Letterman to finally show infamous banned Bill Hicks segment from 1993 Friday night!

[slay]

For Bill Hicks fans this has been a long time coming - and if you never saw him, here's your chance. Also his first guest will be Bill's mom Mary.

"Bill Hicks was a comedian in the 1980's and early 1990's who challenged mainstream beliefs, aiming to "enlighten people to think for themselves."<1> Hicks used a ribald approach to express his material describing himself as "Chomsky with dick jokes."<1> His jokes included general discussions about society, religion, politics, philosophy and personal issues. Hicks' material was often deliberately controversial. In both his stand-up performances, and during interviews, he often criticized Media and popular culture as oppressive tools of the ruling class, meant to "keep people stupid and apathetic."

~snip~

On October 1, 1993, Hicks was scheduled to appear on The Late Show with David Letterman for the twelfth time, but his entire performance was removed from the broadcast -- the only occasion, up to that point, in which a comedian's entire routine had been cut after taping. Both the show's producers and CBS denied responsibility. Hicks expressed his feelings of betrayal in a hand-written, 39-page letter to John Lahr of The New Yorker.<8> Although Letterman later expressed regret at the way Hicks had been handled, he never appeared on the show again."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Hicks

http://lateshow.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow/

http://www.sacredcow.com/

*edited to add link

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

1. awesome

yet another reason Dave is better than Jay

[Webster Green]

6. Leno has never uttered anything even remotely humorous..

Not that I have ever seen, anyway.

I'm jaded though, because Dave should have got the 'Tonight show' spot. :wtf:

[nichomachus]

16. Leno was funny when he was just doing standup

Once he became a butt-boy for General Electric, he sort of went downhill. His jokes became much like Bob Hope's unfunny and predictable lines and he started shilling for every right-wing pol GE told him to.

[EFerrari]

28. Agreed. He used to be funny. n/t

[lpbk2713]

17. Dave was Carson's choice to replace him.

But NBC Brass said 'screw Carson and screw Dave, we'll do it our way'.

I don't think I have ever watched an entire Leno show since he has been on NBC.

But I watch Dave very often.

[glinda]

49. Same here. I watch Dave and as far as Leno goes, I think his voice grates on my nerves.

[Blue_Tires]

26. not to mention the 5,000 consecutive nights leno had to slip in an O.J. joke

[Webster Green]

2. It would seem that I just missed it.

Fuck!

[slay]

3. No you haven't - it's on tonight - Friday - 01/30/2009

Set your tivo. Enjoy. :smoke:

[Ken Burch]

4. Anybody know what it would've been about that particular set

that would've caused the ENTIRE thing to be edited out? What could Hicks have said that would have been THAT offensive?
That is, why couldn't they have just bleeped particular bad words?

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

5. and why can they air it now?

surely standards haven't changed that much since 1994.
new management at CBS? material dated enough to be safe now?

[book_worm]

10. standards are much looser today on what you say on TV.

[book_worm]

11. Here is some of what Hicks told the New Yorker says he said during the set:

Bill: Good evening! I'm very excited to be here tonight, and I'm very excited because I got some great news today. Iíve finally got my own TV show coming out as a replacement show this fall!

The audience applauds.

Bill: Don't worry, it's not a talk show.

The audience laughs.

Bill: Thank God! It's a half-hour weekly show that I will be hosting, entitled "Let's Hunt and Kill Billy Ray Cyrus".

Audience bursts into laughter and applause.

Bill: I think it's fairly self-explanatory. Each week we let the Hounds of Hell loose and chase the jar-head, no talent, cracker-idiot all over the globe till I finally catch that fruity little ponytail of his, pull him to his chippendaleís knees, put a shotgun in his mouth and "pow".

Audience continues to applaud and laugh.

Bill: Then weíll be back in '94 with "Let's Hunt and Kill Michael Bolton".

Audience laughs and applauds.

Bill: Yeah, so you can see that, with guests like this, our run will be fairly limitless.

Audience laughs.

Bill: And we're kicking the whole series off with our MC Hammer, Vanilla Ice, Markie Mark Christmas special ...

Audience laughs and applauds.

Bill: And I don't want to give any surprises away, but the first one we hunt and kill on that show is Markie Mark, because his pants keep falling around his ankles and he can't run away ... Bill mimes a hobbling Markie Mark.

The audience laughs.

Bill: Yeah, I get to cross-bow him right in the abs. Itís a beautiful thing. Bring the family. Tape it. It's definitely a show for the nineties ...

Audience applauds.



At this point I did a line about men dancing. Since it was never mentioned as a reason for excising me from the show, letís skip ahead to the next "hot point" that was mentioned (by the way, the joke about men dancing got a huge laugh).

Bill: You know, I consider myself an open-minded person. But speaking of homosexuality, something has come to my attention that has shocked even me, Have you heard about these new grade school books for children theyíre trying to add to the curriculum, to help children understand the gay lifestyle. One's called Heather's Two Mommies and the other is called Daddy's New Roommate.

(Here I make a shocked, disgusted, face.)

Bill: Folks, I gotta draw the line here and say this is absolutely disgusting. It is grotesque, and it is pure evil.

Pause.

Bill: I'm talking, of course, about Daddy's New Roommate.

Audience laughs.

Bill: Heather's Two Mommies is quite fetching. You know they're hugging on page seven.

Audience laughs.

Bill: (lasciviously) Ooh! Go Mommies, go! Ooh! They kiss in chapter four!

Audience laughs.

Bill: Me and my nephew wrestle over that book every night ...

(Bill mimes his little nephew jumping up and down.)

Bill: (as nephew) Uncle Bill, I've gotta do my homework.

Audience laughs.

Bill: Shut up and do your math! I'm proof-reading this for you ...

Audience laughs.



We move directly into the next "hot point":

Bill: You know whoís really bugging me these days. These pro-lifers ...

Smattering of applause.

Bill: You ever look at their faces? "I'm pro-life!"

(Bill makes a pinched face of hate and fear, his lips are pursed as though he's just sucked on a lemon.)

Bill: "I'm pro-life!" Boy, they look it don't they? They just exude joie de vie. You just want to hang with them and play Trivial Pursuit all night long.

Audience chuckles.

For more:
http://www.konformist.com/2000/bill-hicks.htm

(It's actually quite relevant even today fifteen years later, all you have to do is exchange Billy Ray Cyrus for Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana. Censors! I'm kidding I'm not really advocating hunting and killing Hannah Montana).

[slay]

13. Bill even performed word for word re-enactments of this set before his death but

this will be the first time it's ever been shown to the public as it was filmed. Really looking forward to this - and seeing Bill again after all these years.

[misanthrope]

36. I'm surprised Wahlberg didn't try to hunt him down...

...He has well-documented rage issues that show his sublimated criminal side.

[slay]

52. And with Billy Ray Cyrus

he could have saved us from having to deal with the recent Miley Cyrus/Hanna Montana national distraction. :rofl:

[NashVegas]

12. I Think It Was the Bit About Wearing Crucifixes

[Ignis]

23. What, this one?

People come up to me: "Bill, quit talking about Kennedy man...it was a long time ago." And I'm like, alright, then don't bring up Jesus to me. As long as we're talking about shelf life here. A lot of Christians wear crosses around their necks. Do you think, when Jesus comes back, he ever wants to look at a fucking cross? It's kinda like going up to Jackie Onassis with a rifle pendant on. "Just thinking of John, Jackie. We love him. Trying to keep that memory alive, baby."

:rofl:

One of my personal favorites from his work.

[ChickMagic]

29. That's one of my favorites too

it was a riff on a Lenny Bruce joke:

If Jesus had been killed 20 years ago, Catholic school children would be wearing little Electric Chairs around their necks instead of crosses.

http://www.basicjokes.com/dquotes.php?aid=1340

[navarth]

43. seems like they all owe Lenny Bruce some residuals. eom

[Arrowhead2k1]

7. It's says that he never appeared on the show again...

Well yeah, he did kinda die five months later...

[slay]

8. Yeah, funny how death can get in the way of getting booked again

LOL. But yeah, that is worded a bit strange on wikipedia, yet still technically true - as is your point. Still, I'm really looking forward to seeing exactly what got the bit pulled and banned to begin with. Will also be interesting to hear from him mom.

[nichomachus]

15. Hasn't stopped Larry King so far n/t

[slay]

20. LOL!

:rofl:

[girl gone mad]

9. k&r for another great Texan.

Hicks was the best.

[AwakeAtLast]

14. Just set my DVR

Thanks for posting!

:hi:

[slay]

33. Yeah I can't wait

I e-mailed aint-it-cool-news about it as well and is now posted on their front page. Looks like the word is getting out. The more people that see this banned set the better. Always nice to be able to share some good news. :hi:

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/39951

[slay]

18. K for the afternoon crowd

:kick:

[truebrit71]

19. Excellent news...Bill Hicks was one of the very best...

.."Chomksy with dick jokes" indeed...

[Initech]

21. See I think drugs have done some good things for us.

If you dont think drugs have done anything good, go home tonight and take all your albums, all your tapes, all your CDs and burn 'em because the musicians who have made all that great music that has enhanced your lives throughout the year? Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreal fuckin' high on drugs.

[Ignis]

22. "We're losing the War on Drugs"

"George Bush says 'we are losing the war on drugs'. Well you know what that implies? There's a war going on, and people on drugs are winning it! Well what does that tell you about drugs? Some smart, creative motherfuckers on that side."

RIP, you crazy genius you!

[Initech]

24. These musicians today who dont do drugs and in fact speak out against them...

"We're rock against drugs! Boy they suck! SUCK! Ball less, soulless, spiritless, whiny little corporate bitches, suckers of Satan's cock each and every one of them."

Another one of my favs:

"By the way if anyone is in marketing or advertising... kill yourself. You may think there's a joke here but there's no fucking joke here. Kill yourself, kill yourself, kill yourself. No, seriously, suck a tail pipe, hang yourself, borrow a pistol from an NRA buddy, just rid the world of your evil fucking presence. And I know what you people in marketing are thinking - Oooh, he's going for that anti-marketing dollar. Huge market!"

[Ignis]

31. Man, those minute-long "sucking Satan's pecker" bits...

Talk about simultaneously massively uncomfortable and massively hilarious.

"Hey folks, I'm Jay Leno. Remember when I used to be funny?" :rofl:

[Initech]

34. I'm like Hicks..

I want to rid the world of all these fevered egos tainting our collective unconscious.

[RagAss]

42. Yes indeed....egos fed by idiots who live by the light of a TV screen.

[TuxedoKat]

38. This reminds me of a story about Jim Morrison

He had been recruited to make an anti-drug public service commercial but when they tried to film the commercial Jim kept messing up his lines, on purpose, no doubt. The group making the commercial finally gave up in disgust after several takes.

[sarcasmo]

25. Thanks for bringing this to my attention, I will DVR Dave tonight.

[negativenihil]

27. "WHATCHOO READIN' FOR?!"

RIP Bill :(

[Ignis]

30. Maybe so I don't end up a fuckin' waffle waitress!

Oh, so many, many good bits. RIP indeed.

[Gold Metal Flake]

32. Finally Dennis Leary Will Have Some New Material!

He's setting his Tivo!

[Ignis]

35. Ouch!

Of course, it wouldn't be funny if it weren't so very true.... :)

[EFerrari]

44. LOL! You'll be here all week.

:)

[MagickMuffin]

37. Bill Hicks YEA, no one today even comes close to Bill's style and class

It will be interesting to hear what his mama has to say.

Texas DID/DOES have some pretty funny people, Bill Hicks, Ann Richards, and Molly Ivins, Jim Hightower, David Van OS.

Thanks for posting DVR set to record :hi:

[senseandsensibility]

39. kick

eom

[Fireweed247]

40. I love Bill Hicks!!

I was just reading his 39 page letter....:wow:


"This is what I think CBS, the producers of the Letterman show, the networks and governments fear the most - that one man free, expressing his own thoughts and point of view, might somehow inspire others to think for themselves and listen to that voice of reason inside them, and then perhaps, one by one we will awaken from this dream of lies and illusions that the world, the governments and their propaganda arm, the mainstream media, feeds us continuously over fifty-two channels, twenty-four hours a day."

[slay]

51. Bill was so insightful, so ahead of his time

in so many ways. We are just now waking up to the truths that Bill was speaking back then - and even now in 2009 the majority are still very self absorbed, selfish, and unaware - mainly for the reasons Bill listed right there. "I think I'll spend 2 hours a night, 3 nights this week helping feed the hungry - NO WAIT I meant watching American Idol". Ugh. Yeah Bill, I hope for a nation of free thinking, caring people one day as well. Quite a man he was.

[Hissyspit]

41. Now. nt

[Hissyspit]

45. Letterman apologizing now. Very cool.

"The decision was mine. I had no real reason."

[slay]

50. Was a very nice thing to do for Bill's mom.

And to set right a big wrong. I give huge respect to Letterman for doing this. Was a great treat to finally get to see this performance - and see it on Letterman. Very classy - Dave did the right thing, but more than anything, this was a great righting of a wrong that Bill's mom finally got to see and experience. I know it bothered Bill greatly that this was censored and never aired, but I think he would have very much been thankful that it finally was aired, by Letterman, and with his mom there to see it all, with the sincere apology from Dave. Very touching.

[navarth]

46. comin' up!

this will be great.

[givemebackmycountry]

47. Bill hated the bit, but it's still one of my favorites...

Talking about an old girl friend who dumped him living in a trailer park in Oklahoma.
Her fat, boil ridden, hairy ass-ed boyfriend dies of a heart attack while fucking her, and she's trapped underneath him.
Just as the bile starts to run out of his mouth into her face she sees Bill on the TV saying something like...

"Good evening folks, how you doing tonight"

It's a classic.

[truebrit71]

48. That was BRILLIANT!

My God what a talent he was...