Bill Burr Is On A Freakin’ Tear

I appreciate when people with a platform give the business when the business needs giving. That’s what comedian Bill Burr is doing. And it’s good for America. Someone needs to throw a Molotov cocktail into the mainstream that goes beyond CNN finger-wagging.

Never one to shy away from a hot-under-the-collar opinion, Burr has been barnstorming talk shows nationally to promote, of all things, his appearance in Glengarry Glen Ross, and in the process is laying waste to the system that has us all handcuffed to predatory lending and wondering why we don’t have socialized healthcare. With hot take after hot take—delivered in a no-nonsense, relatable way—Burr is making the argument that he’s finally the comic who’s grabbed the baton from the late George Carlin.

While Dave Chappelle has done a remarkable job as a social commentator, Burr’s latest rants actually tap into the cultural discourse of the working class getting hosed as the ghouls above continue to add commas to their bank accounts at layoff time. Chappelle finds nuance in culture, whether you agree with his takes or not. What Burr is doing is different; it’s an appeal to the everyman who feels squeezed just trying to grab an omelet at their favorite diner.

One of Burr’s favorite targets is supervillain-in-training Elon Musk, whom Burr spares no barbs in describing his disdain. On a recent appearance on The View, Burr railed against tech billionaires, accusing them of prioritizing space exploration over addressing Earth being a dumping ground for the rich. He argued, “I think Elon has got the rockets going because they realize there’s other Earths out there. And they’re gonna trash this one because they don’t have any concern for it.” On his “Monday Morning Podcast,” Burr went hard in the paint against billionaires, saying they should be “put down like rabid dogs” due to their blood-sucking greed.

Again, the guy is out here promoting high art, starring alongside Kieran Culkin, portraying beaten-down salesmen fighting for their lives in the bullpen. Yet Burr isn’t letting his foot off the gas. During an interview on NPR’s Fresh Air, Burr called out Musk for making gestures “resembling” a Nazi salute at a presidential inauguration, questioning the lack of accountability: “That guy, who evidently is a Nazi, I just refuse to believe that it was accidental. Two-times ‘Sieg heil,’ and he does it at a presidential inauguration.”Burr doesn’t spare anyone from his rants; he called right-wing dweeb Ben Shapiro a “jerk-off” for labeling him “woke,” a cheap ploy Burr sees as designed just to fire up the Right for TikTok.

With Carlin, his critiques were biting, observant against the system that keeps us under the oppressor’s boot. Because the sick stay sick, and for most of us, we’re one paycheck from homelessness rather than closer to that lake house. Taking the guest chair on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Burr lashed out at insurance companies for denying claims while collecting high premiums. He sarcastically highlighted the irony of insurance CEOs’ surprise over public backlash, linking it to their ruthless business practices—and gave alleged CEO shooter Luigi Mangone a shout-out in the process.

It’s essential to have a figure in the mainstream pushing back against the bro-centric reality popularized by Joe Rogan; accountability matters on both sides, even if just as a wishful avatar. Right now, it feels like too many of the world’s biggest comedians air their opinions not in defense of free speech, but in relishing their ability to openly mock anything perceived as “soft.” Bill Burr uses his massive platform to speak out when most of us who try remain stuck in the minor leagues. (Hello from the cheap seats.)

He’s not punching down, something many hack comedians regularly do for easy laughs. Instead, he’s acting as a social conduit for issues people genuinely care about. Most importantly, Burr isn’t sacrificing his identity as an actor, comedian, or now, slashing social critic. He doesn’t need to kowtow to the Rogan side of comedy, unlike others within that orbit. Bill Burr is taking Carlin’s path, not stylistically, but as someone unafraid to say “the thing.” Saying Elon Musk has a “laminated face” is hilarious regardless of context, and that Burr’s doing all this during a promo run to get people to Broadway, of all places, is itself very funny.