Added: 3 years ago
From: padraic2001eire
Views: 17,593
Sort by time | Sort by thread (beta)

Link to this comment:

Share to:

All Comments (310)

Sign In or Sign Up now to post a comment!
  • Hey, commented a year ago, from Erie as well, small world!

  • sam kinison said the same thing so peole think alike there all hilarious so let there be light

  • Bill hicks is great, well I prefer him over Carlin, yes?

  • They both did justice.

  • This has probably been said already, but I think it's more of a tribute to the great genius of Bill than a ripoff. Realize, that unlike Dennis, Carlin doesn't need a career at this point in time in the video.

  • Just my two cents here: they were both very intelligent men who came to similar conclusions. I believe that if Carlin was aware of Bill (to some extent, he probably was) he probably was influenced by him, in the sense that Bill may have indirectly inspired him to speak his mind more. Tell people things they might not have wanted to hear.

    Of course, I'm not American, I'm from Ireland, were I gather Bill's a little better known.

  • hicks influenced carin, carin influenced hicks... who cares?? they both carried important messages and were both funny as fuck.... ty 4 puttin up the vid so any1 who didnt know either of them could maybe get a chance to

  • You cannot compare these two bec it isnt stealing nor influencing they have very diff styles they def talk about the same thing however they do it in different ways. Try to watch all their stand ups then make theories. FUCK YOU!! HAHA not to sound like a dick but im trying not to sound like you.

  • So obviously you have your timelines fucked up. How can george be influenced by a man that developed after he already started. George fucking carlin developed his style a long time ago the only thing that changed was the criteria. Always being the devil's advocate... However bill hicks is way more political. Bill hicks also is more drug oriented. (up front)

  • this is kind of crazy.  I always would think about it when I listened to both comedians. I still think there both the best.

  • I love both these comedians. I think Carlin's style was better but Hicks should be revered more because he was great as well.

  • now i see clearly, but carlin is still good

  • Carlin influenced by Hicks? I dont't think so. Check out George's earlier work, without being a Hicks fanboy. He was an okay comedian but Carlin was a lot better, his performances were much higher quality. This video proves nothing, and it's not objective.

  • Don't look at it as a competition or a who-influenced-who theory. It's just two different people double-teaming the same truth. There's no coincidence the topics are the same... because it's all true. That was sort of their thing... talking about subjects noone wanted to discuss. Not to mention they're both liberal acid-heads, so it's no coincidence their angles were the same either. Why not focuss on the topic at hand rather than who said what first.

  • They are both legends, and no doubt Hicks influenced many comedians (especially the more politically-oriented ones). It's hard to be good and NOT be influenced by the masters! :-)

  • Interesting. For anyone who comments that one copied the other, consider this: it is said that there is truth behind every joke; therefore, there is one pool of knowledge from which these comedians dip. Smart comedians make a point through humor, and because these two agree is no more saying they copy one another than to assume that two people who happenn to agree copy eachother. Researchers must bounce information among themselves all the time, and sooner or later they're bound to agree.

  • achhhhhhhhhh iam talking out off my ass. bill and george will be missed no mather what.

  • the last 20 minutes of 1999 are origenal

  • still george carlin has his own twist and style just wach 1992 and 1999 for exxempel

  • Hicks...Carlin..Louis C.K....Leary....Hacking from one another or coming to the well of knowledge and dipping from it... Who knows ..I aint gonna judge. I'm just so glad we have or had them while they were here...

  • OH MY GOD YES!!!!!!!!!! I agree with you on that...A comedian's act eventually stops changing due to retirement or death but the audience never does..so it's good to hear different variations of similar views..just as long as they are funny yaknow?

  • In my gods honest opinion. I don't think any comedian stole anything from any other comedian. Granted there are some very similar jokes. But if you think about it. They're talking about subjects that were in the news. A vast majority of comedians write their jokes from the happenings in the news. I'm not saying that one did not influence the others comical stylings. All I'm saying is that they're just talking about topics that interest them and they hope will make you laugh.

  • Bill Hicks continues to live within George Carlin's comedy...

    It's good.

  • They're both dead.

  • Good damn point man. . coincidence? . . don't really know. .

  • I think it's because Bill said a lot of sick stuff in his act and the media kind of didn't like that because it could make almost anyone feel uncomfortable. But I can survive that shit. It's fucking humor. Hicks was a genius and should get as much credit. Same for kids like Mitch Hedburg and Steven Wright. etc

  • This is not coincidental.

    RIP HICKS

  • Both of these comedians are amazing people. Personally I thought Carlin was funnier, but they both touched on equally relevant issues and both had amazing insight into it all.

    I think Carlin started out with his goofy shit because he knew he was funny and he knew he could make people laugh. Obviously he evolved...after a while he matured and wanted to discuss more profound topics, especially now that he had many listeners.

    I think he definitely was influenced at least somewhat by Bill Hicks.

  • carlin was not a theif, say waht you will about denis leary, but carlin was great, as well as hicks, leave them alone to reat in peace

  • it would be a terable shame if carlin wasnt ther to pick up Bills great work after he was gone. And now that Carlin is gone we have Dough Stahnope to continue the tradition. they were just trying to wake us up

  • dude... just because they have similar ideas doesnt mean he stole jokes... both of these issues are relavant?

  • I've had some of these thoughts before- does that make me a thief? You ever had an idea and realized it was already thought up? There are a lot of people out there, so you're bound to have the same thoughts as someone else, or AGREE with someone else's thoughts.

    And Carlin didn't steal actual jokes and punchlines, he introduced his political commentary into his comedy, just like Hicks did.

    But when you get down to it, it seems these people die at the times when they are needed most, huh?

  • this is a very interesting video... shows what a true genius hicks is if he was just coming up with all this stuff before anyone else.

  • I believe they were more like minded rather than influence of a direct nature. yet subtle influence is likely. there are vids here with both of them praising the other in the early 90's. similarity between comedians in this way is actually quite common. either way, i am thankful george did what he did, especially 1999 and on. They both spoke the TRUTH!

    LONG LIVE BILL HICKS!!

    LONG LIVE GEORGE CARLIN!!

  • I love Carlin so much that its tough for me to even consider he bite directly from Hicks. Used as inspiration perhaps?

  • I have listened to all of George Carlin's stuff for years. I only recently began to listen to Bill Hicks. I was definitely stunned by the similarities. Especially since Hicks was doing before Carlin. Although Carlin's stuff was pretty raw politically even in the late 1980s.

    I think the simplest answer is they both saw the world in the same way and therefore covered the same themes.

    Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle all covered the same shit.

  • im tempted to buy some of hicks work, ive probably heard most of it already thru the internet but it is fucking great. Also i would say that youre right about george using Hicks work but when he was alive Hicks respected him and hated Leary. People can share the same opinions. George is just merley keeping Bills work alive today and i dont hate him for it. I do dislike DL whenever i hear him steal from Hicks! Is that strange or do you know where im coming from?

  • And Hicks probably wouldnt admire what you are getting at.

  • And I suppose all those airline jokes are all rip offs of the first one? What about Lenny Bruce, I suppose no professional comedian has ever heard of him. These guys are both flaming liberals, you listen to any flaming liberals they sing the same songs... these guys are just funnier. George Carlin got older, and like most old people, he got grumpier. And so did his comedy.

  • whoever made this video is fucking stupid.

  • Go upload some videos of your own, then judge someone else's intelligence based on their youtube account, you worthless cunt.

  • lame

  • The more the poster of this video types, the more obvious it becomes that he is a Hicks worshipper who is accusing Carlin of plagiarism, but wants to beat around the bush instead of just saying it. I like Bill Hicks a lot, however, I can't stand half of his fanbase. Nobody is better than their beloved Bill. Reminds me of fundamentalist religious nutjobs. Without Carlin, Bruce, and Pryor, there would be no Bill Hicks, period. Hicks didn't have to go through the era of comedy censorship.

  • I am not a "Hicks worshipper". I am more familiar with Hicks comedy than I'd say a lot of the people who post comments here are, and when you are that familiar with something you notice all its flaws. Having said that, I do think Hicks was a better comedian than Carlin.  By the way, I don't think Carlin consciously plagiarised Hicks, so I'm not "beating around the bush", as you say. I do think Carlin was aware Hicks act, and it probably did influence his style on some level.

  • It's not a case of anyone copying anyone else. Sometimes comedians material overlap. All subject matter is up for discussion so it's inevitable that sometimes it's gonna cross over. Pointless video.

  • Well, not all videos can be as valuable as yours.

  • This video is bullshit, and somewhat delusional. Ask any professional comedian and the majority will tell you Carlin is the greatest, and one of the most copied.

  • Just because Carlin is considered the greatest doesn't have the slightest bearing on whether or not he was influenced by Bill Hicks.

  • Their both great and had similar thoughts on society. I couldnt care less about who came up with what first. Personally I like Carlins style more.

  • Bill Hicks is great, but only because he watched and learned from pryor, carlin and bruce. What is the question here? Carlin wrote this material and performed it 20 years before Hicks. Same ideas, both great minds, but Carlin did it first. He was born first and also, he started performing when he was 12. Kinda hard to argue that. Bill Hicks is awesome, but any correlations are because Bill heard them before and exaggerated them to his style. Thus the history of everything ever written!

  • man Carlin was not influenced by anyone, only the world we live in, he was speaking about reality straight up without BS. debunking our politics on stage.

    BTW Carlin was first one to talk about these things, he just repeated them recently, but b/c there is no recording of him it looks like Hicks was the first one.

    time line:

    Carlin -> Hicks->Carlin

  • Because there is no recording of him? If there is no recording of him, then how do you know he said these things first?

  • dude i love bill hicks and george carlin equally

    quit waisting ur time trying to figure who ripped who off

    motherfucker like you bitch about carlin but then let bitches like dane cook ruin stand up comedy for all of us

    hicks = carlin

  • I wondered this myself, but Hick's message was a good one. So I think it is good Carlin carried it on (weather or not he just came up with similar material).

  • Well, there's no doubt that Bill Hicks was a God. You make some good points with your video - I liked it. Yet, I do think that Carlin was a genius, too.

  • Carlin and Hicks had similar views, so they discussed the same topics. The material isn't the same though. Not only that, but while Rant in E-Minor was recorded in 1993, it wasn't released until 1997 (a year after George Carlin's abortion bit). Taking that into consideration, to even prove the crazy claim you're making to be true, you'd have to prove that Carlin got ahold of Hick's unreleased material and then copied it.

  • Yes, because it isn't at all possible that Carlin saw Hicks performing live.

  • Assassinations: Robert Christgau started this idea, and it's too culturally pervasive to be owned by anybody (except maybe Christgau.)

    Pro-Life: The jokes are predicated on similar premises, but they're hardly the same.

    Children: Again, similar premises, but not the same enough to make the allegations you're making (and you are making allegations. Don't kid yourself.)

    I could go on, but you don't really deserve it. You're just another Hicks-worhipper because it's cool to worship Hicks.

  • They're just both realists, with similar misanthropic views.

  • Not really. Carlin pilfered from Lenny Bruce in the years before Hicks. And it seem obvious that Carlin as a comic would be aware of Hicks. And after watching this video the evidence seems clear that Carlin adopted the Hicks style, knowing that Hicks was never a success in the U.S.

  • What was considered edgy during Carlin's early years was comparatively tame to edgy comedy in Hicks glory days. But if it wasn't for people like Carlin, Bruce and Pryor opening the doors guys like Hicks couldn't get started. So while Hicks might have inspired Carlin's later work in some ways Hicks wouldn't have had a career without Carlin.

  • laugh my ass off.

    if you actually watch george carlin and bill hicks, they have similar topics, but dont have the same jokes.

    this video sets it up to make it look like george and bill say the same things, which they dont.

    and of course george was INFLUENCED by bill he was a great comedian, but george was INFLUENCED by ALOT of people.

    like george always says, USE LOGIC.

  • they were both great comedians. they had similar views and as such probably had alot of the same thoughts...but i think these kinds of guys influence each other although in these clips BH jokes predate GC jokes. Eddie Murphy was heavily influenced by Richard Pryor and doesnt detract from the impact.A clever joke delivered with genius timing is ALWAYS funny as f$%k. Plus all these guys are telling the TRUTH...The TRUTH..

  • I've noticed a lot of similarity indeed. I'd hate to think of carlin as a jokestealer, but it is AWFULLY similar. The "thunnk" from child birth for instance. Way too similar. But Carlin would never be accused for stealing, he is too cherished. Especially now that he's dead. But I gotta say, Bill's execution is way better. WAY.

  • O..k, come back to reality.

  • Almost all of what was posted George didn't get from Hicks. He came up with it from how he puts it: "observation". Similar views is all they had, basically that of a realist.

  • Who hasn't been influenced by Hicks? He was the greatest.

  • Bill would've made a great old-guy comedian.

  • Its the same topic; same personality on stage; same reasoning/logic; same approach. It just re-enforces the truth of what they said, not who copied who. Besides, Carlin was a genius in the 70s and 80s, too.

  • great minds think alike. and influence as helped us as a race to progress.

  • if youre a nigger and ya know it rate my comment. (ya gotta sing it)

  • I think its great that Carlin was helping to spread these messages. Memes are meant to be spread. I doubt Bill would give a sh*t about whether or not he gets a little PR post-mortem. It still sucks that he's relatively unknown, but that's the ride, ain't it? Spread the message, not the personality cult of Hicks.

  • listen.. even if carlin borrowed hicks's material.. his material isnt used for cheap laughs like dennis leary and then switch to the next topic. It gets a point across. George and bill are both awesome and had similar views on life and both were influenced on each other

  • McDolphins you need to do some research on that, Bill hicks was also influenced by Lenny bruce and Bill Hicks was superior in every way

  • Hicks was a great comedian , but Carlin is a legend that had alot of material he has used over and over. To mark a great comedian he can tell a story (joke) that is relative to just about any genre. Lenny Bruce is where Carlin got alot of his style!

  • He was right about everyone wanting others to live peacefully except for Malcolm X. X wanted Black Supremacy and thought women and whites were basically the children of the devil

  • This video is only showing Carlin's HBO specials that took place on one particular day; all his BEST material. If you follow Carlin's career from the 70s to 2008, you will see he reuses specific material and broad themes in his act.  Again, either they thought the same, which a lot of intellects do, or Hicks actually saw some of Carlin's stuff from the 70s and early 80s.

  • Carlin, if I remember correctly, used the "phunk" (the sound of making babies) before Hicks' in 1990 Doin' It Again, so Carlin didn't get influences from Hicks in that.

  • to be honest there are a lot of people who talk about these topics. My English and history teacher always spoke about how bad things are in society. George Orwell even had this view years ago which he made clear in his book "1984". These 2 great comedians just happened to part of that very observative group.

  • George Carlin was a God. His act evolved; as he became older he was more cynical. It seems from your clips, Hicks had some of the same views as Carlin. Its possible Carlin was influenced by Hicks, however, its more plausible that Hicks and Carlin saw the same ridiculousness of society. The description says this video does not intend to infer that Carlin 'ripped' off Hicks. I can't help but think youre trying to prove that very idea. Carlin was a genius and could hold his own regardless.

  • First Leary and now Carlin?!? Give me a fucking break! You people really need to get a life. Everybody that is a fan of Bill Hicks are pissed because he didnt make it as big as Carlin and Leary. Carlin was here before Leary and Hicks were born. So maybe, just maybe Carlin was the influence? Hmmm, gives you something to think about.

  • To be fair, Leary is clearly a douchenozle. And the dates are on the bits for a reason. Comics steal material all the time, some like Leary do it because they are talentless hacks. Others like Carlin might have heard Hicks a year back and thought Wow, he says what I think about this mess. And then the ideas come out in their stand-up routine with out any conscious theft. So I'll give Carlin the benefit of the doubt but not Leary. Leary would have been a stupid Colin Quin if he didn't plagiarize.

  • Maybe Carlin was the influence. But all the clips in this video are marked chronologically. How do you account for that?

  • If you wanted to know the truth, look at the entire context of Carlins history and work. Obvioulsy you are biased towards Bill Hicks, he was f'n funny, but so too was George Carlin.

  • No, they are not. Some of the dates are wrong.

  • yes i have these dvd's where carlin used similar material before and during bill hick both comedians tell the truth there is only one truth of course they sound similar

  • Name one.

  • Hmmm, now I know you're not 'saying' Carlin stole Bill's material but it's certainly implied and I do think you'd have a good case if that's what you did suggest. I like them both, the humour and the styles. It does sound like Carlins stuff is Bill's stuff re-hashed, much how Leary did in fact. I think the difference being that Carlin took that risky mantle and even if he did borrow some of the material he did it justice and at least got a lot more people to wake up, for that he has my respect.

  • They were both free fighters using comedy as their tool...They influenced each other which is the best thing that can happen between rivals that turn into friends (i.e. Magic & Larry, etc.)

  • This is an awesome video and very well edited and put together. I've been listening to all of Hicks and Carlins material since each of their inception and I've noticed the similarities in their art and language.

    A lot of people think Carlin should have kept to his original style, but who better to rant than Carlin and Hicks? They both have their way with words and they're both "cursed with vision," as Hicks would put it.

  • i think bill and georgy are up there now, "SMILING DOWN AT US"

  • Yes and I believe George Carlin even admitted this once on an HBO show. But he also said that Bill Hicks wasn't really a standard comedian, which he wasn't. He was more a social satirist than Carlin. Carlin was a comedian first.

  • sure you could say that one was influenced by the other, but what they are saying is truth, its not really something that one can copy, per se. ultimately, theyre getting at the same thing because of life experience; you and i can get at these same things by living. they didnt copy styles from one another, that would be different.

  • I must admit that I approached this with a great deal of skepticism, but I think you made your case.

  • Thank you.

  • everyone was influenced by someone... its called the evolution of idea

  • Bill Hicks would agree

  • you're totally right dude, and Bill Hicks would love it if his material influences people. Carlin and Hicks are the best in my opinion.

  • my two favorite comedians, nice video!

  • I never heard of bill hicks before but you have to admitt the similarities. i know some comedians can come up with the same ideas, but that is just a bit extreme. anyways my uncle drove a tour bus for a while, he met carlin once and said carlin was the biggest asshole he ever met, and my uncle met axl rose!

  • This is a great video. I really think that you made a valid point and still kept it respectful to both of these fucking brilliant comedians. I think that you are always influenced by people you respect (maybe even admire?), even if you are as smart and talented as George Carlin.

  • Thank you.

  • everything is related i dont get whats the big deal with some people talking about the same thing but they do it differently the only thing that matters is its real and funny TRUE

  • bill hicks > george carlin > dane cook.

  • Brilliant.

    Brilliant juxtapositions.

    It's like radio sequeways between different styles of songs with similar riffs or chord structures.

  • Thanks very much.

  • multiple comedians using similar subject matter DOES NOT mean copying. and as for "influenced" i'd say uhhh definetely not. 2 great comedians who aren't even alive to defend their name from dumbasses who think they steal from eachother. and btw we've all been had. i'd be willing to bet that the title of this video was made with the intention of starting some pretty dumb arguments. it worked

  • Wrong. The title of this video was made because that's the point of it. It's a theory I've felt since Carlin released "Life is Worth Losing".

  • you can easily tell George Carlin copied, you see where Bill did not say Malcolm X and George did. You can tell he copied and did not do his research "try to live together peacefully", Malcolm X did not try to live peacefully he was a separatist. A raciest he tried to divide whites and blacks....lol George Carlin you fail....LMAO

  • You really need to read up on your American history :X

  • I know George wasnt influenced by Bill, at the level of comedy they were both at they did, in fact, sound alike. However if you take all comedians in general, most of their material referring to George Carlins "Big world" has to do with the same thing. So in conclusion George Carlin was not influenced by Bill Hicks.

  • But they both are incredible comedians and deserve to be remembered forever.

  • Well if both comedians knew about and the same things and subjects,of course they will sometimes sound alike. Besides,comedians always get influenced by something or someone.Thats for pretty much anything in life. Comedy,music,inventions,scams,­everything! Every idea was influenced by something.

  • They were both exelent and unique for their presentations! Thats why thoes who watched and listened to their acts will remember them i'm sure for years to come. Good Journey to them both.(Expression from the movie Dune)Don't you all think it sounds more positive then goodbye?!!

  • Frisbeetarianism!!

  • there where both legends.

    rip bill hicks

    rip george carlin

  • Looks like Carlin totally ripped a few of his acts off of Hicks. Even phrased it in the same way.

  • Again it doesn't matter if he did, he was still funny

    I'm pretty sure most people in entertainment are influenced by someone

  • Some of the material pertains to well known events of the time, the pro-life & doctor for instance. But their approaches were different in using that material. Carlin *might* have been *influenced* by Hicks, but for the most part, merely their similar personalities tend to result in the similarity of some of the material. But these are just an isolated set of examples. There are vast amounts of material from both, of which the other did not even come close to being *inspired* by the other.

  • It doesnt matter who influenced who, they are both legends.

  • I think it's a matter of influenced on both sides, Carlin spoke about the myriad of issues in this video throughout the 70's, but in a lesser extent and a lighter way.

    It's a legitimate argument, but Carlin showed his genius during his television interviews, which at least showed his rational ability.

    Still, Hicks was awesome, perhaps the rawest muthafucka I have ever encountered.

  • Carlin and Hicks were the best! they said it like it is... i'm sure they paved the way for each other and others out there. Most importantly the word was going around and THAT'S what counts.

  • Carlin influenced hicks too. I mean he was around about 30 years earlier

  • there both nut jobs.

  • george carlin may have been influenced by bill hicks, but he is still a better comedian.

    and carlin covered much much wider range of topics

  • both of them, genius who questioned life, stand-up comedians = todays philosophers.

  • Maybe they are just alike?

  • 1. killin good people. Hicks was pointing it showing the weird american n human values, carlin does it in the video quoted, about extreme human behavior. Also the reagan fact, wich was the political atmosphere led hicks´s line was in 1988 carlin show, see reagan´s gang, and strange culture sketches.

    2. Prolifers killin doctors. Hicks 1993. Carlin does a hard line in 88´s show. he refers to "right to lifers""in favor of death penalty and supported south american death squads.against abortion.

  • I don't think Carlin was influenced by Hicks. It's true that in 1988 he pretty much became a new George Carlin, who was more political, bitter and pissed off, but I don't think that's because of Hicks, I think he just got pissed at the Reagan administration and religion just like Hicks.

  • sure carlin was. Hick was a visionary, like brian wilson or dali. some one who came on the scene and changed things forever.

    like magicians, the best arent commonly known names, but the insiders know who created and foster the art

  • I believe that both of these men tried so hard to make us think critically, and whether Carlin was influenced by Hicks, or just wanted to carry the torch for him, it doesn't really matter. Because it's the truth, and the truth doesn't change tone, or shape. It just exchanges voices.

  • awesome comment, it's true. but we all have to play the game... even if we see it or not.

  • True, so true!

  • Great minds think alike.

  • Both Hicks and Carlin were marvellous. I've never thought of their similarity in this way but I have to say it makes sense. Carlin's jokes usually led to different points than Hicks' ones but Carlin might have been influenced to touch the subjects.

  • i made this observation too.  great video man!

    R.I.P. to the messengers

  • Carlin was influenced greatly, maybe even "stole" it, but the message is more important than the man. They both are not nearly as revered as they should be, Hicks especially.

    Let's fill another stadium for Mencia or Dane Cook. Corporate fucks! But the stupid, middle class kids sure do eat that shit up, don't they?

  • Was Carlin influenced? Possibly so, but he carried the torch another decade and a half to his grave without Hicks to steal material from. Dennis Miller on the other hand...

  • Carlin and Hicks, two of the greatest comedians that have ever lived. RIP buddies!

    They're both up in the sky smoking bowls laughing their asses off.

  • hahaha!!1 nice work

  • Both of them have said that they love the work of the other... great minds think alike... (proof? Interviews on the Onion (Carlin) and the New Yorker (HIcks), both in the early-90's)...

    ...and Bill Hicks isn't as unknown as you'd like to think...

    ... sit back and enjoy the work of these two geniuses...

    ... hooray for THOUGHT!

  • Malcom X said live together peacefully?

  • My two favorite comedians, but I think it was the other way if anything. Carlin's first misanthropic, social commentary show that I've seen was the one from New Jersey in the mid-80's. I'm not even sure Hicks was doing gigs yet.

  • Hicks was doing gigs professionally since the late 1970s.

  • That's true. I still think Carlin solely got his influence from Lenny Bruce and developed his own routine as he got older, wiser, and of course, came down from the coke...Anyways thanks for the vids.

  • Great video. I think Carlin was not only influenced by Hicks a little, but some of his material came from him as well. But comedic material and styles are copied and tweaked in some manner often, just as musicians get ideas from other musicians. I also don't believe Carlin stole anything, but he refined his comedy a little around the early 90s and it's obvious Hicks was the big influence for this refining. Carlin is not the only one.

  • I think that comedy like Hicks, Carlin and Stanhope etc will follow the same lines as they have a view of the world that is not as moralistic as the general concieved view of it. Thus the same themes will come up in their comedy so there will be some overlapping of the topics. Comedy is a self policing business and if you rob material, you are automatically hated by other comedians and this was not the case with Carlin so I would say no.

  • Good video.

  • Thanks.

  • There is a few similarities in these clips. However, Carlin's delivery is much better.

  • You're retarded

  • Yeah I agree with you. Carlin was funny for 50years. Bill Hicks was very funny as well and I think he influenced Carlin to do political humor. I think Carlin influnced Bill Hicks with the anger and sarcasm that all the great satarists like Jon Stewart and Lewis Black learned to put on stage. Bill was balls out funny just like Carlin and he made you think about the country and what a freak show culture America is. They both were so funny and I miss them both very much.

  • I don't think Hicks learned his style from any previous comedian.

  • Not even Richard Pryor or Lenny Bruce? I always had the notion he learned to speak his mind from those guys.

  • I think HomeReality is on to something. Just like how Isaac Newton and Joseph Raphson had the same idea (the idea which is now Newton's Method), maybe Carlin and Hicks just thought of the similar material without ever listening to each other's stand up.

  • I've read bill hicks Bio and seen and heard most of his acts that were recorded. he has never mention anything of carlin.

    and carlin had done 3 HBO specials by the time Bill was 21. Now what I think happened was that they had the exact same influences: Richard Pryor, lenny bruce

    Also they both speak truth and are satirist who are anti-establishment. It is to be expected that they say similar things.

  • i think if you look at all there stuff in a timeline perspective, neither were that interested in each other's act. I have never heard either talk about the other.

  • There's a link of a clip of George Carlin where he mentions Bill Hicks in the description of this video, so we know he was aware of his stand up.

  • oh cool. thanks a lot for that.

    I still don't really think bill influenced george much. When Bill was 20 or 21 in 1982 when he was not know except in houston, Carlin's openin line for his special at carnegie hall was "Have you noticed that most of the women that are against abortion, you wouldn't want to fuck in the first place." Clean-cut?

    Anyways they are the two best comedians i know of.

  • Well, I mentioned that Carlin began as a clean-cut comedian in the 1960s, which he did, but I also said he abandoned this persona in the early 1970s, around the time he came out with the Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television. So, I agree with you that he wasn't clean-cut around the time Carlin At Carnegie was recorded. However, his humour was still very much of the "goofy" variety - hence the clip from Carlin At Carnegie where he talks about rice krispies.

  • being that they were both very similar personality wise and philosophers I would say they got the same influences from their own observations of the world

  • its hard to say if its plagiarism or influence, im a huge fan of both carlin and hicks, but the similarities are close, but also its easy to have the same views on these topics and its easy to find the same fucked up things (like pro-life bombings, big business fucks, advertising and choice). Many who read hear these things share the same ideas, hell zietgeist is one of many movies that express this growing opinion. Both comedians did some kick ass things and ill take it as that

  • Dont fucking give me that...

    When the children have to be saved crap happened, At least 1200 comedians had the same thought. Carlin was an inspiration to Hicks and grew up to be an inspirator to his mentor.

    No one come up with jokes other than society.

    One people, one planet.

  • I think that Bill Hicks definately inspired Carlin at least, dare I say it, he may even have plagiarised a little bit! I mean the similarities are pretty big, and if you pay attention Bill Hicks was saying these things in the 80s and early 90s... youve got a good point, making this video was a great idea :) and it has definately helped highlight your point :P good job man.