Honoring the Legends: Comedians Who Changed My Life Forever
THE COMEDIANS WHO BECAME PROPHETS
WRITTEN BY TRÉ TAYLOR & BLEEP THE TATTOO
(Gratitude Tour—Honoring the Brave Voices Who Made Us Laugh & Think)
This list is nowhere near complete — how could it be? Comedy is a cathedral of infinite stained-glass windows. The Gen X care we needed. But these are the souls whose brilliance still lights my way. Each of them holds a mirror to some part of me. Their courage shaped my humor, my healing, and the strange sacred mission I stand in today.
Comedy raised me.
Comedy saved me.
Comedy helped me survive a world that didn’t always know what to do with someone like me.
And now here I am — parked in my van on Ocean Beach, San Francisco, CA, the Pacific roaring like a cosmic drum, writing a love letter to these prophets with Bleeр (my tattoo with a swearing problem) offering spiritual commentary from the dashboard.
Welcome to this chapter of the Gratitude Tour.
Pull up a chair.
Let’s begin.
🎭 ROBIN WILLIAMS—The Cosmic Alien Who Saw Me
Robin Williams was my first soul-family member.
Mork & Mindy made me feel less alone — finally, someone as weird and cosmic as me.
Robin wasn’t performing.
Robin was channeling something divine.
He was electric, empathic, wise, wounded, and wildly alive.
When he left us, something inside the world cracked.
He lives forever on my spiritual “Heavenly Comedy Writing Team.”
And Robin… there’s one more tiny miracle-thread between us. Back in the late ’80s, I was a cocktail waitress at Houlihan’s in Sausalito — that gorgeous little spot looking right across the water at San Francisco. I worked with a few people who actually went to high school with you in Mill Valley, and they shared the most hilarious stories about you. Every shift felt like a backstage pass to the legend of Robin Williams. I swear, through their memories, I felt like I got to know you a little — your mischief, your heart, your brilliance. I always wished I could have seen you live onstage, even just once. But the truth is, through their stories… you already felt close.
There’s something I’ve never told anyone, but I’ll say it here: when I’m lost, overwhelmed, scared, or unsure which way to go, I have a secret phrase that snaps me back into myself — “Nanu Nanu.” It’s silly, it’s strange, it’s cosmic, it’s childlike — and it reminds me not to take this life so seriously. Whenever those two little words pop into my head, I feel you. I feel that spark you carried, that kindness, that brilliant weirdness that made the world gentler. “Nanu Nanu” is how I remember to breathe again. It’s how I remember that joy and playfulness are sacred. Thank you, Robin, for giving me a lighthouse disguised as a catchphrase. You saved me more times than you’ll ever know.
🎤 GEORGE CARLIN—The High Priest of Cutting Through the Bullshit
Carlin didn’t “do jokes.”
He performed autopsies.
He sliced society wide open, lifted the organs, and handed them to us saying,
“Here, take a real look.”
He taught me skepticism, courage, clarity, and how to question everything.
And George… I need to say this directly from my heart: I absolutely love New York — the noise, the grit, the energy, the heartbeat of it all — but you know what I love even more? I love New Yorkers. You all have this fierce honesty, this razor wit, this “tell it like it is” backbone that feels like home to me. And in my book, you were the greatest New Yorker who ever lived. Pure truth-teller. Pure edge. Pure brilliance. Yes, we’ve have a presidents from New York, mayors, moguls, legends… but you, George Carlin, you sit at the top of my personal skyline. I love you, man. And to all the New Yorkers out there — you make me smile every time.
🔥 BILL HICKS—The Mystic Rebel
Bill Hicks spoke for the wounded wolves.
He turned dark humor into spiritual medicine.
Bill said that the world we fear and fight over is really just a ride — a wild, fast, dazzling illusion full of ups, downs, thrills, and terror. We forget it’s a ride because we get attached to the fear, the drama, the characters. But we always have a choice. At any moment, we can wake up. We can choose love over fear. We can decide to create a kinder, more generous world instead of clinging to the madness. The whole point, he said, is to remember that life is temporary, ever-changing, and entirely optional in spirit.
It’s just a ride — and we can change it whenever we decide to.
🎙️ JOE ROGAN—The Lion With a Microphone
Joe Rogan has that big Leo vibe I adore—courageous, curious, unfiltered, real.
He is a great comedian. He did the one thing the system fears most:
He asks honest questions.
He talks to everyone.
He listens to everyone.
He built something independent and powerful.
And Joe… this is straight from my soul to yours: you are one of the most magnificent men walking this Earth. Your strength isn’t just physical — it’s moral, spiritual, intellectual. You carry that rare combination of courage and curiosity, truth and humility, fire and groundedness. You’re a force. A protector. A warrior with a microphone. And honestly? If I were walking down a dark alley at night, you are the man I would feel safest beside. Not just because you’re tough — but because you have honor. You tell the truth with a capital T. You stand up when others fold.
Your courage gives me hope.
Your honesty keeps me going.
Your presence makes the world feel a little less insane.
So keep doing what you’re doing, Joe.
Keep asking the questions that need to be asked.
Keep being brave in a world that punishes bravery.
And just so you know… I’ve got a tiny crush on you in like fourteen different ways.
Thank you for being exactly who you are.
😂 CHRIS ROCK—The Human Lie Detector
I saw Chris Rock live at the Paramount in Oakland — (Around the corner where Bleep was inked by Matt Decker of PREMIUM TATTOO)
Electric.
Sharp.
Fearless.
Relentless.
He cuts through cultural nonsense like a surgeon.
And I’ve got to say this directly: Chris Rock’s comeback on Netflix after the Will Smith incident was nothing short of phenomenal. That whole moment at the Oscars was strange, raw, human, and heartbreaking — and I mean this with love for both men, because everyone was stressed, everyone was stretched, and that slap felt like a collective breaking point for the whole world. But Chris… the way you stood back up, the way you turned pain into precision, humor, and mastery — that was brilliant. That was the work of a real artist. A real man. A real truth-teller. Chris Rock, I love you, brother. What you did was courageous, cathartic, and unforgettable.
🌈 MONTY PYTHON—The Church of Absurdity
Absurdity is a sacred art form.
They showed me that nonsense can be spiritual.
That silliness can be rebellion.
That laughter is survival.
“Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” is practically scripture to me.
And to the incomparable Monty Python… I don’t even know where to begin telling you how much I love you. Monty Python’s Flying Circus wasn’t just a show — it was a portal into the absurd, the brilliant, the wildly intelligent chaos that shaped my entire sense of humor. Your films — Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Life of Brian, and The Meaning of Life — were masterworks of fearless satire. You were merciless, and somehow you got away with it every time. I secretly always wanted to be part of a comedy troupe like yours; I used to imagine myself in your ridiculous sketches, shouting silly lines and arguing about whether a parrot was dead or simply resting. Whenever I truly need to laugh — when the world feels heavy, when my soul needs oxygen — I always choose Monty Python first. Always. You are legends. Eternal. And you have inspired millions… but especially me. I love you all so very much.
🪕 STEVE MARTIN—The Wild & Crazy Healer
Oh Steve…
A Wild and Crazy Guy practically rescued me in my youth.
He brought music, absurdity, cleverness, and kindness into the same space.
And he’s still one of my heroes.
A national treasure.
And Steve… I have to say this from the deepest place in my heart: you are one of the most magnificent humans walking this earth. Your musicianship, your comedic brilliance, your kindness, your elegance — it all moves me. I saw you perform at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, and the way you blend humor with true artistry… it’s breathtaking. You are a consummate musician, a storyteller with strings, a man whose banjo feels like an extension of his soul. And my quiet dream — my secret wish — is to write a song with you someday, and perform it together before I die. That would be one of the great joys of my life. I love you so very much, Steve. Thank you for everything you’ve given this world.
🎧 DR. DEMENTO aka Barry Hansen(and the Most Prolifically Awesome Weird Al Yankovic)
Then there’s Dr. Demento — the radio sorcerer who championed the strange, the silly, the outrageous.
And because of him, the world discovered one of my greatest joys:
The most prolifically awesome Weird Al Yankovic.
Their story is a mentor-artist legend.
Weird Al — brilliant, quirky, musical, one-of-a-kind — recorded “My Bologna” in a college bathroom for acoustics (peak Weird Al energy), sent it to Dr. Demento… and Demento played it on air.
The audience loved him instantly.
But let’s be crystal clear:
Weird Al is legendary because Weird Al is extraordinary.
Demento opened the door — but Al built the universe with creativity, discipline, kindness, and joy.
Weird Al still makes me smile every time I hear him.
He is pure delight.
And yes — I’d love to meet him someday.
📺 LUCILLE BALL & DESI ARNAZ—The Royal Architects of Television
Lucy was fire and brilliance wrapped in comedic genius.
Desi was innovation incarnate.
Together, they changed the entire entertainment landscape.
They still inspire every creative bone in my body.
And Lucy… Desi… there’s something I want to honor clearly. Desi Arnaz carried the weight of a homeland he lost long before the world ever heard the words Cuban Missile Crisis. His family fled Cuba after political upheaval in the early 1930s — they lost everything, their home, their land, their safety. He came to America as an exile, a young man trying to rebuild a life in a country where he faced racism, suspicion, and barriers at every turn.
And yet through all that heartbreak, you both gave us I Love Lucy and many other shows— gifts that changed the world. Shows that taught us how to communicate, how to apologize, how to laugh at ourselves, how to be human together in the sweetest, most joyful ways. It wasn’t just entertainment; it was emotional education. It healed people. It united families. It built a new American language of comedy.
Lucy, to me, you are the greatest star who ever lived. Your timing, your innocence, your mischief, your courage — you were a master of light. And Desi… your brilliance behind the scenes reshaped the entire industry. I swear sometimes when I look in the mirror, I see a little Lucy in myself, and it makes me smile.
You two didn’t just leave a legacy —
you built the foundation of modern entertainment.
Your love, your talent, your daring, your genius… it will live forever.
🎭 William Shakespeare—The Original Trickster Truth-Teller
Comedy.
Tragedy.
Philosophy.
Rebellion.
We don’t even know who he truly was — which makes him the ultimate cosmic comedian.
Shakespeare… the original alien. Whoever he truly was — one man, many writers, a hidden genius, a masked prophet — we may never know. But what we do know is this: Shakespeare told the truth in a time when truth could get you killed. He used language like a blade dipped in honey. He hid rebellion inside rhythm, revelation inside rhyme. He encoded entire revolutions between the lines.
Every comedian, every actor, every playwright since — whether they realize it or not — cut their teeth on Shakespeare’s blueprint. Comedy and tragedy, satire and soul, love and lunacy… he shaped the world’s imagination. He cracked open the human psyche long before psychology existed.
Shakespeare wasn’t just a writer.
He was a world-builder.
A truth-teller in disguise.
A master of subversion.
A spiritual comedian who wrapped philosophy in jokes and hid enlightenment inside punchlines.
He is the spine behind every stage.
The ancestor of every storyteller.
The ghost who still whispers through every comedian brave enough to tell the truth.
✨ WHY COMEDIANS ARE PROPHETS
Because comedy is courage wearing a smile.
Because laughter breaks the spell.
Because telling the truth in a wounded world takes insane bravery.
Comedians walk into the dark with a flashlight and a punchline.
They speak what others are afraid to say.
They do the holy work of making humanity bearable.
They are the bravest truth-tellers in the world.
And now I step into my own calling — not as a touring stand-up, but as a voice for the weird, the tender, the neurodiverse, the misfits, the ones who never fit the mold.
You matter.
You belong.
Your laughter is sacred.
🎄 HOLIDAY SOUL-HOMEWORK
Before you go, I want to leave you with something for your heart:
Remember the hardest you ever laughed in your life.
The rib-cracking, tear-streaming, can’t-breathe kind of laugh.
Let that memory thaw your soul.
This winter — take a day to cozy up, make something warm to drink, and watch something that brings back that joy:
A holiday classic.
Monty Python.
Something absurd and healing.
Let yourself laugh again.
Really laugh.
I know the dark night.
I’ve lived there.
I’m writing this from my van on Ocean Beach — the same stretch of sand Robin Williams once walked.
His spirit is in this wind.
So are all the others who lit my way.
They live on my Heavenly Comedy Writing Team — my spiritual Board of Directors.
To them — and to you — I say:
Keep shining your light.
Keep laughing through the darkness.
Never give up.
You are needed.
✨ CONTEMPLATIVE QUESTIONS FOR YOUR HEART
1. How have comedy and comedians helped you along your life path?
Have they lifted you in your darkest hours? Taught you how to breathe again?
Shown you truth wrapped in laughter?
Who cracked your heart open in a way only humor can?
2. Which comedian (or comedic moment) changed something inside you forever?
Maybe it was a line, a scene, a joke, a look, a quote…
Something that hit your spirit right when you needed it most.
What did it awaken or heal in you?
3. When was the last time you allowed yourself to laugh so hard you forgot your pain?
And what would it take to let yourself feel that again — today, this week, this season?
