Denis Leary: No Cure for Cancer
Denis Leary: No Cure for Cancer
7.484%
Ticked off comic Denis Leary talks honestly about subjects ranging from smoking, red meat, drugs, his family, rehab, and yes, cancer.
Jacob O’Neal reviewedJune 13, 2025
I know. I know. People often say he got his act and persona from Bill Hicks. Therefore Denis Leary should rot in hell? No. He’s damn funny in his rage in this special. I can be a fan of both Bill Hicks and Denis Leary. No Cure For Cancer, Leary’s first special after some very popular bumpers he did for MTV sometimes angrily declaring his love of Cindy Crawford while complaining about MTV not having enough of her. This was followed by a sudden boost in his popularity. He did MTV Unplugged…I know! He brought Everlasting along with him and played songs like Life’s Gonna Suck and Asshole. After this special Hollywood came knocking. But they didn’t know where put him - The Thomas Crown Affair, Demolition Man, The Ref? Although I love those movies, it was soon discovered that he belonged in TV, where he started.
Denis Leary took on topics in the 90’s like masculinity, political correctness, entitled people and did it in a 1967 Cadillac El Dorado convertible, hot pink, with whale skin hubcaps and leather cow interior and big brown baby seal eyes for headlights. The whit was sharp and biting, the performance seething with anger at the world, the jokes hit and make you laugh. That’s what you want in a comedy show, right? Well, maybe not always anger. Sure, you expect it with Lewis Black or Denis Leary, but imagine Ellen walking onstage angry. She only does that behind closed doors with her staff. It would ruin her jokes.
I want to take a moment and talk about a moment that was not included with the tape or CD when released. There’s a moment in the TV special where Leary sits and talks emotionally about his father. It feels real and raw like he’s exposing a sadness to every one of us. There’s a catharsis there that is undeniable. I became a fan the moment I saw him on MTV and will remain so unless he slides down a baby like filled Diddy like hole that destroys him. Fingers crossed that never happens.