Bill Burr’s five best rants on Conan
By Matt Moore
2. Parenting and why women are overrated
The headline speaks for itself on this one. “Bill Burr thinks women are overrated” is inviting backlash, think-pieces, and angry tweets. Even putting the clip in the countdown feels like it should come with a disclaimer: “Bill Burr’s views do not reflect those of Last Night On or its affiliates.” Imagine how Conan O’Brien and TBS must have felt.
But if you can look past that and remind yourself that this is a comedian delivering a comedy routine, then you can see why it is an all-time Conan appearance for Burr.
Burr’s thoughts on women only come after he yearns for the days when unruly kids would be hit. Again, it is a sensitive topic and Burr takes a very un-PC approach to it that doesn’t translate well if you read it. But watching him deliver it to the laughter of O’Brien and Andy Richter tells you everything you need to know.
His anecdote about his father throwing a full glass of milk in his brother’s face is one of the funniest and most underrated stories every told on the Conan couch. It is a ridiculous visual that may sound familiar to viewers of a certain age but is hilarious no matter how old you are.
Burr really heats up when he tries to imagine that scenario today, suggesting that his father would have to call his mother “brave” for not cleaning the mess. Another way to tell when Burr is on a roll is when he loses the audience, calls them out on overreacting, and wins them right back.
If you have watched Paper Tiger then you probably recognize Burr’s bit about believing women. Just like he wants tough parenting to return, Burr wants the same for evidence and due process.
Not too many comedians could go off on the #MeToo movement and get away with it. But there aren’t too many comedians like Bill Burr.