Bill Hicks: On Letterman (1993) (The Cut Set)

[tazmankb26]

Hicks is greatness- pick up any of his CD's and they are very funny

[Recluse253]

Do kids today know Mark Walberg is Marky Mark?

[achickensandwich]

Billy Ray Cyrus - alive. Micheal Bolton - alive. Vanilla Ice, MC Hammer, Marky Mark - all alive.

Bill Hicks - dead.

Fuck this planet

[MyGwendel]

@achickensandwich you forgot the ultimate karmic fuck-off. Bill gets cancer and dies, a bitter little hack like leary steals his material and gets a lifetime career to annoy the fuck out of us with his ugly mentality and uglier voice. gross.

[jimijackson]

he looks like eric clapton in unplugged

[TheOrtaparmak]

Hendrix is on harp tonite )))

[Kalanag01]

I think the Billy Ray Cyrus bit is possibly still a bit too graphic for most audiences these days.

The whole set was pretty unfunny. Maybe it was banned for being crap.

[bikermann42]

Good on Letterman for finally airing this.

[MrWeedman123456]

United States of Advertising lol - Letterman is a sell out to his producers

Bill we miss you dearly.

Your message is stronger than ever but more relevant than ever.

Remember its just a ride....

[YUSKHAN]

this guy is cracking me up

[TheJerryw08]

Wow he nailed that set. Great stuff.

[ciaobellakate]

If only people had listened and killed Billy Ray Cyrus! We wouldn't have that awful, promiscuous, talent-less spawn of his!

[jeffthecoder]

1:16 i crossbow him right in the assbs..phew, that was a close one

[Munstallstodes]

Much love for Bill.

[IPVentertainment]

I noticed as he said 'Daddy's New Roommate' was evil, and heard the cheers from the guys, a look of shock came into his eyes.

[workingguitar1]

Like X's 10



[HxCSounds]

they let snookie, an example of all that is evil in todays society, but they dont let someone who expresses free speech? shame on you letterman.

[HxCSounds]

oh my god thank you so much for uploading this. i saw american: the bill hicks story and they discussed how this exact set got cut from letterman. its a shame hes dead.

[danozzdirect]

Aspect ratio fail

[shroomingnewman]

great set by bill. although they still would've cut it these days on account of the gay jokes and murder of corporate created 'stars'. political correctness has only grown worse. no one can take a fucking joke anymore. the only reason dave showed it is because hicks has a following. letterman is still a corporate shill

[cosdown]

He wasn't funny. Good he's dead.

[TheFlatear]

@cosdown y dont u go n die n do the rest of us a favour instead of hating led in ur seamen soaked bed in ur parents house u fuckin loser

[cosdown]

@TheFlatear How did you know? Amazing.

[DonRMB]

This is By far his BEST SET in my opinion.. Delivery, timing, subject matter, EVERYTHING was ON POINT! A fucking shame that it got cut out : /

[MoldytoasterMedia]

most overrated comic of all time.

[MrMooseheadbeer]

Racist.

[BoilMyKettle]

@MrMooseheadbeer Smoke a gun

[Rawr5649]

man, good thing he isn't around for Miley Cyrus

[stairs021]

He was on the right path with his topics. He died because of the repercussions of his cancer treatment. Do you think it was deliberate to kill him early so he couldn't mature into a rights activist?

[BillHicksArchive]

@stairs021 No.

[beatsanctuary]

@BillHicksArchive

It wouldn't surprise me if he was killed off, happens alot, people who have a voice and express it, more so in the USA, but then the majority of yanks are braindead anyway, so i guess ignorance is bliss afterall :)

[MrMadRussian1991]

@stairs021 hell yes

[ZEITGEISTism]

@stairs021

Could be ! As we speak, 4 south american presidents have cancer & they all got it this year ! Chavez (president of Venezuela ) is one He made a public statement yesterday He said "What a strange coincidence that myself & 3 other latin american presidents who DO NOT CONSENT to the usa's policies have all been stricken by cancer? Could it be the USA has some advanced technology to take us out via cancer ? just a thought "

PS

Chavez is right Truth is stranger than fiction!

[biggiedickson]

@stairs021 Absolutely not.

[6BobVSBob9]

@stairs021 honestly, i don t think we can know for sure why he died. and i m saying this, just like bill would have done- because it s a plausible and unpopular thing that must be said. chemo actually kills you if the cancer don t die first. that s what chemo is, really.

n that s what i mean by - nobody can be sure. ( hgh though )

ps - to think what a great show this was. he had to take all his cussing away, be clean, and they still cut him.

then he died.

... put a little perspective, people.

[7RadicalDreamers]

@stairs021 Im sure they probably did kill him, Ive notice that a lot of AMERICAN people who speak out the truth tend to not live for very long. Look at Jimmy Hendrix. He did not live for much longer after he started speaking against Vietnam.

[Bobofjudia]

@7RadicalDreamers But...he supported the war in Vietnam. Before becoming a musician he was an army paratrooper, but he had to quit because he injured his ankle. I'm not saying that that meant he HAD to support the war in Vietnam but...what the fuck are you going on about?

[MrSamBroughton]

@stairs021 Yes. Man was murdered. Carcinogenic injection, they've been around for decades.

[jamespage1680]

i can see why corporate TV banned this... i'm kind of glad they did... it made this all the more legendary!

[jaggerlags]

Wow to that performance. I saw a clip on youtube of Letterman trying to explain why it got cut and still don't know if he can admit they got scared. That was perfect, it must've hurt Bill to hear they scrapped a big break. Imagine him today, this generation would've eaten him up. Hicks became a legend though, an honest foundation for this kind of satiric comedy, so he'll never be forgotten.

[MrBane39]

@AlwaysBeKilling

Goodness sake... you think it did... but truth be told you are filling in his middle.

Maybe thats his genius but simply put its not ... his joke is funny 50% due t the time it was told and social perception ... i think it was funny, im not taking offence and im not making offence.... he simply should have ended the joke as a lesbian, thus turning the joke on the the audience ... not leaving it looking at one side because at that time lesbians had a real tough time

[BillHicksArchive]

@MrBane39 Do you think Hicks may have credited his audience with some intelligence? That they didn't need it spelt out for them? Whose the only person here that's offended?

Thank fuck his comedy didn't pander to your mental handicap and still remains relevant.

I have to block you, i simply can't bear returning to this channel to find yet another stinking MrBane39 wisdom-shit. It's been 5 FUCKING MONTHS!

Cheerio, Arse-hat.

[carloandreral]

HENDRIX IS ON HARP TONIGHT!

[JamesMcPatrick]

This dude was funny!



[VeliusTD]

man they could get away with some shit back then.

[BillHicksArchive]

@VeliusTD This set was banned from TV and only shown a year ago...so no, they couldn't. Hence (The Cut Set) in the title.

[MrHypermoto]

Amazing how much he can cram into 6:47, but the bits don't deliver the same punch when they're trimmed down and clean. I can see why they cut it, that's a bit too much clear-minded logic for brainwashed bovine America to handle in one sitting.

[exZell]

@MrHypermoto I know, right? I mean the piece about Jesus and people wearing crosses really needs the JFK/rifle-pendant comparison to utilize the full potential of the joke, in my opinion...

[MrHypermoto]

@exZell Yeah, and some how when Bill drops an F-bomb, man you really feel it. I know he had to pay the bills and these shows got him more exposure, but I really feel like they almost did more harm than good. You got this watered-down bland version of Bill, which is a complete oxymoron.

[exZell]

@MrHypermoto Agreed. He swears, because he F'ing feels it! And that makes you feel it too.

Also I think it was partly about paying bills, but also about getting his voice heard, even if it was muffled through a shroud of censorship...

He probably realized that the only way to get his point of view across (back then, most importantly) was through the mainstream media. The only way to do THAT was(/is) to conform to a tight little box of constraints of what you can and cannot say, on air.

So sad..

[BlowCape]

I bet bill would hang out with marc walberg today if there wasn't that damn cancer...

[TheDittyBags]

I never stop laughing at "do you thihnk jesus ever wants to look at a cross?" olololol

[NelsonClick]

He was soldier on the front lines of political correctness. He lost.

[BraidedLily]

Yes, it's a set-up, folks, not a serious rant against homosexuality. You have to stay open and listen. Bill's gay references really do mock the typical straight man's reaction to gay men. Remember that Bill was using openly using gay references on TV at a time when it was still considered risky. The gay references made in the 60s/70s on TV were often self conscious, allusions and very stereotypical of gay people.

[DoomWizard543]

He called the book about homosexuality "shocking" and "disgusting" because it's ridiculous to have to explain something in a childrens book that should just be considered normal in the first place. Love is love, and it shouldnt have to be fucking explained.

[bluelynch]

Ok, the homosexuality joke about the books for kids is just a set up. It's meant to lure the audience into a trap. He's baiting them. Just like he does in other acts with his non smoker jokes. He makes the audience think he doesn't smoke & makes fun of smokers as well. Then after they're all applauding his "point of view" he takes out a pack of cigarettes & lights up!!! Bait & catch.. He was great at that.

[CaptainCologne]

Such a shame Letterman decided to cut this. That's the moment Letterman stopped being hip.

[MoralDecay]

LOL

[Kuastoyn]

He has such dark humor lol

[k1400]

The audience reaction to him referring to "Roommate" was homophobic, the joke wasn't.

[darkrage6]

I wonder how Hicks would react to Marky Mark becomming a succesful actor?

[MrBane39]

No you see its wrong because the joke should have been, ' i consider myself fairly open minded ... bla bla bla

'' daddies new roommate is pretty cool''

Now im a straight man .... but when he got cheers for saying homosexuality is wrong ... screw him ! even though you may argue he was making fun of stereotypes, nonetheless it would have been better to mock the perception of male acceptance of lesbians then attack homosexuality as a whole.

[BillHicksArchive]

@MrBane39 That was a long winded way of telling us, you didn't get it.

[MrBane39]

@BillHicksArchive

Wow i have been travelling around the world... just got back and have seen the emails

No i did get it .... and by todays standards he got his formula wrong .. simple!

For his time and his efforts they guy was funny and he did a lot of good... i think in may ways a lot of you people don't have a clue and he would not have respected you an ounce for your comments but if you think i was wrong your deluded

[Nautilus1972]

@MrBane39 Bill didn't mock gays. Just the military, power-mongers and thought-Nazis.

[Nautilus1972]

@MrBane39 The joke was about men who can dance well ... and it was right on the money, and it was taking a poke at overly-PC treatment of homosexuality, he wasn't saying homosexuality was disgusting, but political correctness gone mad, as being disgusting. You completely missed his point. Your mistake.

[itswac]

@MrBane39 It might be that case, but that narrative does not necessarily reflect Bill Hicks' views. The mainstream public conversation in America about homosexuality was in a much more reserved mind frame at the time of this recording. He probably thought he would push his audience too far with a comment advocating more than just lesbians.

[MrBane39]

@itswac

At least a sensible reply that although does does not agree, goes some way in understanding my view

Im a hicks fan ... i simply suggested how his joke would have been improved, and i even took time into consideration

[BillHicksArchive]

@MrBane39 Are you still here?

Improve his Joke?

You certainly know how to spoil it humourless git!

[TheAFH013]

@MrBane39 Your rationale that because you are English, you therefore understand comedy, is absolutely stupid, but as far as the joke is concerned, I can see where you're coming from. Yet, the way you went about your criticism only served to make it look as though you wanted to put yourself on a higher pedestal than Hicks by "improving" his joke. There was nothing wrong with the joke; it was the fact that some audience members "cheered" his (satirical) homophobia that was the problem.

[TheAFH013]

@MrBane39 I think that it would have been great if Hicks had bit back at those audience members, but considering that this would have been his "big break", and due to how contentious homosexuality was back then (even more so than now), I'd say he decided to let it go.

[futureblade7]

@MrBane39 no, because he's making fun of double standards. It's called comedy.

[MrBane39]

@futureblade7

Comedy is an art form and he misinterpreted the repercussions of this joke.... lay it down to the decade and peoples attitudes during this time

My way of making his joke was better....

[MrBane39]

@futureblade7

No ... he was making fun of double standards from a certain perspective... now if he had just embraced homosexuality in its entirety the joke would have been timeless

Dont ever try and correct me in comedy, im english ... we make true comedy ... intelligent in ways yanks and co wouldn't understand because it has to be simple for you - well if he had just made it a little more challenging it would have been great

[futureblade7]

@MrBane39 yeah, why do you assume I'm american? I'm english too man lol. What an ignorant assumption, now I'm offended...... :p

[bannanahammer1]

@MrBane39 he's a comedian. he was joking.

[MrBane39]

@bannanahammer1 The why the negative reviews... would have suspected his fan base to get he was joking ?

Goodness i am his fan base... i suggested his joke could have been improved and it could have been.

[BraidedLily]

@MrBane39 I get you. However, the people who cheered when Bill initially seemed to be disapproving were being set up for a punch line about THEIR attitudes. They probably didn't get that, either.  Or get that the joke IMO is poking fun at the popularity of girl-girl porn among straight men.

[MrBane39]

@BraidedLily

that was my first idea.... but that punch line about their perceptions never came... now i have not watched this for some time and im now replying to messages on memory but from what i remember the first hakf of this act was gold... but he coped out in the second act and left the concept of homosexuality out to dry

He plays on that lesbianism is funny yet pro life in the sense of overall homosexuality is one sided ... now all i suggested is that he should have switched the joke

[MrBane39]

@MrBane39

to lesbianism instead of overt homosexuality, in the sense of male on male

Now loook back over the video and tell me im wrong

Im not saying he is not funny.. im a fan!

But his joke would have ben complete and stood the test of time had he widened it to accept the whole gay community ... im not wrong

And all you negative posters are just looking at part of the message and not understanding... you dont get hicks at all

[BraidedLily]

@MrBane39 Ok, point well made. Today, the joke would probably be structured differently. Times have very much changed. Wow, aren't you getting as ass-kicking.

[PrivateJoker17]

@MrBane39 Somebody isn't intelligent enough to watch Bill Hicks.

[biggiedickson]

@MrBane39 You unintelligent.

[Firefox227]

I must say reading the irony debate was quite entertaining. And StevieWondersWhy24 is correct. It is not ironic. I understand why Adam thinks that but he also uses big words for the sake of big words.

Call it exploitive. Apologetic. It is in no way ironic.

Stevie is using the idiom form of irony. Which is correct. As the mainstream use of irony, ironically, is no longer ironic.

[nikeeweston]

god he looked thin, why oh why did he have to die??? oh lord imagine what he would think of miley cyrus

[pyannaguy]

Two-part comment: 1.) I loved Bill Hicks for the obvious reasons - he fearlessly shoved the crazy up this sad brainwashed culture's ass AND made it funny. He was everything I want in an irreverent righteous comic genius. 2.) In fairness, though, I think the bit at the front about killing the lightweight pop nitwits probably understandably scared the Network from a couple of standpoints - litigation being one. It was a great little set, but, TV, even late night is not a hip night club. I love BH

[AdamLuxTIC]

Genius... so ironic the CBS eye sits in the corner as the vid fades to black.

[StevieWondersWhy24]

@AdamLuxTIC how is that ironic?

[AdamLuxTIC]

@StevieWondersWhy24 Last time I watched it the CBS eye never popped out to me until the video faded away... just ironic that the shill symbol emerged as Bill fades to black on the screen. Paradox maybe better word...

It's ever-present though didn't notice last time...

[StevieWondersWhy24]

@AdamLuxTIC i dont see any irony or paradox here man.

[AdamLuxTIC]

@StevieWondersWhy24 Bill hated corporate influence, let alone elitism, an eye symbol that represents one of the largest TV corporations wouldn't be his chosen accomponiment. I only saw it properly when the screen went to black when I watched it initially, which I've used as a loose reference to Bill passing, so it's ironic now he's gone CBS is openly using his material and in MY interpretation the eye only showed up after he'd gone from screen. My bad...

Just ironic to me.

[StevieWondersWhy24]

@AdamLuxTIC He knew that the letterman show was broadcast by a largeTV corperation. i just dont see the irony here at all.

I wasnt being pedantic, as the overly sensitive asshole who posted this video claims i was.

[AdamLuxTIC]

@StevieWondersWhy24 Yes but Letterman was an asshole who was in America's looking glass, Bill did what he had to as a mainstream comic, but hated the corporate scene. Letterman/CBS famously cut Bill out of one of the shows after his bit, infamous since. Know that?

Maybe the irony is wasted since you're unable to make the connections.

& you're being very pedantic... whether or not you see the irony, I do, justifying the rest means fuck all lol.

[StevieWondersWhy24]

@AdamLuxTIC look up irony in the fucking dictionary you moron.

how is it ironic that a networks logo pops up on a piece of footage that was recorded by that same network?

if bill developed eye cancer due to stress caused by CBS fucking him over, then the CBS eye appearing on the screen could be seen as irony.

dont you fucking get that?

[AdamLuxTIC]

@StevieWondersWhy24 Shut it fucko, this was a cut set that they'd never have shown had he not had the posthumous revival we all know of now... when he would have impacted the most they CENSORED & SLANDERED him.

They market it up like shameless fuckers who PERTAIN to involvement, when they DON'T HAVE A CLUE, drawing similarities here actually, you dunce.

If you can't see it's ironic CBS didn't use this material when he was alive but GRACIOUSLY put it out now he's gone then get fucked LOL.

[StevieWondersWhy24]

@AdamLuxTIC you still havent explained how what you described as ironic in the first place, could pass as irony.

you misused the word. and im afraid that no amount preaching to me about things of which im already aware i.e, bills relationship with the network, will camouflage your childish error.

thats all. dont upset yourself.

[AdamLuxTIC]

@StevieWondersWhy24 Stop trying to cling for your life to an intrinsic nuance, you know EXACTLY what I mean just can't make the passive admission that you had no clue on the subject matter...

They cut him when he was alive, profit from his posthumous death; not ironic? you're not worth the time...

Irroy carries too much grandeur anyway in this case, it's a comparison acting on it's opposites, that's a wide definition, since definitions always expand. Think you need a bigger DICtionary...lol

[StevieWondersWhy24]

@AdamLuxTIC im afraid you simply dont understand the concept of irony. which is ironic since you use the word regardless.

pathetic.

[AdamLuxTIC]

@StevieWondersWhy24 Even more ironic is that had I used it in perfect context you still wouldn't have had a clue since you know fuck all on Bill Hicks or elitism in general... and that you'd rather grab at the last word cheaply than actually learn something. Can't help a dunce...

So as said, you're just a pedantic ass with a pointless point to prove and much time to kill.

[StevieWondersWhy24]

@AdamLuxTIC the argument wasnt about hicks or your so called "elitism".

you are over complicating a very simple issue to distract from the fact that you wrongly described the presence of the CBS eye on the CBS footage as 'ironic'.

yes, CBS are using this footage posthumously. but that isnt 'ironic', its tastless. creepy. cowardly.

by all means, disagree with my definition of irony. but dont convolute the argument to save face.

it shows a real weakness of character.

[AdamLuxTIC]

@StevieWondersWhy24 Because IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII only saw the eye AFTER his performance when I FIRST SAW THE VIDEO, it was ironic TO ME they only showed the logo after the screen faded to black, after 'Bill was gone' as it were...

It's ever present I see that now, but again you're being pedantic in pursuing gratification from something that has been laid out in every possible aspect for you, that it has no bearing on your weak judgement, inperpretation or definition. Only mine, GEDDIT?!

[AdamLuxTIC]

@StevieWondersWhy24 * now profit posthumously...

I think I've just made you a Bill Hicks fan for real now too, you're welcome dunce.

[BillHicksArchive]

@StevieWondersWhy24 My bad....Obtuse then, or you were just being a precious tit.

The fact this set was banned for 17 years, then broadcast with a symbol of the all seeing eye on the screen is something of a paradox to modern people clued in to illuminati symbolism.

[StevieWondersWhy24]

@BillHicksArchive yeah right. illuminati.

youre so open minded, your fucking brain fell out.

[AdamLuxTIC]

@StevieWondersWhy24 Go do some reading, I hate your type, scrounge an education by attacking and challenging, never an equal contributor... try harder.

[AdamLuxTIC]

@BillHicksArchive Thank you! the clueless twat needed it laymanly slapped on him...