It may surprise some people who know me that I’m not a huge fan of stand-up comedy. Lewis Black, for example, may have much to say that’s worth hearing, but his delivery grates on my nerves. Having a sense of outrage and/or being outrageous only go so far with me. Sketch comedy, and comic acting, are much more my thing. Stephen Colbert I consider to be a uniquely gifted comic actor with no equal.
With that bit as background, I was very impressed with what David Letterman did last night on behalf of the late comedian Bill Hicks. Since becoming a father and having coronary bypass surgery, Letterman’s turned into a real human being. The man is still wry and ironic, but he now displays humanity and sympathy to a degree that I don’t recall seeing in years past.
I’m not overly familiar with the work of Hicks, who died of pancreatic cancer in 1994, less than five months after what would have been his twelfth, and final, appearance on Letterman’s show. But I know his material was challenging and ahead of its time on hitting every controversial social topic there is. Letterman, not knowing Hicks was dying, cut the segment. Last night, Letterman apologized to Hicks’ mother, because his action had hurt her son in his final months, and he aired Hicks’ routine in full.
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