George Carlin Dies
June 23rd, 2008Via: Time:
When the culture began to change in the late 1960s — when the old one-liner comics on the Ed Sullivan Show were looking pretty tired and irrelevant to a younger generation experimenting with drugs and protesting the War in Vietnam — George Carlin was the most important stand-up comedian in America. By the time he died Sunday night (of heart failure at age 71), the transformation he helped bring about in stand-up had become so ingrained that it’s hard to think of Carlin as one of America’s most radical and courageous popular artists. But he was.
RIP, George. You will be missed.
Jack-Booted EULA
Perhaps now he can finally find the peace in death that he was never able to find in life.
RIP, old friend.
cybele
ps: perfect clip, K. one of his best
I grew up on George Carlin. As a former Catholic, I’ve always loved his “its a mystery,” the rote explanation you would get from your nuns and priests, especially when it came to sex, etc.
I also loved his story about “meatcake,” which was one of the seven words not allowed on the air, that you would find in the refrigerator when cleaning it out. “Is it meat, or is it cake?”
I thought it very interesting that NPR chose to remember him today by replaying this interview:
WWI – shell shock
WWII- battle fatigue
Korea – operational exhaustion
Vietnam – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Carlin’s theory was that the longer the phrase became to describe “shell shock” the further away from reality people came from understanding the stress of war.
What’s this? Of all things in Carlin’s catalog to choose, NPR aired this?
NPR Anti-War of a sudden?
Momentary lapse of reason. Their sense of wry humor must have gotten the better of them.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91819121
Excellent piece of his work you found Kevin. You truly have a knack for finding the salient.
Thanx! and I have few doubts that there is not going to be RIP for George. The universe and its inhabitants on whatever plane of existence are all in need of humor. So I think his self (not show) will go on. Blessing others on another plane.
Yeah, that stings. Someone you never knew first-hand, dies; but you pause, because of who they were. Pretty big pause today as I thought about what he meant to me personally. Sure would have liked to know his take on everything going down right this moment. Thankful though, for the perspectives he shared.
I remember Carlin’s genius from so long ago, and then moved on and I forgot about him. Life goes on. I rediscovered Carlin later; maybe ten or a dozen years ago. Like running into an old friend, it felt good hearing him – like reaffirming my own sanity. Edgy as hell. Seemed to me his comedy had become part cover and part delivery system for some very deep issues; the real nomenclature.
A great thinker is gone. Salutations to Carlin.