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In reply to the discussion: When Your Favorite Childhood Films Are a Little More Homophobic Than You Remembered [View all]Egalitarian Thug
(12,448 posts)A very few of those changes have been for the better, but most of it has been for the worse.
I remember catching the acts at Mitzi Shore's place one Friday in the late 80s when Sam dropped in after the acts. He just went off for 90 minutes for more and put the whole house on the floor. It was one of those nights when you are sore the next day. He was responding to the times he lived in with the topics that were relevant at the time.
If he was alive today, his material would be different and he would still be a headliner, it's still about the talent. If you were to view George Carlin with a critical eye, you would find that there are more than a few of his bits that are pretty offensive by today's standards, less about gays but a whole lot about women. And let me qualify this by stating that I revere George Carlin. I literally wore out my first FM AM lp and had to buy a new one. I can still recite the Weird Willie West show from memory.
Consider Bill Hicks, one of the most talented, and ripped off (Dennis Leary owes his entire career to Bill), American comedians we have ever had. How many of his routines would play today? Goat Boy?
How about Lenny Bruce?