Bill Hicks

[AndyVale]

I'm a big fan, I own most things worth owning related to him (including two copies of Love All The People) and have held him in very high regard for many years.

But one thing has really been bothering me lately, I sometimes think he is idolised a bit too much. I know this is rich coming from a huge fan and I've probably been guilty of it too, but whenever I speak to a lot of other people they view him as an absolute God.

I've seen his quotes posted up in almost every argument to do with religion, politics and drugs that I've ever been part of. It's like his word is holy, true and completely unquestionable. He does hit a lot of stuff on the head and he makes some very strong points but I don't think that copy and pasting him makes your point any more valid. Nor does liking him make you more enlightened and smart than those who don't.

His main message was one of personal choice. Yet I often think that people just follow his opinion without exercising their own thoughts and free will. He got the same issue when people criticised him for giving up smoking actually.

Anyway, I know there are other Hicks fans here and I was wondering if they ever found that Bill Hicks gets too much critical immunity? Is he held up as a God when in actual fact he was just a comedian with a sharp social eye? Does his infallible reputation ever sit uncomfortably with you?

 

[AndyVale]

I have everything he's ever done and love him to bits.

My favourite comedian ever.

RIP.

Didn't quite answer my question. Re-reading my original post I'm not sure I made it clear, I'll edit it slightly.

I wouldn't get EVERYTHING he's ever done. I've seen some shoddily pieced together live DVD's that I think are a horrid rip-off and I would be shocked if Bill authorized their release.

 

[Stein Inge]

His main message was one of personal choice. Yet I often think that people just follow his opinion without exercising their own thoughts and free will.

Anyone who does this haven´t really been listening. I feel that his main message was that do what you want but never stop thinking!
I love the man and his work but that doesn´t mean that I agree with everything he says.

R.I.P Bill. Hendrix is on harp tonight!

 

[oliveira8]

Whacha reading for?

No he isn't full critical proof. Though I find myself agreeing with a lot of what he says.

His religious stuff is quite entertaining and true. If Jesus does come back, would he really be happy that the image that held through so many years, is the one when he was getting nailed to a cross?

Jesus is back...and his pissed!

Funny enough his Iraq jokes are still true after all these years. Guess that's why he gets quoted so much and his still big even after he is gone. His comedy is timeless.

So...he is a great comedian with a sharp social eye. And he is awesome.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

I love ol' Bill , though I disagreed with some of his views.

Goatboy tended to go on a bit too long too, haha...

This is a wonderful little clip where he loses his shit and calls a female heckler a ****...

[youtube=2PdKpR9qNtg

 

[Bowie]

I would put George Carlin in the same league; the two greatest comedians ever, sadly gone.

People idolize them because they were the closest thing to come to genius in a long time. They made relevant quotes, and did it in a funny way. I see no problem with posting quotes of theirs. Granted, if someone holds just that quote as an argument, he/she is not making the argument.

 

[AndyVale]

Goatboy tended to go on a bit too long too, haha...

I always felt that too. I got the point of it, but never really thought it was that great.

I know that Bill isn't immune from criticism, but I've noticed a lot of people act as if he is. As I said earlier, I just felt that was missing the whole point of what he said.

 

[Kortney]

I don't like to admit it, but I really don't find his work funny at all. And no, it's not because I'm easily offended or any pussy reason like that - it's just I don't think he is funny at all and plays too much on being an asshole.

 

[Wadders]

He was very very funny, and had a great knack for the social side of things. His stuff is still worryingly relevant today, but I guess he realised that would be the case.

Too many people do hold him up as a kind of messianic figure though. While he was great and all, I dont think he warrants that much attention. He was just a very funny, astute comedian.

If only he was alive today though, I would love to see what he would have to say about American/Pop idol, and X factor an all that guff.

 

[caprisun]

I only started listing to his stuff recently and i am very impressed, as much as with the politics behind what he is saying as well as the comedy. But you are right on many levels, as people who die before their time are often held up in somewhat of a light of infallibility. Another exaple of the i think is Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, who while there is no dought that he was a fantastic musician, he will always be held up as something maybe more than he was, simply because he was taken from us so suddenly and shockingly. I do not mean to sounds disrespectful, i have a huge ammount of respect for both Hicks and Cobain, but thats just something i think that can happen when people are taken before their time.

 

[Bat Vader]

Who was Bill Hicks? I never heard of him before.

 

[Fire Daemon]

He's a pretty good comedian but suffers from the same disease of XKCD in that it is brought up way too much as a sudden checkmate in an argument, as if Bill's argument makes the other incorrect instantly without question. Any attempt to argue against that results in arguing the validity of quoting a comdeian and calling it a day and the argument is lost and off-topic. It doesn't happen much here though which is great.

But yeah, a funny guy. Not quite as good as Carlin in my opinion but pretty damn good.

Snip

"I want you to go find a fucking soul!"

Awesome.

 

[Cabisco]

I think a certain other bunch of comedians have demonstrated what your on about:


It would appear that when you try to educate someone who is like a sheep, he will simply follow the person who's tried to educate them, rather than form their own ideas.

 

[thylasos]

Incredibly good stand-up who was very politically savvy and (later on in his career, at least) knew exactly what he wanted to say. One of my favourites.