George Carlin moves on to the Big Electron
George is gone.
Children
The Planet
Boomers and Politicians
His target was everyone and everything and that what was so awesome about him. I'm sure some people are pissed because, well that was sort of the point. If you weren't 80% laughing and 20% pissed then he probably didn't do his job. I enjoyed the 80% laughing. We all probably needed the 20% pissed so we could pop a few of our self-righteous balloons. I'm sad you're gone.
Children
The Planet
Boomers and Politicians
His target was everyone and everything and that what was so awesome about him. I'm sure some people are pissed because, well that was sort of the point. If you weren't 80% laughing and 20% pissed then he probably didn't do his job. I enjoyed the 80% laughing. We all probably needed the 20% pissed so we could pop a few of our self-righteous balloons. I'm sad you're gone.
Comments
I remember when I was about 7 years old, my Mom brought home a George Carlin LP (Take Offs and Put Ons) as a gift for me. It was an earlier record of his more tame routines from the early 60's. I loved it. He made fun of the news formats of the times; the wacky weatherman (Hal Sleet) and the indifferent anchorman.
A few years later (1972), my brother got me his record "Occupation: Fool" and I noticed that this record was a huge departure form the other. Laced with profanities (it has the original '7 dirty words' sketch) my mother was shocked at first that my brother would get me an album at such a young age, but after listening (and laughing) herself, she realized that there was a meaning to Carlin's methods. She let me keep the record. And I played it over and over again. I bought every other recording and watched every television appearance since.
Carlin was my jester, my teacher, my philosopher and in some ways my friend. I wish I could have met him and thank him for his humor and his insights on life and death.
But he's still with us. In our minds, in words, sound and vision.
Rest in peace bro'.
Here's a good George Carlin/YouTube obituary someone set up for the uninitiated or just too old to get off their lawn.
http://mashable.com/2008/06/23/george-carlin-dead/
He was probably the first major antiestablishment comic, for me anyway (I'm too young to have directly known Lenny Bruce).
He was most excellent right up to the very end. His sharp edged wit will be truly missed.
And George never pissed me off, I came to expect and even demand his brand of misanthropic humor.
If you can't laugh at yourself, then you don't really understand the human condition.
Rest in peace George.
I'll miss Carlin a lot more than Russert, that's for sure.
me too.
The Unbearable Inanity of George Carlin
Gee Shawn, I think you just added yourself to the list of people that should die.