George Carlin

One of the unalloyed joys (really) of being in show business is getting to meet and know people you've admired. I grew up listening to George Carlin, admiring the way he injected intelligence and daring into the world of standup comedy. Along with Richard Pryor and Albert Brooks, Carlin helped revolutionize the genre.

Then a few years ago, much too late, we met in professional circumstances: I was interviewing him on the occasion of a new book of his. We shared the stage for a couple of hours, and continued our chat backstage afterwards. We had a few more phone conversations since then, too few, and I marveled at the quality that I've come to admire more than most others in this business: his persistence. George seemed to love what he did, and so he kept doing it at a very high level. See his remarkable standup poem "Modern Man" for one of the most recent examples.

George grew tougher and sharper over the years, putting more of himself, and his intellect, at the service of his always nimble, always adventurous comedy mind. And, while his comedy was dark, his spirit with his peers was generous.

He was named recently as this year's recipient of the Mark Twain Award. Although the presentation was scheduled for November, the announcement came in time for George to know of the honor.

Comments

[InsaneDisabled]

He was an icon and an iconoclast, and he'll never be forgotten. Where shall we put the memorial statue? Oughta be in NYC somewhere, where the pigeons can poop on his head. It just seems appropriate somehow, since he'd be the first to make fun of it.

The only good thing is we'll get to see a lot of his performances over the next few weeks as the MSM does memorial retrospectives. . . .

[LuckyBlessed]

Loved Carlin's 10 Commandments , in particular how religions justify murder. This is why I'm a 'conscientious objector to religion'. -I get some funny comments from this.

Excellent interview on HP , it's not surprising he was a fan of psychologist Abraham Maslow. Carlin on Maslow-"I just don't give a shit anymore. I stopped giving a fuck. And because I did that, it gave me a great deal of artistic freedom - it gave me emotional detachment from which I could operate with a more even-handed look at everything. I didn't have a rooted interest. I didn't have an outcome I was interested in. I didn't have a rooted interest. I wasn't a cheerleader. I was really just an observer."

RIP, you will be missed.

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

An astonishing knack for making the mundane funny. A truly funny guy that the world will miss. I know I will.

[3in1]

Harry, nice tribute. George, have fun with Jesus. The "Invisible Man in the Sky" gave you gifts that made this sinner laugh. Keep up your good work forever. Frisbeetarianism will get you on the roof.

[THINKB4USPEAK]

With the lose of George Carlin. the world has become a much more humourless place,

[CTD3]

Great tribute to a master comedian by another master comedian, the bonus; brings out some very cool comments!
Thank you Harry Shearer, RIP George Carlin!

[amorosotom]

Talk about balls. George Carlin took on religion and its bullshit ways. Loved the way he pointed out that god is all powerful and knows everything but he NEEDS money. Years from now when Tim Russert has been forgotten, people will remember the legacy of George Carlin and Lenny Bruce.

[hilts]

This was a great column! One comic genius paying tribute to another comic genius. There was much more to George Carlin than the 7 dirty words routine. His comparison of footbal to baseball and his modern man routine are timeless masterpieces.

[antispin]

JR: I'm really curious as to what you think about this whole 911 conspiracy/truth movement that going on across the states. Interrupted the Bill Maher Show last Friday. What are your personal thoughts on that?
George Carlin: I always question a received reality. A consensus reality is often intentionaly misleading.
JR: Would you support a new investigation on 911?
GC: You know, that's like...the­y don't investigate themselves in this county. Those people...y­ou know what it would be like? It'd be like the Kennedy thing. The people who are in charge do what they want, and they will always do what they want. The power does what it wants to...and I wouldn't trust a new investigation -- it's just fun; it's just speculation.

[wrabbitt]

A true comic genius and yes he will be*#@%&!$ missed. I was fortunate enough to see one of his live shows,and any man who can stand up in front of a large audience and keep them all laughing is truly talented. His brand of humor was what separated him form just any comic. I honestly believe that if there is a God,then George is in the great lost and found room looking for all the wallets he may have lost over the years.We are all diseased! #$@!%&* good bye George.

[JMBrodie]

For me, it was Richard and George. They defined my childhood, growing up, maturing. There are few, if any, comedians out there today who can keep you laughing and thinking at the same time.

[se7enMMBsg]

. . . i really don't know, but i would guess that we are "around" the same age -(i'm 39)- but i agree with you whole heartedly about what you say,"JMBrodie".
Those two were "THE" KINGS. I went back recently and viewed some of Eddie Murphey's old stand up routines and i was absolutely FLOORED to realize that by the end of his most famous work ("Eddie Murphey Delerious") - that i had laughed out loud not ONE time! It just didn't hold up for me. But play almost anything, of ANY vintage, by Carlin or Pryor and it'll likely be just a matter of time till my lower back is in serious spasm and tears are streaming down my face from laughter. (LOL!)

~se7en

[ankjack]

I read about it in the Los Angeles Times this morning. Carlin, though dark an often caustic in his comedy, was able to illuminate alternative thought in a way that few could fully appreciate during his lifetime. Socrates had the dialectic; Hume had empiricism; Kant and Nietsche had nihilism; and finally, Camus extolled our limited scope as human beings through absurdism. Though some might think it inappropriate to add Carlin's intellect into the mix of these great philophers, I am convinced that the number of times in each performance that he made us laugh was equaled by the number of times he made us think. And being a genius, he regularly did both simultaneously.

Peace, out.

[writerforhire]

George Carlin was my introduction to stand-up. Before the Comic Relief talents of Whoopi, Robin and Billy there was George. I heard those words, those 7 words, and OMG! I could not believe that I actually heard them and he actually said them. It was always met with "should I laugh?" I mean no one around me was laughing. And so fighting structure and conformity I laughed and have been laughing at him and his bawdy humor ever since in between blushing.

[SmootyBooty]

Thanks, Harry.
All I can say is "I'm really gonna KILL you tonight, baby!"

[Vibrani]

George Carlin was an amazing man - 50 years in show business, groundbreaking comedy. He was a writer and performer for the Smothers Brothers, had so many comedy albums, wrote a few books, won many awards. He was original, he was gutsy. He was also very kind. I met him when I worked for an animal hospital. He brought his dog in for treatment and I recognized him immediately. He was very surprised that I knew who he was. He thought nobody knew him. This was in 1973. I had been a fan of his for a long time, already. At the university I attended, we played his album often and had it memorized - we often acted it out. Carlin was friendly, we talked for a while. That week he mailed me a personalized autographed photo of him and his dog :-). Through the years my family and I attended his events in person, enjoyed every show he was on for television, never missed a show of his. He was the often angry, frustrated voice of common sense and criticism of our government, our planet, how humans have become - but made it all funny. He spread his message to be sovereign and strong and intelligent through his comedy. I didn't always agree with everything he said, but I respected his views and right to express them. I always felt he would work until his time was up. Thank you, George Carlin, for being you and for having been

[usapatriot1973]

He was simultaneously one of the funniest and most intelligent comedians ever. The world is diminished by his death.

[bklynbat83]

I was blessed to have parents who understood freedom of speech,all speech. So, when it came time for my first record, it was George Carlin; Indicent exposure. It was a greatest hits sort of LP and it contained the 7 words everyone now speaks of. Even at the age of 14, I realized that these words are not so bad and that boy this FCC is somethin' else!
He was not only funny but F#$@in' smart. He found a way to reach the unreachable in people. Deliver the message in a language we all knew, humor. I ALWAYS go it and I'm a better man for it. George Carlin & Tim Russert: two giants & educators to the masses gone. God must be preparing for Bush and Cheney to get there!!