Which Came First, The Leary Or The Hicks?
January 17, 2007 · Print This Article
Welcome back to the show. Today Brian tackles the touchy subject of originality. He discusses the importance of having your own voice, and calls out some comics who have bad reputations for borrowing material.
We are also treated to a couple of listener phone calls. Find out how to get back at kids who stare and how Stern lovers and haters alike have learned to live together in the Behind The Bricks community.
Email: brianmcomedy@gmail.com
Give the show a call: 206-600-4325
hey john melndes is not the only person with speach impedement to make it big a lot of the big time newscasters have speach impedemnts they just have to fight trough it. and one time i have had a speach impendement granted it was becuse i couldnt hear but it all the same non the less.
You make a good point Belly, but rarely are those newscasters you speak of known first and foremost for their speech impediment. To hire a guy named “Stuttering John” to be your announcer and not have it be a joke is not common.
You know, on the topic of Leary ripping off Hicks’ look, I don’t have an issue with that, as long as his material is original.
Many public figures have “borrowed” looks over the years, the most recent that comes to mind is Paris Hilton “borrowing” the whore look, and owning it.
But seriously, remember when Eddie Murphy wore the Michael Jackson jacket, I believe in Raw. Then you have Dice wearing the Fonzie outfit, leather jacket and bluejeans.
Honestly, I think Rogan just has a beef with Leary for some reason, and this is a way he can get others to legitimately rally behind his effort. Don’t get me wrong, I like Rogan, but we all know that sometimes two people just don’t mix, no matter what. Much like me and hot chicks.
The AP is reporting that Al Franken is considering making a run for the senate;
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/01/18/franken.senate.ap/
George Lopez is latching onto the Bob Hope franchise. He either feels he is falling out of the limelight, or looking to reach out to an older audience.
http://msn.foxsports.com/golf/story/6377278
I saw some of Hicks’ stuff the other day. I am very familiar with Denis Leary’s “No Cure for Cancer” cd. Anyway, among the topics also covered by Hicks was Jim Fix(x)?, Judas Priest and the messages in their songs, smoking, no talent bastards like New Kids on the Block.
As for Rogan being the comic police, get a life you fuck. How many buckets of maggots did you hand out today?
boo!!!!
am i going to hell becuse i sacared that Kid ?????????????????????????????????
Another good episode, Brian. I love the show even though I’m not that into stand-up comedy.
By the way, my DVR finally managed to snag an episode of UPC with you on it. Are you doing that live or from the tape?
We do it from a tape. I found out that it’s actually illegal to do live commentary on gambling events do to cheating potential. Another tip off that it’s all pretaped is the fact that I always prnounce “eights” and “aces” correctly.
Thanks for supporting the show man. Glad to have you here.
Brian,
WOW!! Great shows! I just found out that you went solo and here I am playing catch up.
Great job on your insight of not only of the World of Comedy but human nature as well. Another great thing about your podcast is that anyone who takes in air can relate in one fashion or another to the quirks of everyday life.
BEAR DOWN!!
Show Topic?
How did your parents take it when you informed them of your career decision? How supportive were they?
Yeah, sort of, how did you “come out of the closet” as a comedian “per se”
Nick was funny because its true
Sorry for getting to this thread late, but I’d ask anyone who’s doubtful that Leary delierately stole large chunks of Hick’s act to check out the below evidence taken from another website:
“PROOF THAT DENIS LEARY IS A THIEF.
As some of you seem to think there are only fruitless accusations with regards to this matter I can easily prove they are more than just that. What follows are the earlier words of Hicks, followed by Leary’s “borrowing”…don’t tell me it’s not stolen because “the words aren’t exactly the same”. Some of what Leary does is only paraphrased from Hicks (but the general idea is stolen), while a goodly portion of other routines are shamelessly stolen word-for-word and delivered in the same exact tone as Hicks, and passed off as Leary’s own:
JOHN LENNON/BARRY MANILOW
Bill Hicks:We live in a world where John Lennon is murdered, yet Barry Manilow continues to make albums…if you’re gonna kill someone, have some *beep* taste. I’ll drive you to Kenny Rogers’ house.
Denis Leary: We live in a country where John Lennon takes six bullets to the chest, Yoko Ono is standing right next to him, not one *beep* bullet….bring me the head of Barry Manilow, I want to drink beer out of his empty head, I wanna have a Barry Manilow skull-keg party at my apartment.
JUDAS PRIEST/THE UNIMPORTANCE OF THEIR FANS
Bill Hicks: You know the story about the two kids that were big fans of this group Judas Priest, and they committed suicide, and the parents of the kids sued the band? First of all, two kids, big fans of Judas Priest, commit suicide. Wow. Two less gas-station attendants in the world. What, I don’t mean to sound cruel here, but I don’t think we lost a cancer cure. They weren’t that important. “Bill, you sound so cruel,” *beep* them, they were idiots, get it?
Denis Leary: Judas Priest on trial because kids commit suicide, what is that about?…Heavy metal fans are buying heavy metal albums, listening to the albums, then blowing their heads off with shotguns. Where’s the problem? That’s an unemployment sollution right there folks, it’s called natural selection…I say we put more messages on the albums, kill the band, then your parents, then yourself.
JIM FIX/SMOKING
Bill Hicks: Remember Jim Fix, that health-nut who died while jogging? Used to write BOOKS about jogging…what do you jot down about jogging? “Left foot, right foot, hemorage.” *beep* Jim…we’re gonna need a happier ending, buddy. Heart-attack while jogging, that’s heavy *beep* I’m glad I stayed inside instead of jogging. I was too busy smoking.
Denis Leary: Remember Jim Fix, the big famous jogging guy? Did a jogging book, did a jogging video, and dropped dead of a massive heart attack WHEN? When he was *beep* jogging, that’s when…it’s always the yogurt, sprout-eating *beep* get run over by a bus driven by a guy who smokes three and a half packs a day. “Sorry officer I didn’t see him, I was too busy smoking.”
LOTS OF MARLBOROS
Bill Hicks: I’m a heavy smoker, I go through about two lighters a day. I lost track of the packs, all that math.
Denis Leary: I love to smoke. I smoke seven thousand packs a day…
SHAMELESS THIEVERY
Bill Hicks: (on nonsmokers) Bunch of whining *beep* maggots.
Denis Leary: (on depressed celebs) Whining *beep* maggots.
ANNOYING NON-SMOKERS
Bill Hicks: Nonsmokers say the stupidest things. “What about second-hand smoke? It’s not just the smoke that you smoke, but the smoke that comes out of you, that’s called secondary-smoke. That’s not good smoke just cause it came out of you.” Shut the *beep* up, right now. Dammit, if I dont smoke, there’s gonna be secondary BULLETS coming your way.
Denis Leary: …you got all these little facts that you dig out of a newspaper or a pamphlet somewhere, and you store that little nugget in your little *beep* head, and you see us light up and you spew ‘em out at us, dont you? (Delivered exactly like Hicks portrayed a nonsmoker): “Well you know, smokin…takes ten years off your life!”
LEARY LIKES THE BOAT LINE
Bill Hicks: MC Hammer, there was another boat that left me on the island. “You wanna get on the Hammer boat with us?” No thanks, I’d rather stay here and eat my own flesh. You could sit and explain it to me from now until the end of time, and I’ll go, *beep* don’t get it, man.”
Denis Leary: …explain it to me, I missed the *beep* point some place, the boat left and I wasn’t on the boat.
AND THE CAPTAIN LINE
Bill Hicks:Everybody, this is your captain speaking. I’ve got some good news and some bad news. The bad news is, we’re going to crash. The good news is, there’s enough time to smoke a cigarette before we do.
Denis Leary:Folks, this is your captain speaking, look uhh, light ‘em up, cuz we’re going down. I got a carton of Camel non-filters, I’ll see you on the ground.
Also, Leary stole the “voicebox”/tracheotomy routine from Hicks, which you would know had you ever actually listened to the man. It is proven beyond any doubt that Leary has stolen. AND ALL FROM THE SAME FRICKIN’ COMIC!!!! “
Oops - I forgot to mention that all the Leary material listed is taken from No Cure For Cancer - a show Leary says he wrote in 1992 while in the UK with his pregnant wife. Hick’s material comes from the albums Dangerous and Relentless releasd in 1990 and 1991 respectively. Can one comedian have genuinely written so much identical material done previously by a contemporary of his independtly? I seriously doubt it.
The prosecution rests
Damn. Leary’s a dick.