American: The Bill Hicks Story - Who else has seen it?

[cyberpj]

Billl Hicks. Foul-mouthed, truth-telling, favorite comedian EVER who died too young at 32.

We used to think he'd go crazy over Bush Sr. --and now we frequently wonder whether or not he might simply have spontaneously combusted if he had lived to see Bush Jr., 9/11, and all that's happened since then!

New film out this summer:
trailer, etc.
http://www.americanthemovie.com /


If you don't know him, by all means, check him out.

Here's his wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Hicks


Another favorite piece:

"The world is like a ride in an amusement park, and when you choose to go on it you think it's real because that's how powerful our minds are. The ride goes up and down, around and around, it has thrills and chills, and it's very brightly colored, and it's very loud, and it's fun for a while. Many people have been on the ride a long time, and they begin to wonder, "Hey, is this real, or is this just a ride?" And other people have remembered, and they come back to us and say, "Hey, don't worry; don't be afraid, ever, because this is just a ride." And we … kill those people.

"Shut him up! I've got a lot invested in this ride, shut him up! Look at my furrows of worry, look at my big bank account, and my family. This has to be real." It's just a ride. But we always kill the good guys who try and tell us that, you ever notice that? And let the demons run amok … But it doesn't matter, because it's just a ride. And we can change it any time we want. It's only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings of money. Just a simple choice, right now, between fear and love.

The eyes of fear want you to put bigger locks on your doors, buy guns, close yourself off. The eyes of love instead see all of us as one. Here's what we can do to change the world, right now, to a better ride. Take all that money we spend on weapons and defenses each year and instead spend it feeding and clothing and educating the poor of the world, which it would pay for many times over, not one human being excluded, and we could explore space, together, both inner and outer, forever, in peace."

[RandomThoughts]

1. Thats the nothing matters delusion.

You see it in many forms, it is also in the world is a joke delusion, where people see everything supernatural as satire.

It is also in no freewill doctrine, where you are told you can't make a difference.

It is to make people not try to make things better. And lose all empathy.

If you can't make a difference, might as well get yours and not care. That is part of that delusion.

[RadiationTherapy]

3. No, he wanted us to understand life should be fun.

It's a ride; it's not 'nothing'.

[RandomThoughts]

5. He was educating about that delusion.

Not that he was in that delusion.




"Shut him up! I've got a lot invested in this ride, shut him up! Look at my furrows of worry, look at my big bank account, and my family. <- that would be the people trying to keep things wrong.


The Delusion
But it doesn't matter

The way out of the delusion
And we can change it any time we want. It's only a choice. No effort, no work, no job, no savings of money. Just a simple choice, right now, between fear and love.



Blinded by the Light by Manfred Mann's Earth Band
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg8cDmi7-U8



I think I got the 'it doesn't matter' in the wrong context.

I guess I agree with you, that I was seeing it a bit off, might not have been the nothing matters delusion. Although he was pointing out a delusion and a correction to it.

He did better then my reading of it. Think I saw something else in there for some reason.

[RandomThoughts]

12. Yea I got that wrong, I keyed in on the wrong thing.

Until the song corrected it, it wasn't clear.

Does this make any sense at all.

A story or song has many meanings, depending what line is highlighted, it means different things.

So the same story can fit 100 occasions dependent what words are highlighted in it.

Half in the teller, half in the listener.


I think that is standard protocol.


In the last song I posted. I posted something about a fringe something, maybe it was something else, and then as soon as I posted, The line of his position, popped up in my mind, didn't even have to hear the song. So posted the song. Then it has action and association also. Once the song was posted the quote cleared up for me to understand it. Does that make any sense.

[RadiationTherapy]

23. It's fine. I understand.

The myth of the 'meaningless everything' that leads to existential ennui.

I also understand why you are owed so much travel and beer money as well as many experiences. They funnel our ambrosia directly out of our pituitary glands and try to live forever on our backs.

[cyberpj]

6. I disagree with your interpretations. You can't have known him and say those things. n/t.

[RandomThoughts]

7. I agree I got that wrong.

I saw something else in there, the nothing matters despair, it is not in that quote though.


Then the way out of that despair, of nothing mattering.

Not sure why I did.

[RandomThoughts]

11. But the correction showed up quickly :)

Blinded by the Light by Manfred Mann's Earth Band
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg8cDmi7-U8

[cyberpj]

15. Yes, it did. Good on ya. nt

[Warren DeMontague]

9. Guess what

he was funnier than you are, and his act was better.

[Warpy]

2. You can tell we've slipped into totalitarianism

because comedians are the only ones allowed to tell us the truth.

[cyberpj]

8. My darlin and I were just talking about the fact that there really aren't many who compare to that

type of comedian any more. Sure, Bill Maher. But who else? Politics used to be rampant in comedy before, and I don't mean the superficial silliness of SNLs skits.

Comedians (court jesters, if you will) have always been around to poke at governments.

Now theres... what? Larry the Cable Guy?

I miss the comics with a brain.

[Warpy]

13. Oh, there are great ones out there, still

Tim Minchin is one, check him out on You Tube.

Bill Bailey is another one

Dara O'Briain

Chris Rock is getting there

No list is ever complete without Wanda Sykes

He's not political, but Gabriel Iglesias is also great.

There are a few others but I have a mind like a steel sieve when it comes to names.

[cyberpj]

14. Thanks, I needed that. I also spent some post-posting time thinking...

Of course John Stewart and Steve Colbert for great political satire but that's different. (Good God, I just remembered The Smothers Brothers.)

But there is Lewis Black
And I did think of Wanda Sykes.
For some reason I haven't been able to become a Chris Rock fan but it may be time to give another look.
The others you mentioned I don't know but will be checing on 'em.

Oh! And remember Whoopie Goldberg's first HBO show? I don't think I've ever seen it since, not even the downloading groups. She did stand up on tv a few years ago too.

And,
well,
duh!
I should have Googled:
http://www.google.com/search?q=political+comedians&rls=com.microsoft:en-us&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1

Cool, some new people to check out.

[Warpy]

18. Whoopie was great. Her comedy characters made people think

All the comedians I cited have plenty to choose from at You Tube.

Dara O'Braian's entire performance in London at the Theater Royal is there. I just watched that this afternoon, laughed so hard I scared the cat.

[barbtries]

4. love that quote.

imagine.

[Warren DeMontague]

10. Bill Hicks was a genius.

RIP.

[cyberpj]

16. So... has anyone else seen the film yet? nt

[Initech]

17. Hard to say what Bill would have thought of two terms of W.

I know exactly what he'd think of the teabaggers.

[Fuzz]

19. Today a young man on acid. . . .

[Electric Monk]

21. And now, here's Tom with the weather.

[gort]

20. No one better

"Speaking of Satan, I was watching Rush Limbaugh the other day. Doesn't Rush Limbaugh remind you of one of those gay guys that like to lie in a tub while other guys pee on him?"

[Frank Cannon]

22. That whole Limbaugh / Barbara Bush rant is absolutely classic.

I loved that guy. He was one of a kind.

I'll have to keep my eye out for the film.