Rogan and my opinion completely changed. The guy is super smart and is a masterful story-teller.
Completely unexpected video and topic, but well-appreciated. I sadly only discovered Hicks after he died, but for a while I’m pretty sure I had his albums memorized. 😝 Tragic loss.
this was so so great. not only did you bring hicks back to life, but you introduced him to me. this is such an interesting tale of how money makes people do fucked up things.... even to the ones they love. I’m not angry at letterman...I don’t think anyone has the right to be aside from those directed affected by this. what I learned from watching this is that I NEVER want to do this to anyone. I might. I might not. what’s important is that I am aware of my decisions because there’s no going back.
Me and my BF think Bill Hicks was best comedian and in his own words to his mother a preacher too, were both christian. Nice he readed LOTR which is a great set i're readed it :)
Got tears in my eyes watching this, nothing I hadn't seen before but Bill was one of my last heroes in those days, then he was gone all too soon. God knows what he'd make of the world today. As for the ban, I doubt it was anything malicious and probably just being overly cautious, it was lame and lacked balls, but I think Letterman doing that show later on and airing the set showed how he realised he'd made a mistake. it was all just sad that a long standing relationship, maybe even friendship, ended that way. I guess it seems bigger under the spotlight, Bill would probably be cool with it now, understanding the BS reasoning, he'd just tell us that it's just a ride, but to stay awake, take no shit, and be gentle with ourselves and each other as much as possible, something like that
You act like the ban was some multi-year thing. I guess its a lifetime ban when your lifetime ends in 4 months. There likely would not have been time to book Hicks for another show before he died.
I don't get Bill Hicks. I pick up on the edginess but I don't see the funny. I don't know if it's just because he was so topical and it dated or what. No disrespect to him or anyone that does enjoy him, I've just never got him.
love Hicks Stand up but as a child of that era I remember seeing him and thinking he looks like a weirdo .. kinda guy that smoked cause he thought it made him look cool n then got hooked on good ole nicotine... still wish the guy was alive tho ...would love to hear what he would have to say about are current situations in the world..
@@Sealdog8321sorry I didn't explain it was a joke basically because dennis stole bills entire "smoking" routine Dennis, the hack,, did it cause he thought it made him look cool however bill hicks was just cool
I think referencing what happened as a 'ban' of Bill Hicks is off the mark. While he appeared on David Letterman's programs more often than most comedians of that era, it wasn't at all uncommon for some of Dave's favorites to be booked only once a year, especially if they didn't have some project to pitch (e.g., Jeff Altman, George Miller). I suspect had Bill Hicks lived, he'd have been back on "Late Show," he and Dave would've talked about the dust-up during panel, and it would've been a Joaquin Phoenix-like episode and little more.
I agree. There was no ban. His last segment, justly or not, was censored, edited out. He was never “banned” from the show. Hicks made his network debut on Letterman, he appeared 11 times on his shows. Had Hicks lived, any animosity would’ve likely been resolved.
Thank you so much for covering this Bill Hicks really deserved more praise and recognition than he got while he was still with us. So hilarious and smart, made you think and laugh just like the great George Carlin All my heros are dead 😕😕😕
So what's the proof that it wasn't a higher up in CBS that cut the set? If it's Letterman claiming he did it, then who's to say he isn't lying? It's easy for Letterman to fall on that sword in 2009 when meeting the mother. He probably felt guilty for not defending his friend, wanted the meeting with the mother and had no problem taking the blame on behalf of his bosses. Good thing Hicks didn't kill Michael Bolton btw. We wouldn't have gotten his Jack Sparrow collab with Lonely Island.
"His last days he reread the Lord Of The Rings series." Thats probably what id do. Rereading that would be like seeing old friends again. Those books read back to back are perfection. And actually read, not audiobook or the animated or live-action movies.
@@hkbabel They are wonderful and fulfilling to read. That's what I would do if I knew that I was dying. Spend my time with my best friends. Those books never let you down.
I still have my original pressing of The Hobbit but my LoTR books have been lost from people "borrowing" them. Although a while back i bought used, one of those really expensive single bindings of the trilogy (which is how Tolkien envisioned the trilogy to be read) plus alot of extras and stuff, its got a ribbon for marking your place too. I forgot what i paid but even second hand i think it was around 100$. I reread it when i bought it, but im saving my 3rd reread for when i need it most. Its so sad near the end when all the loose ends are being tied up and you realize that the book cant go on forever.
@@the_original_Bilb_Ono Reverse situation - I lost my Hobbit to a "borrower". But I replaced for cheap - though with a far lesser cover :-( Re LoTR I cry at the end every time and yes, it's because the book is over
My guess is that the recent 101 California Street shooting and aftermath rendered Hick's joke about shooting Billy Ray Cyrus in the mouth with a shotgun too much of a sensitive subject to trivialize at that particular point in time. (the perp in the California massacre had apparently made jokes about gratuitously shooting lawyers before carrying out the crime)
Hicks wasn't that funny. The clip you included is a great example. Not even remotely funny. Just an angry dude complaining about someone he doesn't like.
Hicks does look a lot like a young Alex Jones so I can see why there's a conspiracy theory that they're the same person, although I don't believe that conspiracy theory
People that believe in conspiracy theories are the scum of humanity. Just because something is to complicated for a simple minded fool to understand doesn’t mean it’s a conspiracy.
@@DWQJVB the same can be said about people who disregard conspiracy theories due to the fact they're too simple to stray from the narrative they've been fed.
@@blurgle9185 they were never fun and games, the hell are you pretending to talk about? The term conspiracy was coined by the CIA to discredit plausible theories. Guys like you, shilling for free, is not cool. Trump-Russia is a conspiracy, did you know? So I guess you're right, fun and games. :)
