w w w w w w w w w w qw qw IRW w w NIP- 14W W Performances v . :. .t ~y ,'s{:v{} ?.'::" Y s,"~=; ;:}ii. ". . ". e,(?}',y:"} }y:f:A ..: 1~t++~y{:;;;"y;v::i"{ }k ~ yy "}}r}4tyy:.::v.}:}{}t"{v}t:; ;;k"{ 44lS{."t.iy''},};; lis. ' .{} " . *.***********v.":n:11 .- r. .......... .. Outrageous! Sam Kinison: you either love him or hate him By Brian Berger "I didn't want to have a battle of wits with him. I mean I don't have a battle of wits with an active alco- holic on the streets. He's an active drug addict and he's going to die soon. And that's the bottom line." - Bob Goldthwait on Sam Kinison "I' m trying to refrain from retorting to this illiterate, stupid, impossible, talentless turd." - Whoopi Goldberg on Sam Kinison Before I tell you why Sam Kini- son, the most emotional man in America, is a godlike creature of immeasurable wit and wisdom, I want to talk about comedy. I love to laugh and make others laugh. If during my comedic exer- cises I make fun of people or de- scribe in detail some of the most twisted and deviant examples of human behavior known to me, does that make me an insensitive, mean- spirited, politically-incorrect ass- hole? Or, rather, does it demonstrate that I am a sensitive and enthralled observer of the human condition, a person who so intensely loves the greatness that humans are some- times capable of that I can't stand for a minute the blunderfuck medi- ocrity that most are content with? If you think the former is true, than you're either a repressed con- servative or an over-intellectualiz- ing pseudo-liberal that is so intent on not offending anyone or any- thing that you shut yourself off from all that I consider real and humorous about life. If you are ei- ther of these types, I suggest that you stop reading now and run off to the nearest Bob Goldthwait/Whoopi Goldberg film festival. Have a good time. Now that the losers are gone, let me say that I love Sam Kinison. To me, Sam is the embodiment of truth, honesty, passion, integrity, sexuality, and humor. You know, all the good stuff. Loud, unpre- dictable, irreverent, and excessive, Sam is truly the new King of Comedy. A true innovator, Sam - like Hunter S. Thompson in jour- nalism, Howard Stern in radio, Sonic Youth in music, Penn and Teller in performance art, and Michael Jordan in basketball - has virtually reinvented the aesthet- ics of his chosen art form. "Sex without drugs? That's like a car with no gas." - Sam Kinison on Ecstasy "Kevin's starring in his own special. It's called 'Why am I - Sam Kinison on his brother, Kevin, who committed suicide in the spring of 1988 The big escape valve for comedi- ans has always been the phrase "just kidding." The truth is, how- ever, that the best comics - those who strip away their inhibitions and let it all hang out; all the pain, anger, hate, and bewilderment of life - aren't kidding. They're telling it like it is with perhaps a little embellishment, but overall, their art is their life. The conundrum with this is that if you've led a boring life, you'll be COVER STORY Continued from Page 9 BILL: As you know, I'm Bill. I' m 21 years-old and I'm from California. M: How'd you end up here, then? B: Bus. My grandparents sent me here. I was in trouble with the cops up there, so they sent me here. M: What do you think of this place? B: It sucks. I don't like it at all. I wish I could go back, but I can't since I got in trouble with the law in California. M: Do you have any relatives around here? B: Yeah, in Detroit, but they don't want to have anything to do with me. M: Do you receive any money from the government? B: No, but my grandparents send me a little every once in a while. M: Where are your parents? B: My dad is deceased, and I don't know where my mom is. M: Have you tried getting a job around here? B: Yeah, I have. But most jobs around here require a W2 form, and it asks if you have ever been arrested for anything. Most jobs also require I.D. I'm first now looking for a place to live. Then that way, I can try to get a job next to where I live. M: How do you like living in Ann Arbor? ~OKIMA jQI; T-HIlack nk on Wbite or tGree' . r I :-SH-IRT Sl~ea ,SWEAT S19ea - SEND T:PAKPRMTIN ARBOR. MI 48106 INDICATE: STYLE. sRGO R X-LRG, & COLR STYLE OR CALL (313) 5li3-5883 VISA/NCORDRS "1035 B: It's embarrassing walking around the streets and campus. People laugh and mock you. I'm called a bum but most people saying that have never been put in that position of being kicked out on the streets. M: Who gives you the most trouble around here? B: It would probably be- the police. M: Why do they give you trouble here? B: Just for walking around. It's called vagrancy. M: Is this a safe place? B: No. It's not safe for anyone. Anything can happen to anybody. People carry knives. I don't carry one because I don't think I'd have the guts to stab anyone. M: What are your future plans? B: I'd like to have a job and a place to live. It's something you can't rush into. As fast as you get in it is as fast as you can get out of it. M: Did you go to high school? B: No, I dropped out in the eighth grade. That's why it is so hard to find a job. Most jobs require a high school diploma or a G.E.D. I tried to get my G.E.D. but I flunked it. M: Have you ever collected cans? B: No, I don't want to be laughed at and put my hands in trash. M: Are drugs a problem around here? B: I just smoke marijuana and I drink. I don't make it a habit or do it everyday. I want to get my life straight. M : Are drugs a problem with other people? B: It's mainly drinking that's a big problem. You have a couple coke heads, obviously. M: When you came here, did you give them false info? B: No, they can find out all of that stuff about you and then you'd be in more trouble. M: Are you afraid of having to go back to California for your charges? B: No, I was arrested a couple months ago, and they were going to take me back but they didn't because it'd cost them too much money, so they let me off the hook. I'm a free man in the state of Michigan as long as I keep straight. Yeah, as long as I don't get in any trouble and I haven't been in any trouble since I've been here and I don't plan on it. M: What kind of trouble were you in? B: Let's see. Grand theft, stealing cars. Robbing businesses. Mainly stuff like that. M: Do you think you'll ever do it again? B: I won't. I got out of 35 years, and if I did anything, that would just be added to it. M: Are many of the others in here out of prison? B : Yeah, just about all of them are just out of prison. It's more dangerous in here, though, than it is in prison. M: That about wraps it up. Do you have anything else you want to say? B: No. Thursday and I've seen a definite improvement. That's about it. I had to take off for class, so Doug, one of the homeless, took over for me and interviewed Luke. DOUG: Luke, you want to tell us about yourself. LUKE: Yeah, hello. I'm from the West Coast and I've been here for about five years or so. I won't tell you exactly what I do, but it was in the communications business. I got laid-off and finally ended up at the shelter. D: Do you like living at the shelter? L: No, I really don't. It's just an interim situation to get everything squared away and I hope to get out a boring comedian. Sam Kinison has not led a boring life. "He's the only guy that came out of the fucking grave after being dead for three days, and people didn't go, 'Oh! Oh! Oh! The dead fucking live! ' Anybody else and they freak. Jesus comes out; it's like nothing. 'Ah, it's Jesus. Hey, you look a little dusty there, let's wipe some of that off. God, what'd you ride with the top down.'"' - Sam Kinison on the resurrec- tion Born in 1955, Sam Kinison is the son of an evangelical preacher. Brought up in what he called "one of the notches in the Bible Belt," Sam inherited the family business and for a few years his tongue lam- basted insecure, ignorant, and scared parishioners into giving money to the church. Fortunately for comedy lovers, there was an awakening of the spirit in Preacher Sam, and it certainly wasn't the spirit of some dead savior. Rather, it was the spirit of rock 'n' roll. Sam left the church in 1980 to go to California. After years of paying his dues in strip joints and other dives, Sam become the preeminent comedian on the PLASMA DONORS $ Earn Extra Cash $ Earn $20 on your first donation. You can earn up to $120 a month. Couples can earn up to $240. Repeat donors who have not donated in the last 30 days receive an additional $5 bonus for return visit. Plasma donors are people helping people. * -- - -- 3 WELCOME BACK 1 STUDENTS i 12" MEDIUM PIZZA1 with two items I $5.95 Hollywood scene by 1985. His first major national exposure came from his appearance in the Rodney Dangerfield film Back to School. Sam's portrayal of a his- tory professor who is truly con- sumed by his work was mind- blowingly great. The nuances of Sam's facial expressions, body movements, and speech patterns marked him as a truly unique, tal- ented, and LOUD performer. While he is oftentimes undeniably bom- bastic, he is never loud for loud- ness' sake. Rather, his loudness is part of the dynamic of his art. Sam uses great jumps in intensity and volume not just to shock his audi- ence but also to emphasize certain important points. The next major Sam event was the release of his debut album, Louder than Hell. Probably the most controversial record ever put out by Warner Brothers, it is per- haps the finest comedy album of all time. Only the King's Elvis Hav- ing Fun on Stage (RCA) comes close to the inspired mania of Sam on Louder than Hell. While some parts like the Khaddaffi and Dr. Ruth bits have become dated, most of the this album contains eternally classic material. Whether talking about Jesus' last words (OW! OW! See KINISON, Page 6 soon. D: Do you think the shelter is a dangerous place to stay? L: Yes, I really do. I can substantiate it by, that not more than a month ago, two individuals got into a confrontation, and one was stabbed. I've seen a lot of other fights, and yeah, it's most definitely dangerous. D: What do you like most about living~ at the shelter? riv -h - e -- - rn 1 M Go . .I I I 1 When U of M win 1 2 Blueberry Muffins 11200 South University (with thi The University TAL-K by Eric 'Talc Radio does not waste wor is radio, the evening be "S Truebloc October 20, 21,22 October 2? General admission $7 The League Ticket Off Charge your tickel ENSIA ALL-CAMPUS YEARBOOK (Zegufar NMeefnqs Weld SqN YS YPSILANTI PLASMA CENTER 813 W. Michigan Ave., Ypsilanti Monday thru Friday 8:00a.m. - 4:00p.m US 523 M'ansfieldf 4Jyas/tnaw ii 9vMichiigan 1 )TC Voted Best Pizza in, "The Michigan Daily" and "T Call Today About Being A Plasma Donor. 482-6790 MILES MAIN CAMPUS 665-6005 NORTH CAMPUS 995-9101 Ann Arbor by I Fhe Ann Arbor News" I One Coupon Per Person I Not Accepted at William St. Restaurant I or Dine-in at Cottage Inn Cafe Expires 10-2-8 UNIVERSITY TOWERS The best of Campus Life! Furnished Apartments Great Location Corner of S. University & S. Forest 536 S. Forest Ave. 761-2680 1p EST 1897 I - -h - - - 1UE PAGE 4 WEEKEND/OCTOBER 14, 1988 WEEKEND/OCTOBER 14,1988