Bill Burr knows exactly where his sense of humor comes from. He learned at an early age that if he could make people laugh, then they'd be less likely to hurt him. "I am a mess of a human being, still, this far into life. ... But it makes for good comedy," he says. The comic talks with Terry Gross about processing his abusive childhood, a therapeutic mushroom trip, and why he's angry at liberals. His new Hulu stand-up special is called Bill Burr: Drop Dead Years. Hear an extended version of this interview on YouTube. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
Chapter 1: Who is Bill Burr and what is his new special about?
This is Fresh Air. I'm Terry Gross. My guest Bill Burr was recently described by New York Times comedy columnist Jason Zinnemann as one of the greatest living stand-up comics. In Rolling Stone, Burr was described as the undisputed heavyweight champ of rage-fueled humor. Bill Burr has a new comedy special on Hulu called Drop Dead Years. It starts streaming Friday, March 14th. Here's an excerpt.
He's talking about driving on the freeway in L.A., where he lives, when he's caught in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Meanwhile, there's hardly any cars in the HOV lane, the high-occupancy vehicle lane, which is reserved for vehicles with at least two people. He's tempted to get into that lane, even though there's no one else in his car. But he knows the HOV rules are strictly enforced.
I could go in there by myself, okay? But if there's a cop there, I'm going to get pulled over. I'm going to get yelled at. I get a ticket and my insurance goes up. I am not allowed to do that.
However, I can still join the Klan. I could join the Ku Klux Klan and not get in trouble. I don't get yelled at. I don't get a ticket. No insurance goes up. I could drive down the highway in my Klan outfit as long as I had the mud flap up. I could say Grand Dragon on the front of the sheet. I could have a white power bumper sticker.
I could have a Hitler bobblehead right on the dashboard just sitting there going like that. I would not get pulled over unless I went into the HOV lane. Right? And then I wouldn't get pulled over because I joined a terrorist organization. I would get pulled over because I didn't have another terrorist with me. That's what the problem would be.
And the cop will be coming up like, well, well, well, aren't we in a hurry to get to the cross burning this evening, huh? Who the hell do you think you are, buddy?
Okay, that's Bill Burr from his new comedy special. He's also one of the stars of the new Broadway revival of the David Mamet play, Glengarry Glen Ross. The revival has an incredible cast, Burr, Kieran Culkin, Bob Odenkirk, and Michael McKean. Burr co-starred in the film King of Staten Island, which was loosely based on the life of the film's star, Pete Davidson.
Bercow created, co-wrote, and starred in the animated series F is for Family. Although he's known for comedy that's often contrarian and angry, the new comedy special, Drop Dead Years, opens like this.
It's kind of a weird thing to be over 50, really starting to realize how f***ed you are.
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Chapter 2: What inspired Bill Burr's comedic style?
Like, I thought I did stand-up because I loved comedy. And then what I really figured out was like, no, that's not why I did it. I did stand up because that was the easiest way to walk into a room full of a bunch of people that I didn't know and make everybody like me.
Ladies and gentlemen, Bill Burr.
The way I've moved through the world has always been like, where's the place I have the least chance of being heard?
Bill Burr, welcome to Fresh Air. It's a pleasure to have you on the show.
What's going on? How are you?
I'm good. It seems unusual for you to start on a note of vulnerability like you do in this new special. Does this mark a change in your public or private self?
It's something I've kind of been going towards. But also, I don't think, you know, like most people that get on a stage, they just sort of watch what you do and then think that, This little sliver of you is what you are or whatever. Like that Rolling Stone thing saying that I was the king of rage comedy. You know, and it's in Rolling Stone, so everybody listens to it.
So then they just think I'm walking around just furious all the time. It's two-dimensional. And then there's also a part of me that really hates the fact that I have been... so angry and had this temper and stuff. It was something I never wanted to be. It's something I grew up with. And, you know, you think to yourself, like, I'm not doing that.
I'm not going to be like this person because they're making me feel bad as a kid. And then you grow up and you end up... It's the weird thing. In order to not be it, I think a lot of times you have to be it for a while. And it's weird. It takes somebody else in your life to let you know that that's how you're being because a lot of times you just dialed it down a little bit.
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Chapter 3: How did Bill Burr's childhood shape his comedy?
a great thing but like I don't know I listen to people I try to anyway so when they come at me with something you know if it makes sense okay if it makes sense and I'm in an emotional state that I can actually hear somebody else which sometimes that might take a day for me to think about something
I am the king of a day later being like, hey, you know, you know, that thing I was arguing last night. Yeah, you were right. I'm sorry. I just I don't know why. And, you know, it's the torture right now is I find myself in the moment now. knowing I'm wrong or knowing I should just stop this argument and it's not worth it.
And I've gotten to the point that that voice is getting louder in my head, but I haven't been able to act on it in the moment. And that's what I'm working towards. I would love to be in the And just be able to stop in the middle of it and just be like, what are we doing? Life is flying by. This isn't worth anything. You know, this isn't worth it. Who cares? You know, something like that.
At the start of your new special, you said that you started doing stand-up because it was the easiest way of walking into a room and making people like you.
They would like me so they wouldn't hurt me.
So what kind of hurt? Are you talking about insults or being ignored, bullied, mocked?
Every way that you can be abused is what I'm talking about.
Have you been abused in all those ways?
Oh, yeah. I got the trifecta.
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Chapter 4: Why does Bill Burr criticize liberals?
Chapter 5: How does Bill Burr reflect on his anger and behavior?
Chapter 6: What role does vulnerability play in Bill Burr's comedy?
Bill Burr, welcome to Fresh Air. It's a pleasure to have you on the show.
What's going on? How are you?
I'm good. It seems unusual for you to start on a note of vulnerability like you do in this new special. Does this mark a change in your public or private self?
It's something I've kind of been going towards. But also, I don't think, you know, like most people that get on a stage, they just sort of watch what you do and then think that, This little sliver of you is what you are or whatever. Like that Rolling Stone thing saying that I was the king of rage comedy. You know, and it's in Rolling Stone, so everybody listens to it.
So then they just think I'm walking around just furious all the time. It's two-dimensional. And then there's also a part of me that really hates the fact that I have been... so angry and had this temper and stuff. It was something I never wanted to be. It's something I grew up with. And, you know, you think to yourself, like, I'm not doing that.
I'm not going to be like this person because they're making me feel bad as a kid. And then you grow up and you end up... It's the weird thing. In order to not be it, I think a lot of times you have to be it for a while. And it's weird. It takes somebody else in your life to let you know that that's how you're being because a lot of times you just dialed it down a little bit.
And to you, that means you've leveled off. Like where your normal is is not where normal people's normal is. So you're like, what? You know, I didn't throw a chair across the room. I'm an easygoing. I let stuff roll off my back. Yeah.
So who was the person who told you? Was it your wife, your therapist?
Everybody in my life. Everybody. People reviewing my act. My wife. You know, there's only, like, you can only argue your point, you know, for so long. I mean, when like a hundred people in the row are going like, nah, you know, you're pretty angry. You know, you got to be like, all right, I guess I got to look at this. But it's been like a...
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Chapter 7: How did Bill Burr's acting career evolve with his appearance?
I just think it's a phony ideology where what they really do is it's a bunch of white chicks trying to fix their immediate area. Like they really took on entertainment because they were in entertainment and then they didn't do anything else.
I'm going to have you just blamed all of this on white women. Yes. Where are the men in what you're saying?
Exactly. Because you guys went in and you totally took control of the narrative. That whole Me Too thing was supposed to be about people with no power speaking to people with power and giving more people opportunities, which meant people of color. And then all of a sudden, white women jumped in and became like the biggest victims in the country. They were the ones that were being listened to.
That's what that was what was weird to me.
This is where you kind of lose me.
It doesn't surprise me on this station talking to a white woman that I would lose you.
Well, no, because the Me Too movement for women is about sexual assault.
But then what did it become? What did it morph into? What did it quickly morph into? It then morphed into I don't like the topic of what you're discussing in your stand up act.
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Chapter 8: What are Bill Burr's views on the Me Too movement?
Well, I don't want to get into an argument about this, so I'll just say— Well, what's funny is this is how I discuss things. I will just say that—what was the other thing that you just said? I just lost it for a second trying to—
I'm saying what it became, it started off like, all right, this Harvey Weinstein guy is raping people. We got to get people like this out of the business. There was nobody who was against that unless you were an actual.
But people were protecting him. You know, people were protecting the musicians, the. I'm not arguing that aspect of it.
I'm not arguing that aspect of it.
Anyhow, let's move on.
No, no, no, no, no, no. Let's talk about that. We're not going to move on. Me Too started with that. And then it started this cancel cultural thing with initially they were getting these people that were sexually assaulting women. And because of their position of power, we're not being held accountable. They finally got held accountable.
Everyone who was a decent human being was on board with that. And then suddenly within a year, It became if you were at a comedy club and somebody filmed you and took one little piece of excerpt from your act, all of a sudden you were thrown in with Harvey Weinstein and you were kicked. You were you were like put on the bench, basically, and you were not allowed to work in the friggin business.
Am I nuts? Did that not happen?
No, I mean, I think cancel culture probably went too far. I think it's an issue by issue thing. We agree. And there's a real kind of herd mentality around some of it. I think that's really up for a nuanced discussion about what deserves cancellation and what's just like... Nuanced discussion is not one of my strong points. Yeah. Okay.
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