Who Made Who
I recently began seeing a new therapist; and as part of her intake questionnaire she asked me about my "Cultural Influences." Ultimately; as this is a blog and ultimately every word that is published here comes about from my own thoughts, opinions, and beliefs; it occurs to me that an entry dedicated to some of the artists in my own life who I truly consider influential in shaping my belief structure.
George Carlin (5/12/1937 - 6/22/2008)
"Think about how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that."
On my Mount Rushmore of stand-up comedians; Carlin is definitely in the George Washington slot. He was the perfect storm of creativity, delivery, and authenticity. His cynicism always seemed plausible because it was so authentic. He knew what he knew and why he knew it; agree with him or don't, Carlin didn't care. I miss him dearly.
Bill Hicks (12/16/1961 - 2/26/1994)
"“Here is my final point...About drugs, about alcohol, about pornography...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 who are having a little moral dilemma in your head about how to answer that question, I'll answer it for you. NONE of your fucking business. Take that to the bank, cash it, and go fucking on a vacation out of my life.”
If Carlin opened the door to my thinking about questioning the motives of others; particularly those in power; Hicks raised the stakes to not only be distrustful of power, but to realize that sovereignty only exists when people allow it. He was not afraid to not only ask the scary questions but also to make sure that if humanity didn't like their lot in life it was their responsibility to change it. If Carlin is Washington on Mount Rushmore, then Hicks is Teddy Roosevelt. His stick was a microphone and he carried it proudly.
"Weird Al" Yankovic (10/23/1959 - __/__/____)
"I'm still a geek on the inside, that's the important thing"
Where Carlin and Hicks are counter-culture gods; Alfred Matthew Yankovic became a cultural icon by simply reflecting it for what it is; warts and all. While he is most well known for his parody offerings, his true genius lies in his original compositions. For example; when the record industry was fighting MP3 downloading tooth and nail; he came up with this little gem...
As an additional note; I want to also mention that in general; I LOVE singing comedians. Ray Stevens, Adam Sandler, Stephen Lynch, and most recently Bo Burnham are all fantastic artists and deserve attention in their own right; but Yankovic's longevity and ability to beautifully reflect society in a way that will make us not only laugh; but also think is unmatched. Case in point....
Christopher Titus (10/1/1964 - __/__/____)
"Screw normal. You know why? 'Cause if you're normal, the crowd will accept you. But if you're deranged, the crowd will make you their leader."
I discovered Titus at the crucial time in my development; my late teens and early 20's. He had a short-lived television series on the Fox network (which I paid way too much money for to add to my DVD collection 10 years ago while they were out of print) and later took the show that inspired it "Norman Rockwell is Bleeding" on the road. During the pandemic; he uploaded many of his older shows to YouTube and if you've never seen them, they definitely are worth the look.
While Carlin and Hicks ranted about society and Yankovic made fun of us all, Titus went full microeconomics and spoke from the heart about his life and times. He doesn't offer us answers because the questions are so ridiculous it's hard to believe they have to even be asked.
Roger Clyne (01/13/1968 - __/__/____)
"Okay, what have you not heard this week that you want to?"
The above was said to me by Roger himself in September 2014. I had gone on a forced vacation from work and ended up having one of the best weeks of my life. 6 shows, in 5 states in 7 days. Just me, the open road, and the music. By the end of it I had made friends with the band, the opening band, and a lots of people up and down the I-95 corridor.
(in response to the question above) "I know how seriously you take your setlist, and I'm breaking my own rule about every show ending with 'Nada', but if you could finish tomorrow with "Play On"
(Roger looks at the "Play On" tattoo he has on his forearm and elbow "That will be easy to remember. Why that one?"
*tearing up* Because tomorrow I go back to the real world, and have no idea when I get to get back out of it; but it will help considerably to remember that you guys are out here helping others feel the way I felt this week... one show at a time.
"I'll bring it up in committee" Little did he know I had already primed the pump with every other member of the band before I even took it to him. I love it when a plan comes together....
So there you have it; an idea of what messages I consider to be impactful and meaningful as well as some examples of how they are conveyed with little or no subtlety. Movies and Films have to work harder to get their point across; but now you have some idea of what messages I consider to be relevant to my personal ethos.
Til next time friends....
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