Upon reading “Would Sam Kinison Have Survived in Today’s Brave New PC World?“, as a stand-up comedian myself, I felt the need to opine on what was a very insightful question. Sam Kinison was a genius for his time and theoretically still is. The Pentecostal preacher-turned-comedian took a would-be sermon and used his thunderous delivery, vendi-quadruple espresso shot-energy and viewpoint of the obvious to pontificate some of the funniest bits that the 80’s and very early 90’s had ever heard. While his peers, comprised of Jerry Seinfeld, Paul Reiser, and Rosanne Barr, were humorously talking about not pulling the tag off the mattress, catching tuna and not dolphins, and refusing to vacuum until Sears made one you could ride, Sam’s mind worked on other angles that today would have put him on a Hate List somewhere between Sarah Palin and Pat Boone.
His great bit about world hunger, that there would be no world hunger if starving Africans “lived where the food is and not in the desert where nothing grows,” in 2010 would have been construed as anti-Muslim, since Muslims live in the desert. Sam likely would’ve been exiled like Jyllands-Posten, the Danish cartoonists. Then there’s Kinison’s rapper bit which would have no doubt caused Kayne West to tweet “Sam Kinison hates black people” and then bag out on some a previous commitment ala the Today Show. Kinison’s bit on Rock Hudson was spewed not with malice but with a mix of commentary about a screen idol keeping one of Hollywood’s biggest secrets and how heterosexual men may view a gay sexual experience. That bit today would have created blogs upon websites blaring on how Sam is a homophobe and one of the causes of bullying.
Clearly Sam was not without his well-documented personal problems and had many demons he struggled with, but his comedy was straightforward, poignant and his subject matter was that of what many people where thinking about with their inside voice, all of which are the elements of being one of the greatest comics of your time.
I think Sam Kinison certainly would have been a working comic today. However, I do not think he would have had nearly the impact or fame that he experienced during his short life. He would have found his audience and hence a following across the country, but I truly believe the entertainment industry would have not wanted to touch him for the fear of a PC Police backlash. I can’t imagine a Comedy Central or even a HBO that today would have given a one hour special to a stand-up who would exclaim, “If you can’t make it in this country, you can’t make it anywhere. This is the greatest country in the world.” Especially if that proclamation is followed a hysterical shooting the homeless bit.
I’m glad Sam lived in the era he did so we’re now able to reap the benefits of his brilliance. But what a great show it would have been to see Sam go at it with Bill Maher, if that ever could have been a reality.
Thanks for the laughs Sam, I’m glad you brought them when you did.
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