On The Late Show with David Letterman last night, Dave finally showed the infamous 1993 appearance by comic Bill Hicks that Letterman thought was too controversial at the time and decided not to air. The routine itself is probably a little tame compared to a lot of the stuff we see today, 15 years later, though I don't think it's without it's blunt edginess. Hicks talks about having a TV show where you hunt and kill certain celebrities, pro-gay textbooks, and religion. It's a rather sad video, in a way, because you can tell Hicks was sick and you know that this never aired and Hicks was heartbroken. He died only five months later.But Dave did more than show the routine. He also had Hicks' mom on to apologize to her and help introduce the video. Letterman took responsibility for not airing the routine (though it's not clear who actually pulled it, Letterman, his producers, or CBS) and said he doesn't even understand why he pulled it because there is nothing wrong with it. They had a very nice talk, and you can tell that she doesn't have a showbiz bone in her body, just a down-to-earth mom who was upset that Letterman hurt her son. She accepted the apology and you can see they genuinely like each other, but you can also clearly see that Letterman's decision in 1993 really hurt the family.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
1-31-2009 @ 2:34PM
deebopalula said...
Wow - Maybe having a child, or just "growing up", HAS changed Letterman. I remember being in the audience of his show a long time ago (to give you a hint how long ago it was, he was introducing a new, unknown comic named Roseanne Barr). While he was certainly funny, I was struck how cold and distant he was during the commercial breaks, completely ignoring whatever star was sitting at his desk. I know - comedic geniuses need time to think, regroup, etc. - but it was a little unsettling. I felt embarrassed for the guest who just had to sit there being stared at by an audience while being ignored by Dave.
He may still do that, I don't know, but his sincere and heartfelt apology to Bill Hick's mother was very touching. I even teared up a bit at the end. And his willingness to take full responsibility for cutting the act and acknowledging the likely repercussions of that decision - whether it was fully his call to make or not - was admirable. Kudos to Dave. He didn't have to go there at all, but he did.
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1-31-2009 @ 8:09PM
KMF said...
Seeing Hicks' performance was great. It still just as funny now as it was then. Made me laugh out loud. I'd heard audio of the set (from a comedy club appearance around that time) on a Bill Hicks documentary many years ago, but actually seeing it was a treat. Still funny. Man I miss that guy. :( I can only imagine what he'd make of today's insanity.
I was glad Letterman came to his senses. It seems so strange though for him to suddenly bring this up. I wonder if it'd been bothering him for a long time. Whatever the reason, I am grateful that he did come around and honour Hicks.
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1-31-2009 @ 10:03PM
bruce said...
Well said. Bill Hicks is one of my heroes, and this was great to see. One of the funniest people ever.
1-31-2009 @ 9:57PM
Karen said...
I didn't see anything wrong with it at all. Maybe Letterman was PMSing that night or something...
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2-01-2009 @ 8:31AM
Paul said...
"This content is currently unavailable". That's unfortunate, I never "got" Bill Hicks, and I'm sure I never will.
I don't see what all the fuss is about.
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2-01-2009 @ 1:54PM
Jimmy said...
Dave is a class act ... notwithstanding his political shenanigans of the last year.
Nicely done, Dave.
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2-01-2009 @ 7:39PM
Maria T C G said...
Im not trying to be cold about this. But WHO is Bill Hicks??? I love comedy and I never heard of him. His standup seemed a little angry more than funny. Plus why did he bring this up now? I am at a loss-thanks for explaining!~ :o)
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2-04-2009 @ 9:25AM
Jim said...
Take away the Hicks legend and the emotion surrounding his death, and I don't think it's outrageous that Letterman killed the spot back in 93.
Never mind the jokes about gays and religion. He opens by identifying celebrities by name and imagining killing them. Any network lawyer would go weak in the knees at that.
Remember Letterman was barely a year into a new relationship with a network that was paying him (can we now say "only"?) $14 million a year.
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2-13-2009 @ 10:05AM
Chase E. said...
I am a HUGE Bill Hicks fan. I have some bootllegs of shows he did after realizing his bit was cut and he has a very specific reason for it happening: While watching the show, and realizing his performance was not included, he noticed a series of ads sponsored by pro-life organizations.
That being said, I doubt it was directly Letterman's decision; rather, the producers had to make a decision regarding ad revenue, weighing the pros and cons.
While I am as prone to conspiracy theory as the late Bill Hicks was, this theory seems pretty spot-on. And objectionable, of course, in a principle-based way. But not surprising: Letterman's show is not a pro bono affair.
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