# 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:** 8\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Tarwater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de0a6/32.png) [@Tarwater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarwater)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771/41 "2009-02-01T00:46:23Z")
> [@](#): > > but didn’t Hicks and his family have bigger things to worry about at the time? What was the big deal about this particular appearance? I imagine having your act cut by somebody you admire and respect would make your inevitable passing that much more difficult. Letterman’s snub couldn’t have come at a more inappropriate time. Hicks did an interview with a local-access television show a few months before he went home to die. It’s very painful to watch. He’s pale, he’s lost weight, he’s obviously very sick. He keeps shifting in his seat to relieve the near-constant pain in his abdomen. In the interview, he talks about Letterman and he seems more disappointed than angry. He spent his entire professional life trying to connect with the audience in a meaningful way, and for Letterman to reject his act when he was practically on his deathbed must have come as an incredible blow. ---
**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:** [February 1, 2009, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771/42 "2009-02-01T01:20:52Z")
> [@Stephe96](#): > > Any idea about just why Letterman’s cutting of the bit back in '93 had such a devastating effect on Hicks and his family. Letterman on Friday night was apologizing profusely and Mrs. Hicks admitted that it was a terrible thing…but why exactly? From what I can gather, at the time of the appearance Hicks knew he was in the final months of his life. He had already appeared on Letterman a dozen or so times in his career. I can see being extremely disappointed that this segment didn’t make it to air, especially knowing it was likely his last time on the show, but didn’t Hicks and his family have bigger things to worry about at the time? What was the big deal about this particular appearance? > [@Tarwater](#): > > I imagine having your act cut by somebody you admire and respect would make your inevitable passing that much more difficult. Letterman’s snub couldn’t have come at a more inappropriate time. > > Hicks did an interview with a local-access television show a few months before he went home to die. It’s very painful to watch. He’s pale, he’s lost weight, he’s obviously very sick. He keeps shifting in his seat to relieve the near-constant pain in his abdomen. In the interview, he talks about Letterman and he seems more disappointed than angry. He spent his entire professional life trying to connect with the audience in a meaningful way, and for Letterman to reject his act when he was practically on his deathbed must have come as an incredible blow. From what Dave said on last night’s show, Bill didn’t tell most people, and I took that to mean Dave wasn’t in the know. So maybe Bill was really looking at his work like, “I have to leave a legacy before I die, so I’m pulling out all the stops tonight.” If Dave didn’t know that Bill was dying, Dave might have quashed it, figuring he’d touch base with Bill later—there would be future opportunities to mend the fence, have Bill on the show, etc. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771/43 "2009-02-01T02:14:36Z")
A couple of years ago I came across 2 CDs of Hicks’ comedy stuff and eagerly bought them. I remembered Hicks as being funny and daring. I was horrified to find in retrospect that he was neither. I hardly raised a chuckle at hours of material and anything that was funny was the little I already remembered. I found the Letterman routine horrendous. It was like listening to my parents in those days - how can young people like all these music acts we don’t like? I think if the camera had been turned around we would have seen a bunch of middle-class 40 somethings who thought just like Bill. ---
**Author:** ![Petey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f1d935/32.png) [@Petey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petey)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2009, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771/44 "2009-02-01T02:16:35Z")
By the way, I always thought the Larry Sanders episode “Performance Artist” was based upon the Hicks incident. [tv.com](http://www.tv.com/the-larry-sanders-show/performance-artist/episode/46707/summary.html) references it. But several lists show the episode as airing on August 25, 1993. Hicks on Letterman was October 1, 1993. Just a weird coincidence. ---
**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:** [February 3, 2009, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771/45 "2009-02-03T17:54:08Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Nobody under 40 knows who Pete Seeger and Che Guavaera are anymore, and they aren’t anything special to liberals. I’m sorry, was the discussion restricted to sacred cows of leftists under the age of 22? Anyway, I see plenty of Che Guevara t-shirts on modern teenagers. **The Motorcycle Diaries** film adaptation is pretty recent, and a new film, **CHE** , is out later this year. He’s still relevant to young lefties. My favorite editorial cartoon of the last few years was by Lalo Alcarez. It was the iconic picture of Che, but on his beret, instead of the Communist star, there was a Nike swoosh. Satire is where you find it. > [@](#): > > WTF is “comparable worth?” I’ve never heard of it. Comparable Worth is a rather famous bit of feminist dogma that says women shouldn’t just get equal pay for the same jobs as men, but for comparable jobs as well; a secretary should pull down the same salary as a teamster instead of settling for what the market will bear. You’ve never heard of it? Google it. > [@](#): > > PETA gets mocked all the time. And justly so. Its adherants, invariably on the left, find it rather sacred, though. “People Eating Tasty Animals.” Hee hee! > [@](#): > > Abortion rights are funny how? Their proponents straightfacedly use empty catchphrases out of context, like “a woman’s right to choose,” as though they were discussing Coke and Pepsi, and not what some reasonably view as a potential human life. Hey, it makes _me_ giggle! > [@](#): > > Sarah McLaghlan is a singer right? I know nothing about her. Why is she mockable and why do you think liberals would care if anyonbe did? She was the face of Lilith Faire and everything that was wonderful and silly about it. Let me guess: That was before your time too, like Pete Seeger, right? > [@](#): > > Cats? WTF? How are cats liberal? [PJ O’Rourke]A conservative is somebody who owns too many guns; a liberal is somebody who owns too many cats. [/PJ O’Rourke] > [@](#): > > What should be mocked about same-sex marriage? Its proponents regard it as a fundamental human right, although recorded human history never has. Overheard on Comedy Central: “My concern isn’t that she has two mothers; my concern is that she has two _Jewish_ mothers!” Yeah, there’s satiric potential there. > [@](#): > > Take Back the Night is anti-rape march right? What’s funny about that? Are some of the participants a little strident or something? Maybe they are, but it’s not an event that’s especially significant to liberals at large, and it’s certainly not a “sacred cow.” Some of the participants are a little strident or something. One activist a couple years back showed up in a giant homemade vagina costume. I thought it was hilarious, but she was dead serious about it. I promise you she didn’t vote Republican! In conclusion: Yes, the American Left has its sacred cows and yes, it’s fine and dandy to make fun of them. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771/46 "2009-02-03T18:15:32Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > Comparable Worth is a rather famous bit of feminist dogma that says women shouldn’t just get equal pay for the same jobs as men, but for comparable jobs as well; a secretary should pull down the same salary as a teamster instead of settling for what the market will bear. You’ve never heard of it? Google it. Sounds pretty obscure to me. Certainly not a “sacred cow.” > [@](#): > > And justly so. Its adherants, invariably on the left, find it rather sacred, though. Most lefties are not PETA adherents. It’s not a sacred cow, and it DOES get made fun of. > [@](#): > > Their proponents straightfacedly use empty catchphrases out of context, like “a woman’s right to choose,” as though they were discussing Coke and Pepsi, and not what some reasonably view as a potential human life. Hey, it makes _me_ giggle! Still not seeing the humor here. If someone doesn’t agree with you that zygotes are imbued with magic spirits, that makes THEM ridiculous? > [@](#): > > She was the face of Lilith Faire and everything that was wonderful and silly about it. Let me guess: That was before your time too, like Pete Seeger, right? I vaguely remember Lilith Faire as being some kind of rock festival featuring women artists. I have no idea what was supposed to be “silly” about it (not saying there wasn’t, just that I know nothing about it) It’s not anything liberals care about, though. Mock away. > [@](#): > > [PJ O’Rourke]A conservative is somebody who owns too many guns; a liberal is somebody who owns too many cats. [/PJ O’Rourke] I don’t get it. Please explain further. What do cats have to do with liberalism? > [@](#): > > Its proponents regard it as a fundamental human right, although recorded human history never has. SSM proponents think it should be a human right? Stop, my ribs. > [@](#): > > Overheard on Comedy Central: “My concern isn’t that she has two mothers; my concern is that she has two _Jewish_ mothers!” Yeah, there’s satiric potential there. It sounds like you heard the kind of joke you’re saying doesn’t exist. > [@](#): > > Some of the participants are a little strident or something. One activist a couple years back showed up in a giant homemade vagina costume. I thought it was hilarious, but she was dead serious about it. I promise you she didn’t vote Republican! How do you know? Aren’t Republicans opposed to rape? > [@](#): > > In conclusion: Yes, the American Left has its sacred cows and yes, it’s fine and dandy to make fun of them. Well. you haven’t really identified any sacred cows, nor have you identified anything liberals are stopping you from trying to make fun of. “ha ha, gay people think same-sex marriage should be human right” doesn’t exactly put me on the floor, though. Maybe conservatives should actually try to be funny. That sometimes helps comedy be more successful. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771/47 "2009-02-03T19:15:49Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > He’s still relevant to young lefties. How many young people are committed enough to even bother? It’s not a lot of people. If you’re political enough to do anything more than wear a Che shirt, most of your peers probably regard you as a big annoyance. > [@](#): > > My favorite editorial cartoon of the last few years was by Lalo Alcarez. It was the iconic picture of Che, but on his beret, instead of the Communist star, there was a Nike swoosh. The New Yorker did the same thing a while ago (I don’t know who was first): they had a drawing of Che wearing a Bart Simpson t-shirt. Funniest cartoon I’ve ever seen in there. > [@](#): > > And justly so. Its adherants, invariably on the left, find it rather sacred, though. That’s hardly surprising. PETA depends on shrill, humorless activism; that’s it’s stock in trade. Reasonable people can’t be bothered with a group like that, so it’s membership is made of strident loons, naive teens and stupid celebrities who think fuzzy animals are cute. > [@](#): > > Its proponents regard it as a fundamental human right, although recorded human history never has. Some people regarded the idea of suffrage for women as hilarious. It’s true that history has not been particularly kind to their jokes, although you can still hear “giving women the vote was a mistake” once in a while. > [@](#): > > In conclusion: Yes, the American Left has its sacred cows and yes, it’s fine and dandy to make fun of them. Yeah, I’m not sure how you could argue it doesn’t. Maybe you’d need to distinguish between the sacred cows of Committed Leftists or whatever, because it’s not like all Democrats care about Che and PETA - most of them clearly do not. Anyway, back to Hicks: his best comedic stuff was probably about drugs, and he was funny when he was being scathing about Los Angeles (the shallowness in general and the Rodney King riots), and religion in general. The stuff about the Gideons is great. What makes his later stuff worthwhile for me is that the fact that it’s unhinged. You don’t usually hear anything like that. I don’t buy into the conspiracy theories but I don’t think they’re a product of him losing his mind; I think that’s just how he saw the world. To say his comedy was adversarial would be a huge understatement; that’s what he thought he was up against. He thought he was doing something significant and not just doing jokes about cats and dogs that people could listen to while they ate dinner. I respect that. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [February 3, 2009, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771/48 "2009-02-03T23:40:28Z")
> [@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. > … > I hate that the guy died of that horrible disease, but I guess I don’t see it. I agree, at least with the quoted parts here. I know this is attributed to Hicks > [@](#): > > Yeah, I stole Denis Leary’s act. And then I did it five years earlier and added punchlines to hide it but if anything, the opposite seems true. After a few minutes of “shock” laughter, I realized that Hicks was just yelling at people. Comparing Leary (or Lewis Black) to Hicks is just plain wrong, IMO. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bill-hicks-deleted-appearance-on-letterman-tonight/483771.md?page=2)