by Bill Hicks
57.
See especially Eric Schlosser’s Reefer Madness (London: Penguin, 2003) for details on America’s war on pot smokers.
Outside Broadcast, Branch Davidian Compound, Waco (8 March, 1993)
58.
On 28 February 1993, ATF officers launched a raid on the compound of Branch Davidian leader, David Koresh. Four agents and an unknown number of Branch Davidians died in the subsequent gunfight. On 19 April the FBI attempt to storm the building. Koresh and 76 of his followers died in fires.
Hicks visited the scene of the siege on 8 March 1993 and later expressed doubts about the official account of how the fires started. In 1999 the BBC reported an official FBI statement that ‘the FBI may have used a very limited number of military-type CS gas canisters on the morning of April 19 in an attempt to penetrate the roof of an underground bunker 30 to 40 yards away from the main Branch Davidian compound . . . the military canisters may have contained a substance that is designed to disperse the gas using a pyrotechnic mixture . . .’ (source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/ 431348.stm)
Recorded Live at Laff Stop, Austin, TX, and Cobbs, San Francisco, CA (Spring and Summer 1993)
59.
Released in 1997 as Rant in E Minor by Rykodisc.
60.
Sometimes called the original reality TV program, Cops first aired in 1989. It is still broadcast on US television.
61.
Jesse Helms (b. 1921) was the Republican Senator for North Carolina from 1973 until his retirement at the end of 2002. When confronted with evidence that the President of El Salvador’s Constituent Assembly was directing death squads he replied, All I know is that D’Aubuisson is a free enterprise man and deeply religious’ (Source, Eric Bates, Mother Jones, May/June, 1995).
62.
The most popular televangelist of the 80s, Jimmy Swaggart (b. 1935) had a regular audience of 2 million families for The Jimmy Swaggart Telecast. His businesses had an annual turnover in excess of $100 million. In February 1988, accusations that Swaggart had engaged in improprieties with a New Orleans prostitute resulted in a sex scandal that severely dented his credibility. Swaggart’s difficulties also damaged Pat Roberts’ bid for the Republican nomination in the same year.
63.
During George H. W. Bush’s visit to Kuwait in April 1993 to commemorate the coalition’s victory over Iraq in operation Desert Storm, Kuwaiti authorities arrested sixteen people alleged to have been planning a car bomb attack on the former President. A Kuwaiti court later convicted all but one of the defendants. On 26 June, President Clinton ordered the firing of 23 cruise missiles at Iraqi Intelligence Service headquarters in Baghdad in retaliation for the assassination attempt. Seven of these missiles went astray and landed in civilian areas. Clinton said he was acting on ‘compelling evidence’ of Iraqi involvement in the assassination plot.
In the run-up to the Iraq invasion of 2003 President W. Bush called Saddam Hussein ‘the guy who tried to kill my dad.’ No evidence of Iraqi involvement has emerged since the American occupation.
Wake Up America (Summer 1993)
64.
Al Sharpton (b. 1955) is a civil rights campaigner and politician. He ran as a Democratic candidate for the Senate in 1992 and 1994, and campaigned to become the Democratic Party’s Presidential nominee in 2004.
65.
Randall Terry (b. 1959) is an anti-abortion campaigner and the founder of Operation Rescue.
66.
Pat Robertson (b. 1930) is a Christian evangelist. He is the founder and Chairman of the Christian Broadcasting Network. Greg Palast investigates Robertson in his 2003 book, The Best Democracy Money Can Buy (London: Constable and Robinson, 2003).
67.
Rush Limbaugh is a highly controversial broadcaster and one of the foremost propagators of the myth of the ‘liberal media’ in the USA. He is acknowledged as a popular mouthpiece for the Republican right across America, and is accused by his critics of making millions by distorting facts while targeting liberal policy.
Letters of Response
68.
Two priests wrote to Channel 4 to complain about ‘Revelations’. These two letters form part of Bill’s correspondence with them.
69.
Irwin Corey is a surrealistic comic under the soubriquet ‘The World’s Foremost Authority.’
Part 4: Late 1993–94
Unresolvable Problems — Resolved! (November 1993)
70.
Scallywag was an underground newspaper/scandal sheet, critical of establishment ideas. http://www.scallywag.org/
Two Myths Explored, Debunked and Other Rantings (Undated)
71.
The first ten amendments to the US constitution are known as the Bill of Rights. Most versions of the second amendment read: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.’ The extra comma after ‘Militia’ does not materially affect Hicks’ argument.
Letter to John Lahr
72.
In April 1993 Hicks was quoted in Austin Comedy news speaking about Denis Leary, ‘I have a scoop for you. I stole his act. I camouflaged it with punch-lines, and to really throw people off, I did it before he did.’
73.
For more about the international tobacco business see Noam Chomsky, Deterring Democracy (London: Vintage, 1992).
Letter to Dave
74.
Speaking in the documentary, It’s Just a Ride, David Letterman (b. 1947) said, ‘Well, our relationship with Bill Hicks came to kind of a peculiar ending, made all the more peculiar by the man’s death. And I have personal regrets about how our relationship developed prior to his death. So it makes me doubly sad that he is now not around so that we can, I think, correct mistakes that were made on his behalf. So I feel a personal sense of regret regarding that.’
INDEX
Abdul, Paula ref1, ref2
abortion ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15
advertising ref1, ref2, ref3
Aids ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Alabama ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
alcohol ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12
Alcoholics Anonymous ref1, ref2, ref3
Alda, Alan ref1, ref2
The Alex Bennet Show (radio show) ref1
aliens ref1, ref2, ref3
Allen, Woody ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6
American Comedy Awards ref1
American Gladiators (TV show) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9
American Scream: The Bill Hicks Story (True) ref1
Amis, Martin ref1, ref2, ref3
Arizona Bay ref1
‘Arizona Bay’ (album) ref1, ref2, ref3
arms
right to bear ref1
sales ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8
Arnold, Roseanne ref1, ref2
Assassination Museum, Dallas ref1, ref2, ref3
Astley Rick ref1
ATF (US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) ref1, ref2, ref3
Austin Public Access ref1
Austin, Texas ref1, ref2
Australia ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10
Baghdad ref1, ref2, ref3
Bailey, Bill ref1
Balloon (folk group) ref1
Barber, Riley ref1
Barrymore, Drew ref1
Basic Instinct (film) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
beaches ref1
The Beatles ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
The Bible ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10
Bill of Rights ref1
Blackwell, Otis ref1
Blossom (TV show) ref1
blowjobs ref1
Bolton, Michael ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9
Bonham, John ref1
Boo
th, Kevin ref1, ref2
Bosnia-Herzegovina ref1
Branch Davidians ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Breaky Achy ref1
Britain
appetite for intellectual anarchy ref1
crime rate ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Hicks’ success in ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6
British Airways ref1
Brooks, Garth ref1
Bruce, Lenny ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
Brynner, Yul ref1, ref2
Buchanan, Pat ref1
Buddha ref1, ref2
Bundy Ted ref1
Bush, Barbara ref1, ref2, ref3
Bush, George H.W. ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref23, ref24
assassination attempt ref1, ref2
Bush, Neil ref1
Butler, Brett ref1
Campus Activities Today ref1
Carey, Mariah ref1
Caroline’s Comedy Club, New York ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Caroline’s Seaport, New York ref1
Carrot Top ref1, ref2, ref3
Carson, Johnny ref1
Carter, Jimmy ref1
Castro, Fidel ref1, ref2, ref3
Catholicism ref1, ref2, ref3
CBS ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14
censorship ref1, ref2
of Bill Hicks ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14
Channel 4 ref1, ref2, ref?, ref4, ref5, ref6
Chaplin, Charlie ref1
Chicago ref1
child abuse ref1
childbirth ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
children
on aircraft ref1, ref2, ref3
worship of ref1, ref2, ref3
children’s parties ref1, ref2, ref3
chips ref1
Chomsky, Noam ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Christ, Jesus ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16
Christianity ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7
Fundamentalist ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9
CIA ref1, ref2, ref3
Clam Lappers (film) ref1
Clark, Dick ref1
Clay, Andrew ‘Dice’ ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Clinton, Bill ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9
Close, Glenn ref1
CNN ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7
Cobbs, San Francisco ref1
Cold War ref1, ref2, ref3
Comedy Corner, West Palm Beach ref1, ref2
Comedy Store, Los Angeles ref1, ref2
Comedy Workshop, Houston ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8
commercials ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8
communism, fall of ref1
Confucius ref1
Connelly, Mary ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6
Cops (TV show) ref1, ref2, ref3
Corey, Irwin ref1
corruption ref1
Costas, Bob ref1
‘The Counts of the Netherworld’ (TV show) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
Cowley, Oxfordshire ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Craven, Wes ref1
Crawford, Cindy ref1
Creationism ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5
Crimmins, Barry ref1
Croatia ref1
crop circles ref1
cruise missiles ref1, ref2
culture and society, American ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12
cunnilingus ref1
Cyrus, Billy Ray ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6
Dahmer, Jeffrey ref1, ref2
‘The Daily Show’ (TV show) ref1, ref2
Dallas, Texas ref1, ref2, ref3
Dalton, Stephen ref1
dance clubs ref1, ref2
Dangerfield, Rodney ref1, ref2
‘Dangerous Tour’ ref1
Dangerous (video) ref1, ref2
Danzer, Tony ref1
David Letterman Show (TV show) ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21
Davis, Miles ref1
death penalty ref1
Dell Publishing ref1
democracy ref1
Democrats ref1
DeNiro, Robert ref1
Denny, Reginald ref1, ref2
Denver, Colorado ref1, ref2
dick jokes ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8
Diller, Phyllis ref1
dinosaurs ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Dominion Theatre, London ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Donovan, William ref1, ref2
Douglas, Michael ref1, ref2, ref3
Draper, Robert ref1
drugs ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18
Duffy, Patrick ref1, ref2
Durst, Will ref1
Dylan, Bob ref1, ref2, ref3
Easter ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7
Ed Sullivan Theatre, New York ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Edinburgh Festival ref1, ref2, ref3
El Paso ref1
elections
British, 1992 ref1
US 1992 ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Epstein, Steve ref1
Eszterhas, Joe ref1
ethnic cleansing ref1, ref2
evangelists ref1, ref2, ref3
F-14 fighter jets ref1, ref2, ref3
Falwell, Revd Jerry ref1
FBI ref1, ref2, ref3
Field, WC. ref1
films see movies
Fixx, Jim ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
flag burning ref1
Flashdance (film) ref1
Flying Saucer Tour ref1
Flying Saucer Tour, Vol. 1 (video) ref1
Fonda, Jane ref1, ref2, ref3
food, British ref1
foreign affairs, American ref1, ref2, ref3
see also Gulf War
Fredricksburg, Texas ref1
Free Press ‘Observer’ show idea ref1
Free Trade Agreement ref1
freedom ref1
of speech ref1, ref2
Freud, Sigmund ref1, ref2
Fromme, Lynette ‘Squeaky’ ref1
Funny Bone, Pittsburgh ref1
Fyffe, Alabama ref1, ref2, ref3
Gallagher ref1, ref2
Gambino Crime Family ref1
Gandhi ref1, ref2, ref3
gays ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Gibson, Debbie ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
Gideons ref1, ref2
Goatboy ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7
Gore, Al ref1
Gore, Tipper ref1
Gulf War ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11
gun laws ref1, ref2