Mitch Hedberg

[SnikPlosskin]

I love blackjack. But I'm not addicted to gambling. I'm addicted to sitting in a semicircle.

I'm an ice sculptor. Last night I made a cube.

Magicians disappear all the time, but as soon as a regular person does it, everyone is all scared. "Tom's gone!" "Is he a magician?" "No." "Then let's print up some flyers!"

I tried to throw a yo-yo away. It was impossible.

I want to get a vending machine, with fun sized candy bars, and the glass in front is a magnifying glass. You'll be mad, but it will be too late.

Imagine if you were a drummer, and you accidentally picked up two magic wands instead of sticks. There you are, keeping the beat, the next thing you know, your bass player turns into a can of soup.

I ate one anchovy, and that is why I did not eat two anchovies.

People associate long hair with drug use. I wish people associated long hair with something other than drug use, like an extreme longing for cake. And then strangers would see a long haired guy and say, "That guy eats cake!" "He is on bundt cake!" Mothers saying to their daughters, "Don't bring the cake eater over here anymore. He smells like flour. Did you see how excited he got when he found out your birthday was fast approaching?"

YouTube - ‪Mitch Hedberg Compilation Part 1‬‏

[C5Nate]

May he RIP.


Early years....1995

YouTube - ‪Early Mitch Hedberg T.V. (1995) stand-up‬‏


YouTube - ‪Best Stand up Comedy ever by R.I.P Mitch Hedberg‬‏

[Datawiz]

Mitch was a comedic genius. I miss him dearly. :sadangel:

[SnikPlosskin]

Mitch was a comedic genius. I miss him dearly. :sadangel:

Me too. What a sad story. The guy was so nervous he abused alcohol and drugs just to get up in front of the audience. Imagine knowing what you were born to do but being terrified of it.

:sadangel:

[MrPeabody]

I got some incense that smelled like cinnamon buns. I like to burn it in the morning so my room mates wake up with false expectations.

[snide]

Who?

From what's posted so far, it sounds like he was ripping off Steven Wright... :bilmem:

[VatorMan]

Who?

From what's posted so far, it sounds like he was ripping off Steven Wright... :bilmem:

Totally opposite. With no Mitch there'd be no Steven Wright-who I frikken love.

[C5Nate]

Many never knew who he was when he was on the '70's show:

YouTube - ‪Mitch Hedberg in That 70s Show‬‏

[Datawiz]

Totally opposite. With no Mitch there'd be no Steven Wright-who I frikken love.

this

[SnikPlosskin]

Who?

From what's posted so far, it sounds like he was ripping off Steven Wright... :bilmem:

Are you kidding?

Did you watch the vids? Mitch is absolutely unique. (Wright was unique when he first came out...) two very different styles.

Hedberg had a very bizarre delivery - not really deadpan like Wright, more halted, stiff sort of stoned. His jokes were not simply irony - he had a train of thinking that really reflected who he is. Always a clever twist and sometimes just silly. I see Wright as more of a manufactured character. By all accounts, Hedberg was just being himself.

[VatorMan]

Are you kidding?

Did you watch the vids? Mitch is absolutely unique. (Wright was unique when he first came out...) two very different styles.

Hedberg had a very bizarre delivery - not really deadpan like Wright, more halted, stiff sort of stoned. His jokes were not simply irony - he had a train of thinking that really reflected who he is. Always a clever twist and sometimes just silly. I see Wright as more of a manufactured character. By all accounts, Hedberg was just being himself.

I agree to an extent. Wright took Mitch's material and set it to a deadpan rhythm. Similar but different.

[LATB]

Mitch was dry...and had good lines...

but never had me laugh so hard it hurt, like say...Ron White, Chris Rock...early Robin Williams...

[C5Nate]

Because he suffered from stage fright, Hedberg often performed wearing sunglasses, with his head down, with his hair in his face or with his eyes closed in order to avoid eye contact with the audience. He would often stand upstage or perform with his back to the audience. He would also constantly move in one spot and, when holding the microphone in some skits, his nervousness would cause him to shake it uncontrollably.


Hedberg was known to be a drug user, referring to it in some of his jokes ("I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too.") He was arrested in Austin, Texas in May 2003 for possession of heroin.

DeathOn March 30, 2005, Hedberg was found dead in a hotel room in Livingston, New Jersey.[9] Hedberg was born with a heart defect for which he received extensive treatment as a child.[1][10] It was initially speculated that this condition may have played a part in his death.

The New Jersey medical examiner's office reported "multiple drug toxicity" in the form of a cocaine and heroin "speedball" as the official cause of death.[1]

His death was formally announced on April 1, 2005, leading many to believe it was an April Fool's joke, only to find out later that it wasn't. His funeral was held at St. Ambrose of Woodbury Church in Minnesota[11], and his remains were cremated. Details of where his remains are scattered are known by his family. Mitch was interviewed by Jonathan Davis in the December 2001 issue of Penthouse. In the interview, published three years before his death, he was asked "If you could choose, how would you end your life?" His response was "First, I'd want to get famous, and then I'd overdose. If I overdosed at this stage in my career, I would be lucky if it made the back pages."

[xXBUDXx]

I once saw Mitch in concert. He was too stoned to talk. He couldn't even make a complete sentence. :slap:

[Nemesis]

What if the headless horseman had a headless horse. That sht would fcking chaos.

[joecaver]

RIP Mitch you are greatly missed.

[Sea Six]

I have never before heard of this guy.

To tell you the truth, I can see why. He's just kinda... there.

I watched about half of the first clip, and didn't laugh. :bilmem:

To each his own, I guess.

[simpleman68]

Always enjoyed his humor; it was unique and never felt like an act.
Sad some of the best talent checks out early. :sadangel:
Scott

[Z06David]

Dogs are forever in the pushup position

[Meeko87]

“An escalator can never break: it can only become stairs. You would never see an Escalator Temporarily Out Of Order sign, just Escalator Temporarily Stairs. Sorry for the convenience.”

“Alcoholism is a disease, but it's the only one you can get yelled at for having. Goddamn it Otto, you are an alcoholic. Goddamn it Otto, you have Lupis... one of those two doesn't sound right.”

“I'm sick of following my dreams. I'm just going to ask them where they're going and hook up with them later.”

One of my favorite comedians :sadangel:

[C5SilverBullet]

but never had me laugh so hard it hurt, like say...Ron White, Chris Rock...early Robin Williams...
Because he isn't going to take 5 minutes to set up a punchline. He'll deliver 10 jokes in the time it takes most to tell 1. He gets you laughing, and you don't stop until it is over.

[LATB]

I believe he was an excellent writer...with good lines...

his delivery however, was week by most standards. probably goes to his insecurities mentioned.

probably another comic genius with demons he couldn't overcome.

[LATB]

Because he isn't going to take 5 minutes to set up a punchline. He'll deliver 10 jokes in the time it takes most to tell 1. He gets you laughing, and you don't stop until it is over.

Robin Williams doesn't take time to set up a punch line either...but his delivery is much better.

[C5SilverBullet]

Robin Williams doesn't take time to set up a punch line either...but his delivery is much better.

I wouldn't call it much better, he gets super annoying at times. Mitch's delivery is what makes him funny.

[LATB]

I wouldn't call it much better, he gets super annoying at times. Mitch's delivery is what makes him funny.

yes & yes

[Cybercowboy]

I listen to his stuff on the XM comedy channel and never could catch his name in time (XM leaves it up there for about two seconds...) and when I finally find out who it is, turns out he's dead.

Dang.

I think he's hilarious. If you listen to his stuff without actually seeing him deliver, it's probably better. Man he was a nervous wreck on stage!

[jeff w]

I saw him open for Lewis Black. It was one of his last shows before he died. Mitch was the shit!