I think the point many of us Hicks fans have here is, this isn’t a subject on which you can say, “Well, I like Leary better, and I’m entitled to my opinion.” You are; but your opinion will be wrong.
because …
Evidence exists of Leary committing a cardinal sin of big-time comedian-dom: Stealing someone else’s shtick.
jb_farley rightly brought up the Fix routine. Leary’s stuff on smoking is a Hicks rip-off as well. One could argue that smoking is a pretty general topic that could be the domain of several comedians.
Try going to http://www.billhicks.com and reading some transcripts of his monologues. Look at the dates they were first performed. Then find Leary’s stuff on smoking and compare the words, the tone, the attitude AND the date first performed.
I think Leary’s rip-off of Hicks is made more egregious because in a way it seems Leary banked on the fact that Hicks had too much integrity to try to go for the mainstream money-grab. It allowed him to become, as Ankh_Too so rightly put it, “Bill Hicks Lite.”
HAVE to put in my vote. Bill Hicks. I was a huge Denis Leary fan…until a friend turned me on to Brother Bill. Holy gods. The first time I heard the “Rush Limbaugh” routine I almost wet myself. Sharp, funny as hell, relevant… I’d love to hear his take on Dennis Miller, Pundit of the People, shilling for long distance companies. <derisive snort>
Made me feel like I’d been stepped on when, during my first experience with Bill, the friend who turned me on to him told me he was already dead. Fuck. Damn. And there are so many people on this planet taking up oxygen that he could have used so much more efficiently.
Isn’t that weird?
I learned of his death in a sudden way too.
I’d seen him in HBO specials and the like for a few years. And always loved him. Then one day, I’m surfing through the channels only to find another Bill Hicks special on. People were being interviewed, they were showing clips of his act, yada yada. Then David Letterman comes on and says, “The worst part about his death …” Death?!? He’s fucking dead?!? I had no idea. Really threw me for a loop. I can’t remember the name of that special, but I’m sure the die-hard Hicks fans know which one I’m talking about.
I started out as a Leary fan, too. I still think he’s pretty funny. However, when I heard Bill Hicks, I realized that I was listening to the master. Hicks’s work makes me think. I especially enjoy his religious commentary (“Like when Jesus comes back he’s going to want to see another cross. It’s like walking up to Jackie Onassis wearing a rifle pendant!”) It’s a shame that the world lost him so early.
dennis leary is unquestionably funny but bill hicks just took it to entirely higher level…he really reached down and pulled out that 100 year gut laugh that had true meaning behind it…and leary practically raped a good deal of hick’s material…i remember having heard or read a joke to the effect that the only difference that leary was a household and hicks was not was that there’s no cure for cancer.
I like them both, but I prefer Hicks by a slight margin. (Although, like Satan, I’ll take Carlin over either on general principles.)
I first heard of Hicks after his death also, when I read a review of Rant in E Minor in a local weekly, that included a testimonial from, of all people, Keith Olbermann. I thought, “Hey, Olbermann’s funny, so maybe he has good taste.” I picked up the disc and was hooked.
I can’t wait to be a contestant on the first episode of Let’s Hunt Down Billy Ray Cyrus and Kill Him.
We can all continue to argue over this (hell that’s the funnest part), but I suppose I can officially declare the winner to be …
{drum roll}
Bill Hicks.
Having said that, if you knew me you’d know that I never listen to anybody’s advice no matter how good it is, so Denis Leary remains Jack’s Favorite Comedian. So there.
But here’s something that just struck me. Biffer, you alluded to Bill Hicks’ dislike of Denis Leary (he quit smoking to see if Denis would too). Is that anecdotal? I mean did Bill Hicks ever come out and say Denis Leary is an asshole? Or did they have even a little respect for each other? Or am I just living in my little dream world where every one gets along.
It’s all fairly anecdotal, and I have no interview evidence (although there may be some) to back it up, but my hunch is that Leary respected Hicks (although never seems to list him as an influence, let alone admit that he copied him) and Hicks had little respect for Leary (example quote being
Saying something like this suggests to me that Leary would cease to deserve any respect he may have once deserved as soon as he did adverts.
Denis Leary, that video he has is funni as hell
“Who are you??”
“I’m an otter”
“What do you do?”
“I do cute little human things with MY HANDS!”
“You’re free to go. Who are you?”
“I’m a cow.”
“Get in the f$@#ing truck!”
“I’m an animal! I have rights!”
“You’re a f$@#ing baseball glove! Here’s your cousin! Get in the truck!”
early mid nineties. gritty black and white (or maybe washed out color) of an angry young dude selling sneakers. catchphrase was “Two words!”. device didn’t work so well when censored (f’rinstance, “Two words- nuclear fucking weapons” work)
jb
“Is it a problem if I jerk off, and nothing but air comes out?”
