We Need a Hero

Gallagher shares the stage with a collection of dummies modeled after politicians, royals, and athletes to make a case that society is out of role models. Moving slightly away from pure prop destruction, the comedian airs grievances about public figures who have let the public down, attempting to tap into the era’s growing cynicism. The visual of a man known for smashing fruit earnestly arguing with mannequins gives the hour a strange, defensive energy. Filmed at a theater in York, Pennsylvania, the 1992 release captures a transition point in a career defined by marathon cable television success. By this time, the performer had produced over a dozen specials and was facing a stand-up landscape that was rapidly changing around him. The set retains the obligatory Sledge-O-Matic finale but mostly serves as an artifact of a massive 1980s theater draw trying to figure out his place in a new decade.