# Bill Hicks' Deleted Appearance on Letterman Tonight **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 30, 2009, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771 "2009-01-30T19:48:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771/1 "2009-01-30T19:48:35Z")
The never before seen last scheduled appearance of Bill Hicks will be shown in its entirety tonight on the Late Show with David Letterman. Just thought I’d give a heads up to anyone who might not know this. I stumbled upon this info by accident, since I don’t watch Letterman much anymore. If you’re a fan, you probably know about this incident. If not, Bill Hicks is hilarious and you should really check this out. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771/2 "2009-01-30T19:55:13Z")
Thanks for sharing. I’ll definitely be recording this tonight. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771/3 "2009-01-30T19:56:38Z")
Wow. Many years too late, but I’ll record this for sure. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2009, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771/4 "2009-01-30T21:05:10Z")
thanks ---
**Author:** ![DfrntBreign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@DfrntBreign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DfrntBreign)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771/5 "2009-01-31T05:30:32Z")
Fucking brilliant. I really miss Bill Hicks. The world is a poorer place without him. Off topic but, how does Paul Schaeffer not know who Eric Johnson is? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771/6 "2009-01-31T05:54:36Z")
> [@DfrntBreign](#): > > Off topic but, how does Paul Schaeffer not know who Eric Johnson is? I’m not sure Paul knows who _his_ Johnson is. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771/7 "2009-01-31T06:02:29Z")
I really am not looking to threadshit, but since this is not a Bill Hicks Memorial thread or anything, I’ll go ahead and say it. I don’t get him. It’s like he wanted to be Lenny Bruce, but he went after all the soft targets. Billy Ray Cyrus? Marky Mark? For God’s sake, even then, it was trite to hate those guys. I wanted him to say something controversial or profound or something. I hate that the guy died of that horrible disease, but I guess I don’t see it. ---
**Author:** ![DfrntBreign](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f6c823/32.png) [@DfrntBreign](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DfrntBreign)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771/8 "2009-01-31T06:52:20Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > I really am not looking to threadshit, but since this is not a Bill Hicks Memorial thread or anything, I’ll go ahead and say it. > > I don’t get him. It’s like he wanted to be Lenny Bruce, but he went after all the soft targets. Billy Ray Cyrus? Marky Mark? For God’s sake, even then, it was trite to hate those guys. I wanted him to say something controversial or profound or something. > > I hate that the guy died of that horrible disease, but I guess I don’t see it. This is the first thing I found on search. [Nothing controversial here.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHey5g56CIs&feature=related) The fact that David found that bit so controversial that he cut it was kind of the point tonight. If you think that segment was typical for him well, don’t. Have you ever seen Richard Pryor on regular network television? But hey, if you don’t like it you don’t like it. No skin off my nose. I just hate to think you were missing out because that’s the only thing you ever saw him do. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771/9 "2009-01-31T07:23:49Z")
> [@DfrntBreign](#): > > This is the first thing I found on search. [Nothing controversial here.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHey5g56CIs&feature=related) The fact that David found that bit so controversial that he cut it was kind of the point tonight. If you think that segment was typical for him well, don’t. Have you ever seen Richard Pryor on regular network television? > > But hey, if you don’t like it you don’t like it. No skin off my nose. I just hate to think you were missing out because that’s the only thing you ever saw him do. Do you have any links? I’d like to see him perform well. ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771/10 "2009-01-31T08:11:57Z")
> [@DfrntBreign](#): > > This is the first thing I found on search. [Nothing controversial here.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHey5g56CIs&feature=related) The fact that David found that bit so controversial that he cut it was kind of the point tonight. If you think that segment was typical for him well, don’t. Have you ever seen Richard Pryor on regular network television? > > But hey, if you don’t like it you don’t like it. No skin off my nose. I just hate to think you were missing out because that’s the only thing you ever saw him do. Rednecks and fundamentalist Christians aren’t controversial targets, other than in the sphere of network television where _anything_ that may unsettle advertisers is deemed controversial. Since at least the end of the 60s the only really dangerous and controversial subjects for comedians have been the sacred cows of the liberals. Comedians mess with those at the peril of their careers. Having said that, I always liked Bill Hicks, but he certainly wasn’t a ‘dangerous’ comedian in the sense that Lenny Bruce was. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771/11 "2009-01-31T08:16:40Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > Do you have any links? I’d like to see him perform well. Sorry. I mean any other links? I think I’ve seen this, and while it’s better, he still takes on a very soft target: rednecks. ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771/12 "2009-01-31T11:23:31Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > Billy Ray Cyrus? Marky Mark? For God’s sake, even then, it was trite to hate those guys. I wanted him to say something controversial or profound or something. If only for the sake of being controversial, he has definitely made jokes about the presidency, the Christian right, abortion, homosexuality and more. And even if a particular routine is harmless, he still has the vibe of “I can say whatever I want and you’re going to listen it” which can be offensive in itself. ---
**Author:** ![leander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bcef8e/32.png) [@leander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leander)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771/13 "2009-01-31T12:31:41Z")
This is supposedly the same routine he did on Letterman: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptKLZlhz2SI) ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771/14 "2009-01-31T14:37:27Z")
Damn – one funny guy. Do you think Denis Leary really stole his stuff? ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771/15 "2009-01-31T14:40:37Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > Since at least the end of the 60s the only really dangerous and controversial subjects for comedians have been the sacred cows of the liberals. Comedians mess with those at the peril of their careers. What are some of these sacred cows of the liberals? -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771/16 "2009-01-31T15:14:28Z")
Wish I’d seen this thread…I missed the show last night. ☹ But I bounced over to youtube and found it. 😃 Some background from Dave: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av9UuHJyTcU) Talking to Mary Hicks, Bill’s mother. She talks about how he moved back home when he got pancreatic cancer but continued to work until January (then died in February). [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yTVDoSRKq0) And here’s the deleted bit: http: //www. [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBC1dKGO2_A) I don’t know if it’s really NSFW—but I broke it anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771/17 "2009-01-31T15:31:34Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > What are some of these sacred cows of the liberals? > > -FrL- Che Guevara, comparable worth, the Kennedys, global warming, PETA, NARAL, Take Back the Night, Sarah MacLaghlan, cats, same-sex marriage, Pete Seeger… Oh hell, there’s lots of them! ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771/18 "2009-01-31T15:31:38Z")
> [@lobotomyboy63](#): > > Wish I’d seen this thread…I missed the show last night. ☹ > > But I bounced over to youtube and found it. 😃 > > Some background from Dave: > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av9UuHJyTcU&feature=related](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=av9UuHJyTcU&feature=related) I am my own twin? ---
**Author:** ![lobotomyboy63](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobotomyboy63/32/2900_2.png) [@lobotomyboy63](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobotomyboy63)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771/19 "2009-01-31T15:34:47Z")
My bad, **mswas** , that link must have been on the clipboard from another thread. Here’s his intro: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUbB_D-dYp8) ---
**Author:** ![Xan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ac8455/32.png) [@Xan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xan)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2009, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771/20 "2009-01-31T15:36:55Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > Sorry. I mean any other links? I think I’ve seen this, and while it’s better, he still takes on a very soft target: rednecks. Why would you like him more if went after gays and other minorities? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771.md?page=2)