Opinion: The dream and the nightmare – is Hicks still relevant?
Bill Hicks
Colm Quinn, from Wexford, Ireland, discusses whether Bill Hicks’ message is still relevant twenty years on…
Bill Hicks was certainly known as a wild one. He shot, spat and hurled vicious satire at anyone and anything he saw as unjust. The people he talked about were probably very happy he never made it into the American mainstream. But the man’s been dead for almost 20 years and that poses the question, is Hicks still relevant?
Satire is great in the moment, attacks on today’s corrupt politicians, comments on scandals and outrages that are happening around you. It is also very important. For a lot of people it may be the only form of social commentary they listen to. It has one problem however: it dates faster that a dead dingo in the desert. Watch re-runs of any panel show and you will see what I mean. A politician getting given the finger by an anarchist just isn’t as funny as it was when it happened five years ago.
So what about Bill? Of course what he said about love and the basic goodness of humanity is timeless and can be related to at any point in human history but how about when he talked about stuff that was going on during his time?
He raged against George Michael, New Kids on the Block and the First Gulf War. But honestly, who gives a shit about that stuff anymore? A few people, but not many. But yet what he said on all these topics still manages to remain relevant, not the specific events or people but the underlying issues he was talking about. No-talented popstars destroying music? Still frustratingly relevant, just watch Bill talk about George Michael and replace his name with Westlife or change New Kids on the Block for any of the soulless sewer spawn being puked out from X-Factor HQ every year.
The similarities between the two Iraq wars are so close if you told someone Bill was talking about George W. Bush instead of his father not an eyebrow would be raised.
It gives me mixed feelings to write this. On the one hand, it’s great that after 20 years Bill’s art is standing the test of time. But 20 years? Almost two long decades and all the shit he talked about is still relevant? Nothing he spoke so passionately about has gotten any better. Governments are trying (and succeeding) to control us even more, lobotomised music and stars are still peoples’ main diet of culture and drugs laws are still hypocritical.
Imagine if Bill could see what they’ve done to smokers? The world’s power hungry impotence sufferers are still firing missiles with glee at little poor people whenever they’re given a chance. Not only has nothing he talked about gotten any better most of it has gotten much, much worse.
So yes, there is no doubt, Bill’s work is still relevant. Even though some of it he may have hoped it wouldn’t be by this stage. His work is still vital for a lot of people and should be seen by a lot more. It teaches us nothing but like all great art simply reminds us what we already know inside. It reminds us to question, to stand up for what’s right and to love each other. It is needed as therapy, relaxation and inspiration.
He once said, “…I always wanted to be the cowboy hero, that lone voice in the wilderness fighting corruption and evil wherever I found it and standing for freedom, truth and justice and in my heart of hearts I still track that dream…” That dream lives on in many people, so does the nightmare and consequently, so must Bill.
