Bill Hicks performing at the Dominion Theatre in London. en.wikipedia.org William Melvin Hicks was an American stand-up comedian in the 1980s and early 1990s. He challenged mainstream beliefs, aiming to “enlighten people to think for themselves.” Hicks used a ribald approach to express his material, describing himself as “Chomsky with dick jokes.” His jokes included general discussions about society, religion, politics, philosophy and personal issues. Hicks’ material was often deliberately controversial and steeped in black comedy. In both his stand-up performances, and during interviews, he often criticized media and popular culture as oppressive tools of the ruling class, meant to “keep people stupid and apathetic.”