When “Anger Comedy” Could Be Comedy
People following the Michael Richards debacle have noted the obvious descent of Richards into rage and racism and some have noted how comedy clubs have become havens for the comedy of anger.
Anger has been around as a comedy prop for a long time. But few have funneled it so creatively, humorously and artistically than the late Sam Kinison.
Younger readers and comedy fans particularly need to watch this You Tube video. A true gem: Kinison’s first network appearance on a Nov. 1985 David Letterman show. Note at the end how he has left Letterman (who was always excellent about promoting other comedians and newer genres of comedy) laughing. Remember: the national TV audience had never seen this style before.
You can get BOOKS on Sam Kinison here.
You can get DVDs featuring Sam Kinison here.
PS: Kinison was admired by new wave comedians, more traditional comedians and rock stars. His career had its ups and downs, as did his all-too-short life. He remains missed by many.
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i remember seeing kinison at one of his first gigs at the comedy store…it was late, he was the last one on…and people walked out…they didnt get him…and at first neither did i…when i finally did, i found him to be hilarious.
its too bad he had to die in such a tragic way…we all thought he was gonna go because of drugs and drinking, not a fluke car accident
Kinison defined that “edgy” brand of 70s/80s humor in some of the same ways Kaufman did. Watching him was bracing, and I couldn’t help myself from guffawing in spite of my “better judgement.” Now that’s funny.
RIP, Sam.
The bios will tell you that he hit rock bottom towards the end of his career due to drug use but was just starting to be professionally and personally reborn when he was killed in that car crash. This is a story that begs to be turned into a major movie. I’m considered a very traditional comedy performer…but I loved Kinison.
I don’t want to forget to add Pryor to my earlier list – he certainly deserves a place of honor at this table.
It seems to me that time represented a renewal of the art of comedy, with performers pushing new boundaries in the early post-vaudvillian era. It also seems to me that until recently, a similar renewal has long been missing from the culture – which has otherwise continuously produced such renewal.
I know, Saturday Night Live, Comedy Central, etc. have made huge contributions to keeping stand-up comedy alive. But not necessarily renewed.
Since this is after all generally a political blog, and since our host is himself so closely connected with the subject at hand, I wonder if the Bill Maher/Jon Stewart/Steven Colbert model is in fact the long awaited renewal? I can see the obstacles in such reasoning, but I’m curious as to your thoughts, Joe.
BIll. Hicks.
Oh I think those new guys are the new wave. But I also think you’re starting to see a bit of reajdustment where more than every some comedy “buyers” think the envelope has been pressed a bit too far on the comedy of shock value. Bill Maher/John Stewart/Steven Colbert are closer to Letterman-style late 20th century comedians who use irony. Maher uses (who is just a super stand up if you watch his show) a variety of techniques. Bill Hicks used anger, rage, frustration and took it to new levels. When you look at the Richards mess, you get the feeling when you look at an old Hicks clip (which I posted) that he was in that moment not just losing it but also highly influenced by the kind of bit Hicks did…but not everyone can pull that kind of thing off. I think there are two new waves…the people pushing the envelope but also a feeling that perhaps comedy derived from people using shock words and saying things that 25 years ago would be met with a stony silence and outright hostility from an audience may have gone a bit too far. There are people who love the word-shock comedy. It’s because each generation and culture is imprinted with what is OUT THERe. Why is it out there? Is it out there because when they’re 1 or 2 years old or 14 they are clamoring for it — because the market demands it? No. It’s because those who MAKE THE MARKET create the market with the offerings to comedy consumers (young and old).
So YES there IS a renewal in the art of comedy with some of these folks. And the next generation will be influenced by them as well. That’s why it’s healthy for something like the Richards incident to force a re-thinking about self-imposed limits. Also: I AGREE with efforts to totally shun use of the “n” word. If it’s out there in the popular culture constantly, that’s what young people are going to think is the norm…and then they’ll want to push the envelope (as each generation does and has done throughtout 20th-21st century history)
The kind of comedy that works best on me is ridiculing hypocrisy. Bill Hicks did, and does, that better for me than anyone. Perhaps that’s why I respond so well to Stewart, Colbert and Southpark
I never really responded well to ridicule humor. I am not comfortable laughing at someone’s stupidity or injury. It seems odd to me to laugh at something someone can’t do anything about.
Kinison was a talent. Another ‘comic’ who used anger and negative emotions was Andrew Dice Clay. He had about as much talent as Britney Spears. Loved Kinison on “Married with children”.
I didn’t realize that he was a fire-and-brimstone preacher before getting divorced and going into comedy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Kinison
That makes so much sense.