EXHIBIT A: Denis Leary Vs. Bill Hicks

Posted by majestic on January 30, 2010

Andy Gately from Austin Underground submitted this lead to us:

“Did comedian Denis Leary steal fellow comic Bill Hicks’ stand-up act and persona? You be the judge. This is the definitive, side by side comparison of the two artists, with all the similar material in question:

EXHIBIT A: Leary Vs. Hicks is an experimental documentary about the potential for artistic theft in the world of stand-up comedy, and the allegation that performer Denis Leary lifted much of his persona and act from fellow comedian Hicks. Culled from hours of archive footage and presented here for the first time, the similarities in question are shown back-to-back, allowing viewers to decide for themselves. The film premiered at the Austin Underground Film Festival, in the town Bill Hicks called home.

Posted in: Bill Hicks, Comedy, Dennis Leary, Pop Culture

Lee Lee

Bill Hicks was a comic genius, who left home in his teens to begin working in LA at the clubs and hone his craft. He died relatively young, without enjoying the success he deserved in the U.S., although he was a smash in the U.K., interestingly. Denis Leary, although funny, was almost certainly inspired by the work of Bill Hicks, although Mr. Hicks would have been too professional to point it out had he lived to see it. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Comedians borrow all the time.
boston babe

like the old joke: “Q: why did dennis leary become famous and successful? A: no cure for cancer.”
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jerrry

Who gives a shit if he was inspired by Hicks? Dennis Leary in No cure for cancer had me in stitches…Bill Hicks has never had me laughing that hard for that long of a time.

You can watch Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle and draw lines between their comedy but neither is ripping off the other guy. Why waste our brainpower trying to figure out how much “SOME” of Leary's jokes were inspired by other comedians.
bryan_85

alex jones is bill hicks
Wren

Really? The similarities in the majority of the jokes presented are superficial at best. It's not like Hicks was the first to elucidate on Keith Richards being a fucking drug addict that has never died, etc, etc etc. That's not to say Leary isn't 'inspired' by him. But it seems to me the allegations are they he's a thief of Hicks' material, which, with the presented 'evidence' is laughable.
jaspergrinsdale

Wow, I'm sorry but Dennis Leary is a really cheap imitation of Bill Hicks' persona. Bill Hicks delivered his message with wit, humor, and a raging fury that came from a place of pure conviction. Hicks spoke on topics that others didnt dare touch until he came along. And even then, they didnt have his fire that came from a place of “knowing”. Dennis Leary being the most obvious, used the angry comedian persona because it was the craze. Maybe it is just me but I just don't buy it coming from Leary. There's just no passion.
That guy with the face.

Is this whole debate still going on? come on, how many years has it been now? Who cares? Or rather, why is there a care about it at all at this point?

I laugh at Bill Hicks. I also laugh at Dennis Leary. I don't laugh at Dane Cook. What's my solution? That's right, I listen to two out of three and enjoy the laughter I get out of the comedians I like rather then complain about the ones which really brings me no pleasure at all. Why force yourself to hate a comedian and complain about him/her when you could spend that energy doing something more productive?
for example, the time I wasted typing this I could have easily spent masturbating and having a good time.
GoodDoktorBad

I used to think Leary was kinda funny way back when, but Bill Hicks' comedy and commentary is not only hilarious, it is truthful and relevent to living in this world, then and now. Bill was a beacon of light compared to Leary, who's humor was a lot darker and alot more cynical. Bill gave us a reason to hope that not all of humanity is insane. Leary did not.
Scattlefunked

Maybe that would explain why you don't see Leary doing stand up anymore?! He doesn't have Bill to Steal From, Leary is ok @ best I like him better as voice over in Ice Age than I do his Comedy, NO ONE WILL EVER Surpass the Heartfelt Mastery of the Late Great Bill Hicks!
http://www.howtostopmasturbating.com/steps-to-stop-masturbating/ stop jerking off

“For example, the time I wasted typing this I could have easily spent masturbating and having a good time.”

Sure, it’s still considered productive, but the self pleasuring is redundant because you’ll be able to type more accurately and faster without the shaking, groaning, and eye-crossing sensation from masturbation.
http://www.howtostopmasturbating.com/steps-to-stop-masturbating/ stop jerking off

“For example, the time I wasted typing this I could have easily spent masturbating and having a good time.”

Sure, it's still considered productive, but the self pleasuring is redundant because you'll be able to type more accurately and faster without the shaking, groaning, and eye-crossing sensation from masturbation.
Carrrl

I am not sure if this is important or relevant being that the majority of this dialogue has taken place nearly a year ago, but there is an undeniable fact I would like to point out. I believe it to be the heart to the general thesis of all of these discussions. Jerry is not spelled with three rrr’s.
Nathan Verbois

I can certainly see why Bill Hicks was pissed off by No Cure for Cancer, as Leary “borrowed” a lot of his set-ups, but ultimately, his delivery, his punchlines and his persona are completely different.
What’s not mentioned on this page, is that Bill Hicks and Denis Leary were good friends until Hicks saw No Cure for Cancer, which is roughly around the time he made the statement that precedes the video. Personally, I find them both very funny, though I probably prefer Leary.
Vance

I still don’t get this whole Bill Hicks-as-comedy-genius-innovator thing. The guy got on stage and told a few jokes and made a few sharp observations, just like plenty of others before him. But if you’re looking for belly laughs, sorry, Bill is not your man. You could take 30 Bill Hicks routines and still not come up with anything 10% as funny as 15 minutes worth of Richard Pryor. Dave Chappelle is plenty funnier. So was Rodney Dangerfield. So was Sam Kinison. So is Denis Leary, for that matter. I’m sure Denis borrowed from Bill just like Bill borrowed from others himself. It happens all the time in comedy. But Bill Hicks died early, and a stubborn legion of fans decided to annoint him a Saint.
subconscious

oh god. its all in your wording… inspired? no. there is a huge difference between inspiration an plagiarism. the fact that leary makes you laugh more than bill is totally irrelevent and says something only about you, namely the fact you prefer a more low brow option.

anyone who can read into body language and mannerisms can see that apart from obviously and DIRECTLY adapting bill hicks material, leary (consciously or not) stole his persona.
if you can’t see it you are simply blind to it..
subconscious

err no. bill hicks made many many references to the fact that leary stole his material….
(from wikipedia)
For many years, Leary had been friends with fellow comedian Bill Hicks. When Leary’s comedy album No Cure for Cancer was released, many people believed Leary had stolen Hicks’ act and material. The friendship ended abruptly as a result.[20] Hicks once famously told an interviewer: “I have a scoop for you. I stole his [Leary's] act. I camouflaged it with punchlines, and to really throw people off, I did it before he did”.[21]
subconscious

im just spamming this board with pro hicks comments

but he developed a cult following because he was using his comedy in an effort to expand the awareness of his audience. in fact making people laugh was something only used as a disguise for the subject matter… he was making a genuine effort to change the way people think on the very deepest level.

and honestly, the whole idea of ‘funnier’ is such a personal thing… its like saying some music is ‘better’ than other music. its so subjective.
Scripts

The feud is also mentioned in Cynthia True’s biography American Scream: The Bill Hicks Story:

Leary was in Montreal to host the “Nasty Show,” at Club Soda, and Colleen was coordinating the talent so she was standing backstage when she heard Leary doing material that sounded incredibly similar to old Hicks riffs, including his perennial Jim Fixx joke: (”Keith Richards outlived Jim Fixx, the runner and health nut dude. The plot thickens.”). When Leary came offstage, Colleen, more stunned than angry, said, “Hey, you know that’s Bill Hicks’ material! Do you know that’s his material?” Leary stood there, stared at her without saying a word and briskly left the dressing room.[26]
She reportedly said, upon hearing a tape of Leary’s album No Cure for Cancer, “Bill was furious. All these years, aside from the occasional jibe, he had pretty much shrugged off Leary’s lifting. Comedians borrowed, stole stuff and even bought bits from one another. Milton Berle and Robin Williams were famous for it. This was different. Leary had, practically line for line, taken huge chunks of Bill’s act and recorded it.”[26]

In a 2008 appearance on The Opie and Anthony Show, comedian Louis CK claimed that Leary stole his “I’m an asshole” routine, which was then expanded upon and turned into a hit song by Leary.[27] On a later episode of the same show, Leary challenged this assertion by claiming that he (Leary) co-wrote the song with Chris Phillips.[28]
Butter Knife

They both ripped off George Carlin wholesale, so fuck it, they’re both thieving bastards.

Anyway, some of the jokes are pretty clearly similar… others are pretty clearly different, but touch on the same subject. Go figure, two comedians who based a large number of jokes on similar life experiences, with similar hobbies, similar interests, similar habits and right around the same time would have similar acts. Color me shocked.

I think both of them carried a lot of the jokes well past the point where they should have moved on to fresh material, spent too much time on diminishingly funny physical gags (oh, yeah, you’re bent out of shape… I get it, very clever), and devoted more time to throwing a smoker’s pity party for themselves than probably warranted. It sounds like Leary stole the least funny portions of Hicks’ material, then wrote different punchlines… I guess you could still call it plagiarism, sort of, but I’m not seeing why anyone would get over it, especially anyone who isn’t Bill Hicks.

Anyway, I thought No Cure For Cancer was hilarious when I first heard it. I was also in middle school, and I also though ICP was great. I watched it again about a year ago, and while it certainly has moments, I was mostly disappointed to find that a piece of comedy I remembered as utterly hilarious was basically a load of BS. I mean, he spends the majority of the show whining about how everyone is a whiney crybaby and how hard it is to be cool and tough without even a hint of irony. Seriously?
Bluecam94

More
often, I think plagiarizers are rewarded for stealing other people’s ideas,
rather than face punishment. However, most
of us are guilty of “casual plagiarism,” whether it was not properly citing a
source on a high school essay or stealing the opinions of an expert on CNN. Everyone will lie and plagiarize. Still, as inexcusable as plagiarizing to get
a good grade in school or impress our peers is; making millions off another person’s
work seems to take the offense to another level of revulsion. I suppose that is what separates most casual
plagiarizers from the likes of Denis Leary.
That being said, I would respect Denis much more if he would just admit
he stole a few ideas from Bill Hicks. C’mon
Denis, grow a pair and come clean!
Bluecam94

More
often, I think plagiarizers are rewarded for stealing other people’s ideas,
rather than face punishment. However, most
of us are guilty of “casual plagiarism,” whether it was not properly citing a
source on a high school essay or stealing the opinions of an expert on CNN. Everyone will lie and plagiarize. Still, as inexcusable as plagiarizing to get
a good grade in school or impress our peers is; making millions off another person’s
work seems to take the offense to another level of revulsion. I suppose that is what separates most casual
plagiarizers from the likes of Denis Leary.
That being said, I would respect Denis much more if he would just admit
he stole a few ideas from Bill Hicks. C’mon
Denis, grow a pair and come clean!
Bluecam94

More
often, I think plagiarizers are rewarded for stealing other people’s ideas,
rather than face punishment. However, most
of us are guilty of “casual plagiarism,” whether it was not properly citing a
source on a high school essay or stealing the opinions of an expert on CNN. Everyone will lie and plagiarize. Still, as inexcusable as plagiarizing to get
a good grade in school or impress our peers is; making millions off another person’s
work seems to take the offense to another level of revulsion. I suppose that is what separates most casual
plagiarizers from the likes of Denis Leary.
That being said, I would respect Denis much more if he would just admit
he stole a few ideas from Bill Hicks. C’mon
Denis, grow a pair and come clean!
BOSSY909

most contempories of Hicks, comedians that are worth a damn, respect and admire hick’s mastery of “the art of stand-up even from the age of seventeen. Hicks was a natural.

Hicks is not a saint, he’s not a deity, he’s not even that famous, but he was good. Just because you didnt like him doesn’t really mean anything. As i’m sure this means little to you
BOSSY909

Yeah, there is a big difference between Leary and Hicks…
Hicks was funny, hicks is a comedian, hicks was original, despite the cohesion of his and George Carlin’s style. But you do have to realize, George Carlin lived in the transition between the “hippy dippy” weatherman days, and actually having social and political commentary which went after the establishment. just like the Beatles went from the days of surf sand girls cars and fun, to the machine gun, anti-war late sixties. you can also argue that its just drug-fueled hippie bukkake. (bukkake is the new bull****) but there was also a larger movement there, the one where we stop inherently trusting god and government and think for our selves. (you just stole that from Tim Leary and a bunch of acid-drunk morons) It doesn’t negate the idea though. You can argue all you want that they aren’t really rebels and that
comedians are all fakes and phonies and not part of the real social
progressivism. but you’re wrong, you just are.
(what does this have to do with Hicks?)
Oh yeah, he at least had the balls to say what others didn’t, and there was very real blacklisting taking place amongst the business executives who didn’t like the points Bill Hicks was trying to illuminate. Hell, I even started thinking Carlin was being tame and staying somewhat inside the lines after really listening to all of Bill Hicks stuff. and for those who say he isnt funny, there were some routines there at the end, after he was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer (which is one of the rarest, least treatable, and unknown types of cancer. which had very little to do with smoking. hell, doctors can’t even tell you why people get cancer, really, the jury’s still out, incoclusive. Has much more to do with family history and genetics) where Bill Hicks would routinely shut down entire audiences with hushed silence. So yeah, it wasn’t funny, when he had terminal cancer.

Denis leary isn’t funny, really, he isn’t. He has had how many full hour routines in twenty years? 3, 3!!! The difference between No cure for cancer and lock and load was as stark as Bill Hick’s Death (obviously Denis couldn’t “think” of any more decent material, and by the way, I thought No Cure for cancer was funny…
(when I was ten)
then I watched it again recently, I would objectively call it “mildly amusing.” lock and load was crap. And have you seen douchebags and donuts? HE COULDN’T EVEN FILL A WHOLE HOUR!!! there were three other comedians. He cited TWO (2) examples of douchebags, which was not funny nor was it clever, and how prescription drugs have more side effects than benefits, and the side effects are worse than the “problem” being treated. Really? I could’ve pulled way funnier comedy out of my runny stools, and it’s not my job. by the way, its no longer leary’s job either. “Quaker State” You’ve made your choice, Penis, go do some more episodes of rescue me where you try not to be a callow middle aged man dealing with middle aged whores and your crumbling aging body.
Jokesonu

FFS comedians steal each other’s material all the time it’s part and parcel of the industry, Jesus look at the lineage between Pryor, Murphy, Rock, Chappelle. Hicks is only worshiped because he’s DEAD, yes he was funny at the time but even he “stole” jokes (from Sam Kinison) and put his own flavor on them, like most comedians do.
This isn’t something new, Bob Hope and Milton Berle were at each others throats for years. Same goes for Robin Williams, he lifted jokes from everyone, especially David Brenner and I bet right now most of you are saying David who?
At the end of the day Denis Leary is the one still laughing, he’s made more $ than Hicks could ever of dreamed of and that’s complete bs if you think Hicks wasn’t in it for the $, they ALL are and why wouldn’t you be?
Andy

“…bs if you think Hicks wasn’t in it for the $…” Have you ever heard or seen Bill Hicks material? Your comments indicate that you haven’t, or if you did you didn’t comprehend it. Bill Hicks’ material guaranteed he would never become wealthy or broadly accepted.

EXHIBIT A: Denis Leary Vs. Bill Hicks

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