Posted by SteelyJack at stpvscan1.merrillcorp.com on December 28, 2000 at 17:42:32:
This is something I posted a long time ago and never got a response to, so I'm gonna give it another shot.
After seeing Dogma for the first time earlier this year, I'd noticed at the tail end of the credits all the Thank You's and Shout Out's you'd given to the many artists and philosophers and comedians that had inspired you in your life and, specifically, in the writing of Dogma. And I was a little surprised that there was one name missing that I was almost positive would've been on that list: the Late, Great Bill Hicks. Bill's comedy very often dealt with issues of spirituality and religion. Thus, I figured he'd be a shoo-in for that Shout Out list. And if you know the material I'm talking about, you know why.
In my humble opinion, Bill belongs on that very small list of Comedy Geniuses (defined by not only stretching the comic boundaries of the material, i.e. political correctness/"what-is-funny?", but by stretching the very humanity of comedy itself) alongside Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor and 1/2 of Robin Williams.
I was just curious to know if you, perhaps, had never heard of the man. And if this is the case, may I humbly suggest, O Mighty Lunchbox, picking up this cat's Rykodisc CD's. There are 4, and I would start with "Rant In E Minor".
If you're just not a fan, then this will answer my question, obviously.
Thanks for the great site. Keep up the good work.
j.r.e.
Steelyjack