BILL HICKS ON LETTERMAN 01/30/09

It's rare for most media folks to admit they've made a mistake, especially an old one, unless they are literally shamed into doing it. Back in 1993, just 5 months before his death a hero of mine, Bill Hicks, did a routine (his 11th and by far his most dangerous)on Late Night with David Letterman that was so edgy that Dave and his producers notoriously yanked the spot from being aired at the last minute. Last night Letterman admitted his mistake, apologized a number of times, even though the decision was 15 years old, and even had Hick's mom on and ran the spot, which though Dave warned it would be dated, is just as edgy as when first performed back in 1993.

Here via YouTube and CBS' Late Night With David Letterman is the set up for that appearance:



After a commercial break Dave brought out Bill Hicks' mom and well...see for yourself:



The "heartache" Dave mentions early on is the fact that yanking that spot from airing changed (again) Bill Hicks' career making him even more edgier and bitter, most times incorporating the performed routine as part of his act and pointing out the hypocracy inherent in the broadcast media. In 1993 Hicks was breaking wide and performing to packed houses in most every place he performed OUTSIDE of the US, doing a kind of ranting performance against corporate society and thinking. A large number of his nightclub performances from this point on were recorded or filmed and Bill became one of the most notorious comics of his time with a huge reputation in the underground circuits. Here, again from last night's Late Night via YouTube, is Bill's routine that he did in 1993 on Letterman:



This routine was refined and ran past the censors before Bill even walked on stage, still watching it, and knowing the fickle state of the media it's not too hard to imagine why Dave pulled the spot.

Bill Hicks is one of my heroes and an example of a true genius pioneer. Looking at his routine now it might be hard to see why. Just know that the number of political satirists like Dennis Miller and Bill Mahr (the intelligent and secure ones anyway) will all attribute their career on Bill Hick's trailblazing, while other "comedians" like Dennis Leary might not admit it so quickly but made careers by ripping off entire segments of Bill Hick's act and claimed it as their own (Bill was talking about how great it was to smoke years before Leary's "No Cure For Cancer" performance that made him famous- in fact much (if not all) of Leary's static, manic, hyper performance is straight from Hick's nightclub act). Here, on Letterman he is obviously stiff and almost sedated compared to his uncensored expletive ridden riffs, especially the ones after this debacle.

It is a great statement to Letterman's character to have has last night's program and to humbly admit his fault and mistake on the matter. I hope it gives him the kudos he deserves for doing it, as well as some sort of closure to a decision that has obviously haunted him sine he did it. Surprisingly there was no mention of Bill's recordings and the memorials and biopix that are in the planning stages to commemorate his life, and it's also a testament to Dave and his producers for allowing this footage out, playing it in it's crisp and original form, and to have the balls to have his mother out to apologize to her on air for the emotional stress and anxiety that pulling Bill's appearance caused him in his last days of his life. In his routine, where Bill admits that he started smoking again, he was already diagnosed as past the point of treatment on his cancer, and in true Bill Hicks style he decided that he was going to enjoy as much of his life in his last days that he could, and that included his nicotine addiction.

I was introduced to Bill Hicks a few years ago by a friend of mine who said that Spank reminded him of Bill, I can certainly see why. For more information on Bill and his career I recommend the biography AMERICAN SCREAM by Cynthia True. It is available on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/American-Scream-Bill-Hicks-Story/dp/0330438069/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233411566&sr=1-1 and is well worth the price. Though Amazon is only offering the book as used at present I'm sure that a new printing will be done shortly.

For more video on Bill Hicks, including a number of rants about being pulled from Late Night check out YouTube under Bill Hicks and see some of his genius for yourself.

WAKE UP.

BETTIE

I’m sure over the next few days and perhaps weeks there will be a flurry of eulogies for Bettie Page and her passing. I have a few shots from my collection to share, and a few thoughts about her and what she represents as well.

Bettie to me was never a real person; she was a “TYPE”, curvaceous, long hair, spunky, intelligent, and most of all fun loving. I was never a bondage freak, or heavy into stockings, garters, and lingerie, but with Bettie anything she was shot in, or anything she was photographed doing just looked like so much FUN.

Bettie is an icon, simple as that, a memory of a time and feeling. I am a HUGE believer in intellectual property, but I also believe in exceptions. Bettie was never able to capitalize properly on her own image. She frankly had no idea of the trends she would affect later in history when she was posing for photographers just to get by, and I believe that of anyone and anyone’s image it should be her and all of her work that should be recognized as totally in the public domain. Frankly, no one deserves the rights to Bettie’s image except Bettie, and now that she’s gone no one should truly OWN outright a single image of her. This way she will remain what she already is immortal. Left to be copied, swiped, drooled over, turned into movies, characters, and what not for all time. Anyone trying to secure copyright on a single original photograph of her should be vilified and shunned. Those artists who paint her likeness, or use it in whatever way should retain their rights, but only to their own work and not to Bettie’s image itself, and her photos should be proclaimed as public domain for all to use and see as they see fit.

Bettie is immortal, as she totally deserves to be, a symbol of happier times as well as an example of what an ideal American woman should look like; round, bouncy, most always happy, even when she tries to be oh so serious, and flat out beautiful. She of all people and types deserves to be lusted after and loved by all. I KNOW of her history, and her anguish, and yes, for the most part Bettie is the highest example of exploitation, especially during the time she was in front of the camera, and I think she should be a lesson to learn from to an extent, but she should also be recognized for her personal work more, and what she represents, and frankly the face value that she left in front of the camera more than what happened behind it.

More and more often I’m noticing “Betties” in clubs and in everyday life. Some folks, on whatever level, understand the icon that she is and mimic and represent aspects of her, her on camera lifestyle, and the in general sexy fun that she will always represent. THAT’S the “icon” at work, THAT’S the positive mark she has left on our culture, media and society, and THAT’S what will always make her immortal. Frankly, THAT’S exactly what she deserves.

R.I.P. to the REAL Bettie Page, in our hearts may she always stay immortally young and fun! Now you other Betties and Bettie lovers, GET TO WORK and…

WAKE UP!