History Creator / BillHicks

[-[[caption-width-right:200: "I don't mean to sound bitter, cold, or cruel, but I am, so that's how it comes out."]]-]

->''See, I think drugs have done some ''good'' things for us. I really do, and if you don't think drugs have done good things for us, do me a favor. Go home tonight, and take all your albums, and all your tapes, and all your [=CDs=], and ''burn'' 'em, 'cause you know what? The musicians who made all that great music, that's enhanced your lives throughout the years? R-r-r-r-r-r-r-''real'' fuckin' high on drugs.''

He has a number of high profile fans, including [[Creator/MontyPython John Cleese]], Creator/BillBailey, Richard Jeni, Creator/GeorgeCarlin, Creator/WarrenEllis, Creator/GarthEnnis, Music/HenryRollins, Music/{{Tool}}, and Music/{{Radiohead}}. Hicks also made a posthumous appearance in an issue of ''ComicBook/{{Preacher}}''.

[''Hicks fearfully leans over and reaches for the gun. Bang bang. Hicks drops to the floor, dead. Pause. Gets up'']\\

* CaliforniaCollapse: Discussed in the "Arizona Bay" routine.

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Hicks wasn't shy about discussing his compensating for being single, and on the ''Dangerous'' CD, worked this into a way to make hotel housekeeping regret barging into his room while he was... occupied.

Due to a [[WeUsedToBeFriends personal rift]] between Hicks and Creator/DenisLeary, fueled by allegations of plagiarizing Hicks' material, it's best not to mention Leary around fans of Hicks. [[Administrivia/RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgement We'll just leave it at that]], but Wiki/TheOtherWiki has [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Hicks more information]] for the curious, as does the snarkier [[http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Bill_Hicks Uncyclopedia]].

** Speaking of "third eye," this excerpt was featured at the beginning of Music/{{Tool}}'s song of the same name:
--->See, I think drugs have done some good things for us, I really do. And if you don't believe drugs have done good things for us, do me a favor: go home tonight and take all your albums, all your tapes, and all your CD's and burn 'em. 'Cause you know what? The musicians who've made all that great music that's enhanced your lives throughout the years... were [[SexDrugsAndRockAndRoll rrrrrrrrrrrrreal fuckin' high on drugs]].

* CulturalRebel: Hicks was always ready to bash American politics, or American provincialism, or the dumbing-down of the American media, but he celebrated American movies, rock music and porn, dand if he criticised them at all it was for not being more awesome. This has not stopped some people from thinking that he suffered from CulturalCringe.

Due to a [[WeUsedToBeFriends personal rift]] between Hicks and Creator/DenisLeary, fueled by allegations of plagiarizing Hicks' material, it's best not to mention Leary around fans of Hicks. [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgement We'll just leave it at that]], but Wiki/TheOtherWiki has [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Hicks more information]] for the curious, as does the snarkier [[http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Bill_Hicks Uncyclopedia]].

-->I'm so sick of arming the world and then sending troops over to destroy the fucking arms, you know what I mean? We keep arming these little countries then we go and blow the ''shit'' out of 'em. We're like the bullies of the world, you know? We're like Jack Palance in the movie ''Film/{{Shane}}'' throwing the pistol at the sheep herder's feet:\\

Hicks' caustic style of observational comedy focused mostly on his (very) low opinion of society and the media, with venomous attacks on politicians and shallow pop culture. He also covered his own personal habits and problems, most notably his addiction to cigarettes and psychedelic experiences.

Due to a [[WeUsedToBeFriends personal rift]] between Hicks and Creator/DenisLeary, fueled by allegations of plagiarizing Hicks' material, it's best not to mention Leary around fans of Hicks. [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgement We'll just leave it at that]], but Wiki/TheOtherWiki has [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Hicks more information]] for the curious, as does the snarkier [[http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Bill_Hicks Uncyclopedia.]]

* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: Boy, was he bitter about that.

* AntiLoveSong: "Chicks Dig Jerks", quoted in the previous item.

* AuthorFilibuster: Hicks' personal politics and philosophy informed much of his act.

* BileFascination: {{Invoked|Trope}}. From ''Rant in E-Minor:''
-->Is anyone like me in that they are compelled, drawn against their will, to watch the show ''Series/{{COPS}}'' every fucking night? ...I am '''''OBSESSED''''' with that show. I can't not watch it. I'm like a guy with a sore tooth, I can't stop touching it.

-->I'm so sick of arming the world and then sending troops over to destroy the fucking arms, you know what I mean? We keep arming these little countries then we go and blow the ''shit'' out of 'em. We're like the bullies of the world, you know? We're like Jack Palance in the movie ''Film/{{Shane}}''... Throwing the pistol at the sheep herder's feet:\\

'''Jack Palance''': [''icy whisper''] Pick up the gun.\\

* CulturalRebel: Hicks was always ready to bash American politics, or American provincialism, or the dumbing-down of the American media, but when it came to American movies, rock music and porn, he celebrated them, and if he criticised them at all it was for not being more awesome. This has not stopped some people from thinking that he suffered from CulturalCringe.

* DracoInLeatherPants: {{Invoked|Trope}}. This was his view on how some people might treat Satan.

--->[''referring to mushrooms''] I took what Terence [=McKenna=] refers to as a ''heroic'' dose... [''audience laughs''] Five dried grams... [''audience ooohs''] Yeah, my third eye was squeegeed quite cleanly.

-->''"I left in love, in laughter, and in truth and wherever truth, love and laughter abide, I am there in spirit."''

* IconicSongRequest: A heckler repeatedly shouting "[[Music/LynyrdSkynyrd Free Bird]]," triggered one of his most notorious rants (see KillAllHumans below).

* MoodWhiplash: Hicks liked to immediately follow up his vitriolic rants about musicians doing advertising and / or speaking out against drugs (which inevitably involved calling them "suckers of Satan's cock," along with a roar / inhale sound effect that's hard to describe) with the dark but lighthearted "Beelzebozo, the Clown from Hell" bit, a parody of clowns working at birthday parties.

* NoSell: Many of his contemporaries were in awe of his ability to completely ignore and outright revel in some of his early crowds' indifference to his style of comedy (before he gained his loyal following). Joe Rogan is fond of telling a story about a time at The Comedy Store where the crowd was not at all into him and he blithely went into a five minute long gag of The Devil shitting out Geraldo Rivera that was mostly grunts and strains. Half of the crowd walked out; meanwhile, his fellow comedians in the back were ''dying.''

-->If you work in advertising or marketing... Kill yourself. *''crowd laughs''* No, seriously. This is not a joke. You're thinking there's gonna be a joke coming -- there's no fucking joke coming. You are Satan's spawn, filling the world with bile and garbage. Kill yourself.
** The killer joke (that he's been setting up from the start): "I know what all the marketing people here are thinking, (marketer impression) you know what Bill's doing? He's going after the anti-marketing dollar, that's a good market. He's very smart. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDW_Hj2K0wo He's very smart.]]" Hicks was a genius at setting up punchlines with long, seemingly meandering set ups.

--->Anyway, the major news said that the Branch Davidians started the fire. Now I'm not mistaken, correct me if I go off the story here, and that all they did was shoot in tear gas -- yet I've seen with my own eyes [...] footage of a Bradley tank shooting fire into the compound which... Isn't that odd that no major news source has picked up on that? How do you think that's newsworthy? Because that basically means that the government, from the FBI, the ATF, up to Janet Reno, and including Clinton are... Ummm... LIARS AND MURDERERS! HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!

* SexierAlterEgo: Randy Pan the Goatboy ([[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext Bill's sex crazed alter ego who happens to be half goat]]), who can seduce anyone with a pulse and goes for AnythingThatMoves.

-->*''to someone near the stage''* How many packs a day do you smoke? *''barely audible answer''* A pack and a half?! You little puss! Why don't you put on a dress and swish around for us? *''sing-song''* Pack and a haaaaalf, I smoke a pack and a haaaaalf... Makes me ill. I go through two ''lighters'' a day.

* ThereIsAGod: In his album ''Arizona Bay,'' Bill responds to California sliding into the Pacific Ocean this way.

* RefugeInAudacity: Most of Hicks' material lives and breathes this trope.

** To be fair he does follow up an extended series of lines like that, with the killer joke (that he's been setting up from the start): "I know what all the marketing people here are thinking, (marketer impression) you know what Bill's doing? He's going after the anti-marketing dollar, that's a good market. He's very smart. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDW_Hj2K0wo He's very smart.]]" Hicks was a genius at setting up punchlines with long, seemingly meandering set ups.

Due to a [[WeUsedToBeFriends personal rift]] between Hicks and Creator/DenisLeary, fueled by allegations of plagiarizing Hicks' material, it's best not to mention Leary around fans of Hicks. [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgement We'll just leave it at that]], but Wiki/TheOtherWiki has [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Hicks more information]] for the curious, as does the snarkier [[http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Bill_Hicks Uncyclopedia]].

** "The man that brings [[Music/ElvisPresley me]] my scarves and my water, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RLucBPZsbw Mr. Charlie Hodge.]]" This gets repeated in some form or fashion at least a dozen times in the "Elvis" bit.

'''William Melvin "Bill" Hicks''' (December 16, 1961 -- February 26, 1994) was an American [[RecordedAndStandUpComedy stand-up comedian,]] born in Georgia and raised in Texas from the age of 7. He began his stand-up career in the late 1970's, having grown up a big fan of Creator/WoodyAllen and Creator/RichardPryor, and would often sneak out of the house to perform sets at local clubs. His rebellious, free-thinking attitude was obvious at a young age, to the point that his parents actually brought him to a psychoanalyst at age 17; the analyst actually sided with Bill.

Bill was part of a particularly infamous moment in late-night talk show history, with his aborted final appearance on ''Late Night With Creator/DavidLetterman'' in 1993. The material in his five minute set included some cynical material about the pro-life movement, which afterward led to the entire set being pulled from the air. To say Bill was displeased [[BerserkButton would be a massive understatement]], and he made no secret of his bitter feelings afterward. This came shortly after Bill's diagnosis with pancreatic cancer. Despite this, he continued performing at his usual rate until he finally went home to be with his parents in Little Rock, Arkansas, in early 1994, where he passed away. Years later, Letterman expressed regret over the incident, and even [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments invited Bill's mother on the show to watch the clip being broadcast at last]].

Due to a [[WeUsedToBeFriends personal rift]] between Hicks and Creator/DenisLeary, fueled by allegations of plagiarizing Hicks' material, it's best not to mention Leary around fans of Hicks. [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgement We'll just leave it at that]], but TheOtherWiki has [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Hicks more information]] for the curious, as does the snarkier [[http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Bill_Hicks Uncyclopedia]].

* HypocriticalHumor: Has a bit where he declares "Daddy's Roommate" to be disgusting, while simultaneously declaring "Heather Has Two mommies" to be "[[GirlOnGirlIsHot quite a fetching read]]".

He has a number of high profile fans, including [[Creator/MontyPython John Cleese]], Bill Bailey, Richard Jeni, Creator/GeorgeCarlin, Creator/WarrenEllis, Creator/GarthEnnis, Music/HenryRollins, Music/{{Tool}}, and Music/{{Radiohead}}. Hicks also made a posthumous appearance in an issue of ''ComicBook/{{Preacher}}''.

* BrokenPedestal: Bill couldn't get a whole lot of momentum on American TV, though he had a frequent spot on the Letterman show and was at one point sponsored by Rodney Dangerfield. One of the things that pained Hicks the most was watching his former idol, Jay Leno, shilling Doritos ('Crunch all ya want. we'll make more!') and becoming a corporate mascot for NBC.

-->I'm so sick of arming the world and then sending troops over to destroy the fucking arms, you know what I mean? We keep arming these little countries then we go and blow the ''shit'' out of 'em. We're like the bullies of the world, you know? We're like Jack Palance in the movie ''Film/{{Shane}}''... Throwing the pistol at the sheep herder's feet:
-->'''Jack Palance''': Pick it up.
-->'''Sheepherder''': I don't wanna pick it up mister, you'll shoot me.
-->'''Jack Palance''': Pick up the gun.
-->'''Sheepherder''': Mister, I don't want no trouble, huh. I just came down town here to get some hard rock candy for my kids, some gingham for my wife. I don't even know what gingham is, but she goes through about 10 rolls a week of that stuff. I ain't looking for no trouble, mister.
-->'''Jack Palance''': [''icy whisper''] Pick up the gun.\\
[''Hicks fearfully leans over and reaches for the gun. Bang bang. Hicks drops to the floor, dead. Pause. Gets up'']
-->'''Jack Palance''': You all saw him. He had a gun.

* DeadArtistsAreBetter: Hicks had nothing but ire for modern musicians doing ads or anti-drug campaigns, and lamented the hollowness of their music and personalities.
-->''PLAY FROM YOUR FUCKING HEAAAAAART!!!!!!''

* FanDisservice: There's a segment on the ''Revelations'' show in which Hicks indulges in his 'Goatboy' persona for about ten minutes... During which the audience is very, ''very'' noticeably squicked out.

* GirlOnGirlIsHot: {{Invoked|Trope}} on [[AuthorAppeal more than one occasion,]] especially when he was talking about how bad ''Film/BasicInstinct'' was and how shocked he was that the test audiences didn't like the lesbian scenes that were eventually cut from the film.

** In one routine, Bill openly brags about all the great technology designed to save people with [[TemptingFate cancer,]] whilst declaring that people dying from nothing were screwed.
** He also cited the irony of pro-lifers killing doctors, who performed abortions.

-->Here is the commercial they ''want'' to do... Here's the woman's face. Beautiful. Camera pulls back, naked breasts. Camera pulls back, she's totally naked, legs apart, two fingers right here... And it just says: "Drink Coke." Now I don't understand the connection, but Coke is on my shopping list this week! ''(later, he bends over at the camera)'' Snnnnnnnnnnickers!

->''Here is my final thought. ([[SelfDeprecation Oh, thank God.]]) About drugs. About alcohol. About pornography, whatever that is. What business is it of yours what I do, read, buy, see, or take into my body, as long as I do not harm another human being on this planet? And for those of you out there having a little MoralDilemma in your head, about how to answer that question, I'll answer it for ya: '''None''' of your fucking business.''

* CulturalCringe: He never missed an opportunity to bash his native America.

Due to a [[WeUsedToBeFriends personal rift]] between Hicks and Creator/DenisLeary, fueled by allegations of plagiarising Hicks' material, it's best not to mention Leary around fans of Hicks. [[RuleOfCautiousEditingJudgement We'll just leave it at that]], but TheOtherWiki has [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Hicks more information]] for the curious, as does the snarkier [[http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Bill_Hicks Uncyclopedia]].

* DeadpanSnarker

-->Here is the commercial they ''want'' to do... Here's the woman's face. Beautiful. Camera pulls back, naked breasts. Camera pulls back, she's totally naked, legs apart, two fingers right here... And it just says: "Drink Coke." Now I don't understand the connection, but Coke is on my shopping list this week! ''(later, he bends over at the camera)'' Sniiiiiiiiiiiiiickers!

'''William Melvin "Bill" Hicks''' (December 16, 1961 -- February 26, 1994) was an American [[RecordedAndStandUpComedy stand-up comedian,]] born in Georgia and raised in Texas from the age of 7. He began his stand-up career in the late 1970's, having grown up a big fan of Creator/WoodyAllen and Creator/RichardPryor, and would often sneak out of the house, to perform sets at local clubs. His rebellious, free-thinking attitude was obvious at a young age, to the point that his parents actually brought him to a psychoanalyst at age 17; the analyst actually sided with Bill.

Bill was part of a particularly infamous moment in late-night talk show history, with his aborted final appearance on ''Late Night With Creator/DavidLetterman'' in 1993. The material in his five minute set included some cynical material about the pro-life movement, which afterward led to the entire set being pulled from the air. To say Bill was displeased [[BerserkButton would be a massive understatement,]] and he made no secret of his bitter feelings afterward. This came shortly after Bill's diagnosis with pancreatic cancer. Despite this, he continued performing at his usual rate until he finally went home to be with his parents in Little Rock, Arkansas, in early 1994, where he passed away. Years later, Letterman expressed regret over the incident, and even [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments invited Bill's mother on the show to watch the clip being broadcast at last.]]

Hicks' caustic style of observational comedy focused mostly, on his (very) low opinion of society and the media, with venomous attacks on politicians and shallow pop culture. He also covered his own personal habits and problems, most notably his addiction to cigarettes and psychedelic experiences.

He has a number of high profile fans, including [[Creator/MontyPython John Cleese,]] Bill Bailey, Richard Jeni, Creator/GeorgeCarlin, Creator/WarrenEllis, Creator/GarthEnnis, Music/HenryRollins, Music/{{Tool}}, and Music/{{Radiohead}}. Hicks also made a posthumous appearance in an issue of ''ComicBook/{{Preacher}}.''

A documentary film about his life, entitled ''American: The Bill Hicks Story'' was released in 2010.

* BrickJoke: ''Rant in E-Minor'' has a bit about Gideons [[note]] the people who distribute Bibles and New Testaments in places like hotels [[/note]] at one point, wondering where the hell they come from. Towards the end of the show:

-->Anyone... '''DUMB ENOUGH'''... To want to be in the military... Should be allowed! [...] AREN'T Y'ALL FUCKIN' HIRED KILLERS?! '''SHUT UP!'''

* ConspiracyTheorist: Especially regarding [[WhoShotJFK the Kennedy assassination;]] Hicks strongly disbelieved the official version.

--->I took what Terence [=McKenna=] refers to as a ''heroic'' dose... [''audience laughs''] Five dried grams... [''audience ooohs''] Yeah, my third eye was squeegeed quite cleanly.

'''William Melvin "Bill" Hicks''' (December 16, 1961 -- February 26, 1994) was an American [[RecordedAndStandUpComedy stand-up comedian,]] born in Georgia and raised in Texas from the age of 7. He began his stand-up career in the late 1970's, having grown up a big fan of Creator/WoodyAllen and Creator/RichardPryor, and would often sneak out of the house, to perform sets at local clubs. His rebellious, free thinking attitude was obvious at a young age, to the point that his parents, actually brought him to a psychoanalyst at age 17; the analyst actually sided with Bill.

His love of recreational drugs took a toll on his finances, but after years of working the nightclub circuit, he finally got his big break on Creator/RodneyDangerfield's ''Young Comedians Special.'' From there, he moved to New York City, and began performing 300 times a year for the next several years. He developed a habit of chain smoking while on stage, which worked its way into his act almost immediately. In 1989, his first video, ''Sane Man,'' was released. In 1990, his first album, ''Dangerous,'' hit the shelves, and a television special, ''One Night Stand,'' came out that same year. Despite the exposure, Hicks never quite broke through like his contemporaries, such as Creator/SamKinison, but he did gain a big following in the UK, where he taped another special, ''Revelations.'' On this special, he debuted his now iconic "It's Just A Ride" speech to close the show.

Bill was part of a particularly infamous moment in late night talk show history, with his aborted final appearance on ''Late Night With Creator/DavidLetterman'' in 1993. The material in his five minute set, included some cynical material about the pro-life movement, which afterward led to the entire set, being pulled from the air. To say Bill was displeased [[BerserkButton would be a massive understatement,]] and he made no secret of his bitter feelings afterward. This came shortly after Bill's diagnosis with pancreatic cancer. Despite this, he continued performing at his usual rate, until he finally went home to be with his parents in Little Rock, Arkansas, in early 1994, where he passed away. Years later, Letterman expressed regret over the incident, and even [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments invited Bill's mother on the show to watch the clip being broadcast at last.]]

* ADateWithRosiePalms: Hicks wasn't shy about discussing, his compensating for being single, and on the ''Dangerous'' CD, worked this into a way to make, hotel housekeeping regret barging into his room while he's... Occupied.

* DeepSouth: One of his favorite targets, due to rampant ignorance, and religious belief clashing with his principles.

* DrivenToSuicide: {{Invoked|Trope}} in the bit about Jay Leno realizing, how far his career has fallen, while interviewing Joey Lawrence, and shooting himself on-stage.

** Hicks routinely did material, on the benefits of using marijuana and hallucinogens, going so far as a "families should trip together" bit, and likening the effects of mushrooms to a religious experience.

--->Why is the drug czar in this country -- well, let's go back; Why do we ''have'' a "drug czar" in this country? A. B, why is he a cop? Why do they put drug users in jail? They're sick, they're not criminals. Sick people don't get better in prison.

* FanDisillusionment: A theory Hicks "claimed," explained Music/JudasPriest's apparent desire to kill off their fans.
* FanDisservice: There's a segment on the ''Revelations'' show in which Hicks indulges in his 'Goatboy' persona for about ten minutes... During which, the audience is very, ''very'' noticeably squicked out.
* FridgeLogic: {{Invoked|Trope}} as part of his comedy. When recalling the story about Music/JudasPriest, apparently putting subliminal messages in their music, telling people to kill themselves, he then asked: "'''''[[NoIndoorVoice WHAT]]''''' [[ArmorPiercingQuestion performer wants his fuckin' audience dead?!]] I don't see the long-term ''gain'' here!" Funnily enough, Judas Priest themselves raised the same question, and ironically, [[MisBlamed didn't even write the song in question]] (it was a cover of "Better By You, Better Than Me," by Spooky Tooth).
* GilliganCut: Used at the end of some of his bits, that are particularly critical of rednecks and Christians.

* GirlOnGirlIsHot: {{Invoked|Trope}} on [[AuthorAppeal more than one occasion,]] especially when he was talking about, how bad ''Film/BasicInstinct'' was, and how shocked he was, that the test audiences didn't like the lesbian scenes, that were eventually cut from the film.

* GoodSmokingEvilSmoking: Hicks had a very dim view of nonsmokers, and their behavior(s) around smokers, although he also poked fun at his own smoking.
* HigherUnderstandingThroughDrugs: One of his central themes, was the use of hallucinogens to open the third eye, and expand consciousness.

* IWasYoungAndNeededTheMoney: He claimed this was the only possible excuse you can have, to do commercials (apart from Music/WillieNelson, who got a pass for his $24 million tax bill).

** In one routine, Bill openly brags about all the great technology, designed to save people with [[TemptingFate cancer,]] whilst declaring that people dying from nothing were screwed.

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Hard as it is to believe, Hicks really did hold out hope for humanity, and felt it could accomplish great things, if people stopped living in fear of their own full potential.

* ManChild: Calls himself out in one routine, where he notes, that the only thing he seems to rent from video stores, are video games and hardcore lesbian pornography.

* MoodWhiplash: Hicks liked to immediately follow up his vitriolic rants, about musicians doing advertising and / or speaking out against drugs (which inevitably involved calling them: "suckers of Satan's cock," along with a roar / inhale sound effect, that's hard to describe), with the dark but lighthearted "Beelzebozo, the Clown from Hell" bit, a parody of clowns working at birthday parties.

* NoSell: Many of his contemporaries were in awe of his ability, to completely ignore and outright revel, in some of his early crowds' indifference, to his style of comedy (before he gained his loyal following). Joe Rogan is fond of telling a story, about a time at The Comedy Store, where the crowd was not at all into him, and he blithely went into a five minute long gag of The Devil shitting out Geraldo Rivera, that was mostly grunts and strains. Half of the crowd walked out, meanwhile his fellow comedians in the back were ''dying.''

** {{Lampshade|Hanging}}d: "Okay Bill, stop with the Goatboy thing, we get it alright. It's kinda amusing but... Okay."
** "The man that brings [[Music/ElvisPresley me]] my scarves and my water, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RLucBPZsbw Mr. Charlie Hodge.]]" This gets repeated in some form or fashion, at least a dozen times in the "Elvis" bit.

* PublicServiceAnnouncement: Hicks wasn't impressed by the government's anti-drugs message... And that they didn't mention, that drugs hadn't managed to kill Music/KeithRichards.

-->If you work in advertising or marketing... Kill yourself. *''crowd laughs''* No, seriously. This is not a joke. You're thinking, there's gonna be a joke coming -- there's no fucking joke coming. You are Satan's spawn, filling the world with bile and garbage. Kill yourself.

** Many of his rants and monologues, about people he found morally detestable, involved calling them: "suckers of Satan's cock," often with accompanying sound effects.
** He often bursts out in manic laughter, after saying something hideously dark. On Waco:
--->Anyway, the major news said that the Branch Davidians started the fire. Now I'm not mistaken, correct me if I go off the story here, and that all they did was shoot in Tear gas -- yet I've seen with my own eyes [...] footage of a Bradley tank shooting fire into the compound which... Isn't that odd that no major news source has picked up on that? How do you think that's newsworthy? Because that basically means that the government; from the FBI, the ATF, up to Janet Reno, and including Clinton are... Ummm... LIARS AND MURDERERS! HA!HA!HA!HA!HA!
* SayingSoundEffectsOutLoud: Bill was good at imitating gunshots, and similar sound effects, sometimes bordering on VoiceChangeling.

* SexierAlterEgo: Randy Pan the Goatboy ([[MakesJustAsMuchSenseInContext Bill's sex crazed alter ego who happens to be half goat]]) who can seduce anyone with a pulse, and goes for AnythingThatMoves.

* SuicideDare: Played for dark humour when he encourages, any [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDW_Hj2K0wo marketing professionals]] in the audience, to kill themselves.
* TakeThat: Bill wouldn't exist without it. He called his routine "comedy of hate," and one track on ''Rant in E-Minor,'' is called "'You're Wrong' Night" for a reason.

-->*''to someone near the stage''* How many packs a day do you smoke? *''barely audible answer''* A pack and a half?! You little puss! Why don't you put on a dress, and swish around for us? *''sing-song''* Pack and a haaaaalf, I smoke a pack and a haaaaalf... Makes me ill. I go through two ''lighters'' a day.

* TemptingFate: Again, his little routine declaring, people dying from nothing were screwed, whereas people like him who smoked, had "[[ExactWords all sortsa neat gadgets lined up]]."
* ThereIsAGod: In his album ''Arizona Bay,'' Bill responds to California sliding into the Pacific Ocean, this way.

* AllGirlsWantBadBoys: And, ''damn,'' was he bitter about that.

* AntiLoveSong: "Chicks Dig Jerks," quoted in the previous item.
* AtomicFBomb / ClusterFBomb / PrecisionFStrike: Hicks' routines were ''salty,'' and covered all the F tropes with gusto, as the quotes on this page demonstrate.

* BerserkButton: Don't heckle Bill Hicks. Just... [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PdKpR9qNtg don't.]] '''{{NSFW}}.'''

-->Is anyone like me in that they are compelled, drawn against their will, to watch the show ''Series/{{COPS}}'' every fucking night? ...I am ''OBSESSED'' with that show. I can't not watch it. I'm like a guy with a sore tooth, I can't stop touching it.

* IconicSongRequest: A heckler repeatedly shouting "[[Music/LynyrdSkynyrd Freebird]]," triggered one of his most infamous rants (see KillAllHumans below).

* KillAllHumans: Hicks ''exploded'' in the aforementioned "Freebird" heckler incident.