# Comedians/commentators like Bill Hicks? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 23, 2008, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-commentators-like-bill-hicks/457456 "2008-07-23T05:20:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![gitfiddle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-commentators-like-bill-hicks/457456/1 "2008-07-23T05:20:37Z")
I’m a huge fan of Bill Hicks, and videos from his career keep popping up on the internet. I just can’t get enough. It’s a shame he’s been dead for fifteen years or so, so there’s only a certain amount I’ll ever be able to find. Are there any other comedian-commentators like Bill Hicks now? To be clear, I’m not a big fan of comedians who are crass or insulting. I like Hicks because I think a lot of his political/social commentary, while often being crass, appeals to the cynic in me. I’m not a very cynical person, but Hicks always hit the nail on the head when it comes to the things that _do_ frustrate me about politics and society. [Here’s one](http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=Kh4A0n8jMhw&eurl=http://www.videosift.com/video/Bill-Hicks-Relentless) of his shows, for those of who aren’t familiar with him. ---
**Author:** ![thirdwarning](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecccb3/32.png) [@thirdwarning](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdwarning)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-commentators-like-bill-hicks/457456/2 "2008-07-23T08:50:58Z")
Sorry, watched it, or at least part of it, which was about all I could stand, for me it stinks. Can’t stand the attitude, don’t see the funny, it just seems to be a bunch of whining, and I’m not a big fan of bad language thrown in for no reason other than, “Look at me, I can say fuck.” To each his own, I guess. I hope somebody comes along and helps you out with your question. ---
**Author:** ![gitfiddle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-commentators-like-bill-hicks/457456/3 "2008-07-23T09:05:24Z")
'preciate it, thirdwarning, but that wasn’t the question. I don’t like comedians who cuss a lot either. I like Bill Hicks, though. I don’t think everything he says is funny, but, in my opinion, he has a lot of insightful observations, many of which make me laugh…a lot. In fact, I can’t think of another comedian who talks like Hicks whom I actually like. I mostly like subtle humor, like Zack Galifianakis’ comedy central special back in the day, or not so subtle humor, like Robin Williams at the Met. But thanks for telling me you don’t like Hicks. Food for thought. ---
**Author:** ![mshar253](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@mshar253](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mshar253)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-commentators-like-bill-hicks/457456/4 "2008-07-23T10:37:42Z")
Uh… Denis Leary? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-commentators-like-bill-hicks/457456/5 "2008-07-23T12:00:49Z")
Lewis Black certainly channels the anger thing. Denis Leary is an obvious choice- Hicks actually has a joke about Leary ripping him off on one of his last CDs. There’s Sam Kinnison, but of course he’s dead too. David Cross is very political and caustic but I don’t think he’s as funny or truthful. George Carlin’s best stuff from the '90s is similar in places, like his abbreviated Ten Commandments routine. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-commentators-like-bill-hicks/457456/6 "2008-07-23T12:07:18Z")
I imagine the only people who dislike Bill Hicks, are those who fall into one of the categories he mercilessly ripped into. ---
**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:** [July 23, 2008, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-commentators-like-bill-hicks/457456/7 "2008-07-23T12:29:51Z")
[QUOTE=ivan astikov] I imagine the only people who dislike Bill Hicks, are those who fall into one of the categories he mercilessly ripped into. [/QUOTE] I don’t think so. I remembered Bill Hicks as being terrifically funny. A couple of years ago I came across 2 CDs of his second hand. I bought them and listened and found that his material had not aged very well at all. I found him not very funny at all. Other people I liked at the same time like Kinnison still break me up. Hicks social commentary I still agree with, he’s just not as funny as I remembered him - there are lots of quotes [here](http://www.konformist.com/2001/hicks.htm) but few have punchlines. I think many post Hicks people would find him tedious. ---
**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:** [July 23, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-commentators-like-bill-hicks/457456/8 "2008-07-23T15:59:08Z")
[QUOTE=don’t ask] Hicks social commentary I still agree with, he’s just not as funny as I remembered him - there are lots of quotes [here](http://www.konformist.com/2001/hicks.htm) but few have punchlines. [/QUOTE] His delivery was a big part of it. His delivery was impeccable and could really make you listen to material that would’ve been disturbing or non-appealing from anybody else. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-commentators-like-bill-hicks/457456/9 "2008-07-23T16:02:13Z")
Patton Oswalt, to a degree. ---
**Author:** ![yanceylebeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yanceylebeef/32/12290_2.png) [@yanceylebeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yanceylebeef)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-commentators-like-bill-hicks/457456/10 "2008-07-23T16:04:59Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] Denis Leary is an obvious choice- Hicks actually has a joke about Leary ripping him off on one of his last CDs. [/QUOTE] Right after Bill Hicks died, and Dennis Leary’s star started to rise, the joke among commedians was Why is Dennis Leary so popular? Because there is no cure for cancer. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-commentators-like-bill-hicks/457456/11 "2008-07-23T16:13:09Z")
No one yet has mentioned George Carlin? He was the master of cutting straight to the quick and exposing hypocrisy and political bullshit. And he told good fart jokes 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-commentators-like-bill-hicks/457456/12 "2008-07-23T16:14:14Z")
Okay, fine - I should read more closely - see Post #5 But his fart jokes are still good 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-commentators-like-bill-hicks/457456/13 "2008-07-23T16:18:52Z")
Wiki has the Hicks quote about Leary, although they attribute it to an interview and not a CD. “I stole his act. I camouflaged it with punchlines, and to really throw people off, I did it before he did.” ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-commentators-like-bill-hicks/457456/14 "2008-07-23T17:59:15Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] George Carlin’s best stuff from the '90s is similar in places, like his abbreviated Ten Commandments routine. [/QUOTE] I recommend the following from George Carlin, though he does swear some, which you might not like. You Are All Diseased 1999 Complaints and Grievances 2001 It’s Bad for Ya! 2008 Those three albums contain social commentary, are funny, and should be along the lines of Bill Hicks. I actually would say George is way funnier and even a sharper critic of American culture. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-commentators-like-bill-hicks/457456/15 "2008-07-23T18:18:11Z")
[QUOTE=Mahaloth] I recommend the following from George Carlin, though he does swear some, which you might not like. You Are All Diseased 1999 Complaints and Grievances 2001 It’s Bad for Ya! 2008 Those three albums contain social commentary, are funny, and should be along the lines of Bill Hicks. I actually would say George is way funnier and even a sharper critic of American culture. [/QUOTE] Also, I would recommend his books - _Brain Droppings, When Will Jesus Bring the Prokchops?_ and _Naplam and Silly Putty_. His description of the invention of the flame thrower is an all time classic. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-commentators-like-bill-hicks/457456/16 "2008-07-23T19:35:33Z")
[QUOTE=Sateryn76] Also, I would recommend his books - _Brain Droppings, When Will Jesus Bring the Prokchops?_ and _Naplam and Silly Putty_. His description of the invention of the flame thrower is an all time classic. [/QUOTE] I agree. In fact, I’ll link to the video clip. I think it’s a good example of his earlier social commentary. [Flamethrowers. We have them.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4nknAzQPHE) ---
**Author:** ![Busy\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@Busy\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Busy_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-commentators-like-bill-hicks/457456/17 "2008-07-23T20:08:47Z")
[QUOTE=don’t ask] I don’t think so. I remembered Bill Hicks as being terrifically funny. A couple of years ago I came across 2 CDs of his second hand. I bought them and listened and found that his material had not aged very well at all. I found him not very funny at all. Other people I liked at the same time like Kinnison still break me up. Hicks social commentary I still agree with, he’s just not as funny as I remembered him - there are lots of quotes [here](http://www.konformist.com/2001/hicks.htm) but few have punchlines. I think many post Hicks people would find him tedious. [/QUOTE] I feel the same. I saw Hicks play in Oxford shortly before he died and it was one of the best live performances, across any genre of arts, I’ve ever seen. Seen a few clips of him recently and it’s dated pretty bad. Not unusual for comedy I guess. Best thing about him was how he commanded the stage - total confidence that only the best stand-ups possess. ---
**Author:** ![tds1273](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df705f/32.png) [@tds1273](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tds1273)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-commentators-like-bill-hicks/457456/18 "2008-07-23T20:20:25Z")
I can’t cite from youtube at work, but I think you might enjoy [Louis CK](http://www.louisck.net/videos/)(one of my top3 favorites) and [Christopher Titus](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Titus). Zach Galifn…uckit… is awesome, and another top3 fav. [Mitch Hedberg](http://www.mitchhedberg.net/), while not exactly similar, does have a subtle sort of humor. I’m not sure who to compare him to, but Daily Show correspondent [John Oliver’s](http://www.mrjohnoliver.com/) recent stand up special, Terrifying Times, that aired on CC was absolutely brilliant. Finally, and my top1 comedian, Dave Chappelle’s [For What It’s Worth](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0424934/) is, as far as standup routines go, the complete package. ---
**Author:** ![tds1273](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/df705f/32.png) [@tds1273](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tds1273)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2008, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-commentators-like-bill-hicks/457456/19 "2008-07-23T22:43:18Z")
Okay, late revision, after downloading and watching all the videos on Louis CK’s site, I think the “top3” nod might have been a bit unjustified. I still think he is hilarious, and his HBO special was brilliant(definitely one of my favorite single performances) and benefited by being alot more polished than the clips in the link I gave. However, now that I think about it in a more critical, compare/contrast way, his whole body of work just doesn’t hold up that rank. Oh, and after watching the clips on his site, if you’re not a fan of alot of cussing, you might be better off just skipping him then; I didn’t remember him swearing that much. I still stand by Galifianakis pick, as his brand of comedy really appeals to me and is too unique to match; as well, Chappelle, who, at his worst is still hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![gitfiddle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/898d66/32.png) [@gitfiddle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gitfiddle)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2008, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-commentators-like-bill-hicks/457456/20 "2008-07-24T06:03:38Z")
I should have thought of Lewis Black. I haven’t seen much of his stand up but everything I have seen (I’m a religious Daily Show watcher, even here in Taiwan) is great. I love John Oliver, but I didn’t know he did stand up. Many of the other people mentioned I’ve heard of, but I’m not very familiar with (except Mitch Hedberg and Zack G\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*s, whom I love, but they don’t fit this particular category). I think I’ve seen Louis CK before, but I don’t remember what I thought of it. Dennis Leary and Sam Kinnison are a little before my time, so when I saw clips of them as a kid, I didn’t really like it. Granted, Hicks is before my time, but I got into them as a Tool fan (see [AEnima](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aenima_(album)) ) as a teenager. Which brings me to the whole cussing thing. I don’t mean to give the impression that I’m squeamish about people being crude. Cussing doesn’t bother me, per se, I just tend not to like the kind of people who cuss in every sentence. It’s not because I hate the cussing, it’s just that the kind of humor that usually comes on the back of a bunch of shits and fucks isn’t usually what I like. That doesn’t mean that I automatically won’t like a comedian who cusses. Which is all just to say, I’m not easily offended. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/comedians-commentators-like-bill-hicks/457456.md?page=2)