Jul. 08, 2002
I must take a moment and tip my hat off to a man who is probably one of the most real motherfuckers on the face of this earth (and in the entertainment industry). I
don't look up to many people in this world, mainly for the fact that I find people who have accomplished things no greater than I am ...
they've just achieved a status that I am working up to. But in the long line of performers, comedians, rock stars, musicians, and actors, there has been one person that, in my mind, stands out tremendously; not because of talent, but because of balls. The balls to do what he wants, to say what he wants, and to keep it real no matter what. That man is Henry Rollins.
I will be honest, I am not really a fan of Black Flag, though I admire their tenacity and their longevity, nor am I a huge fan of the Rollins Band (though the anger behind
Henry's lyrics is vastly incomparable). But when I first heard Henry's spoken word poetry, and later his stand up diorama of clear, precise, yet uncultured societal examinations, I was hooked. Hard and fast like a really good fuck show, his verbal honesty took me for a ride that I would only compare to a very brutally raw and honest Dennis Miller, only without the slight elitist attitude.
Henry, with his almost awkwardly, yet confident "ya, this is how I am, fuck
you" attitude, takes the viewer, the listener, the voyeur into new heights rarely expressed by most entertainment individuals. And once
you're there taking in his experiences and his life stories, you realize one thing immediately:
he's in it for him, not for you. Henry provides a wonderfully entertaining catharsis, but not one without meaning. In almost every story he provides, one can almost find a truth and a lesson in each verbal expulsion of his
life's journeys. Sometimes he tells a story about a black kid who's been beaten by his mother constantly just for being himself and you realize, through
Henry's eyes, just how fucked up this kid is going to be. Sometimes his stories will take you to distant lands or maybe a cancer center to meet a young hero of his whom Henry fondly conveys was far stronger than he himself will ever be. And sometimes Henry just takes your ass on a whirlwind ride, criticizing the inept hypocrisy of
today's world, and showing you just how the primal human animal should REALLY be.
But beyond these analyzations, I do not think I will ever find someone that bares more soul than Henry. This man, for better or for worse, expresses himself to the bitter end ... even if it makes him look like a complete dumb fuck. And that is his wonderfully magical charm. There is no second-guessing Rollins. There is no wondering if
he's ever been in a stupid, asinine, embarrassing situation like all of us have been in. He tells you
"Hey, guess what? I've been a dumb ass just like you. We're only human." Almost to the point where you are right there with him ? feeling it, sympathizing with him, remembering your own awkward phases in life and laughing with him. And you realize, there are no holds barred, there is nothing taboo, and there is no story too embarrassing for Henry Rollins. He tells it like it is, he tells you how he feels, and he tells you shit about his life that most people probably would rather not hear about. BUT, he is honest. And, for better
or for worse, I would love to hear all of his childish, immature, embarrassing, and yet extremely insightful life stories because, well ... you can find more honesty in Henry, than you could EVER find in most of the world.
So again ... I tip my hat off to you, Henry Rollins. Thanks for keeping it real in a world of bullshit liars.
