The High Priest: They're Gonna Crucify Me!

Oh, edgy comedians. There's nothing wrong with being dark and satirical, in fact that's where standup is usually at its most powerful and transformative. The problem is with people who've mainlined Bill Hicks DVDs and think that mind-blowing comedy can be achieved by simply shouting "abortion!" and "child rape!" and accusing public figures of sucking various kinds of cock. The High Priest actually hits that last note so hard that it underlines deep homophobia under the general meme of cocksucking being a base, submissive act (so thanks to him for challenging one social convention, even if it's by accident).

His longer rants are all derivative, with a bit on advertising that's pure Hicks, the pointlessness of suburban life which is basically a plot synopsis of American Beauty and his big closer, a 'shocker' about abortion which was funnier and more shocking when South Park did it. Stuff we've heard a million times before is delivered with the belief that our tiny bourgeois minds are being blown by his truths. They're not. He's a good performer and actually a really talented songwriter, but he needs to come to terms with the fact that modern audiences are not easily shocked, although they are easily bored.