R.I.P. George Carlin
by Lori Barrett | June 23, 2008 at 7:44 am
Posted in celebrity
Comedian George Carlin died yesterday from heart problems at the age of 71.
Carlin was one of my favorite comedians — brilliant and irreverent. He will be missed.
(Language obviously not suitable for work.)
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June 23rd, 2008 at 4:41 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
when i hear about a celeb. death, i usually think "well that sucks." but this really is a bummer. i know he had health problems, i know about all the drugs, but still. i wish he stuck around a little longer
June 23rd, 2008 at 5:04 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Since George was an established atheist, it's difficult to properly pay him respects. Maybe it would be prudent to post a link to the devil himself talking about death:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PiZSFIVFiU
June 23rd, 2008 at 5:39 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
I hope he gets the tribute he deserves. Americans don't take comedy seriously enough -- or realize how much work it is.
I think about how much society has changed since he became a "counterculture" comedian. He was once arrested for performing "Seven words you can never say on television," and now you can hear three of them every night on primetime, network TV. But even his old material holds up, and the themes he explored are still relevant.
I saw him perform live in 2003. It was just after we had invaded Iraq, but he was surprisingly apolitical. I was disappointed in that, but he was still a dynamo, expertly verbal as he poked and prodded at society.
June 23rd, 2008 at 5:52 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
That bastard was my hero, I can say that pretty honestly. I'm so lucky to have seen him when he came to b-more a few months ago.
June 23rd, 2008 at 5:58 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
****, piss, ****, ****, cocksucker, mother****er, tits.
I hope those 7 words didn't die with him.
I heard the news this morning on NPR. ****. I think I'll be responding to every Carlin blog today. The rest of this insane world can wait a god-damn minute.
And yes, it was Carlin who made it OK for me to curse like this. Even my mom laughed at it when I was also 12. One of the few time I did NOT have to eat the soap.
June 23rd, 2008 at 6:09 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
I think as a tribute to him all radio and tv stations should air his 7 words without censors this evening. **** the FCC are they gonna fine everyone :)
June 23rd, 2008 at 11:34 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
"In baseball, you go home. I'm going home!"
Goodbye, George. You gave me my first lessons in being subversive; you will be missed.
June 24th, 2008 at 1:15 am | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Loved him,
My oldest son borrow my vhs tapes of him. Never got them back. His jokes were funny, but true. I will never forget him. Oh dear god please forgive him he was only doing his job. He made alot of people laugh and enjoy life. Please allow him to continue his work there, just blink out some words. Do you know were I can purchase his tapes.
June 24th, 2008 at 1:19 am | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
To be clever with an attitude while being funny, offensive and endearing at the same time ... WOW.
June 24th, 2008 at 3:06 am | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Hey Anne, does this mean I can call Sheila Dixson a creepy bitch finally? Or will you censor this post too.
Hypocrite.
!
June 24th, 2008 at 2:07 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
There's a fine line between censoring and editing. You can debate that all you want. But, what does name calling get you? Other than give you less credibility?
June 24th, 2008 at 3:19 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
YCKTR: remember in grade school when you would make fun of the person you have a crush on and pull their hair so?
just sayin...
June 24th, 2008 at 3:51 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Yeah Alisia, because I'm desperately seeking credibility on a an internet blog. Or something.
Anne is a moron. If you didn't secretly agree, you wouldn't rush to her defense everytime I mention her name.
!
June 24th, 2008 at 3:56 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
yacktar and anne sitting in a tree...
June 24th, 2008 at 4:20 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Nice Marissa, nice. Love it.
YCKTR - I do agree. We edit things. That's our job. We set policies about people calling others certain names before bthesite even existed. We're not inclined to publish (via web or print) people being called certain names unless it has some kind of public interest or news value.
I agree with your opinions sometimes, other times I don't. But that doesn't impact why we would take a comment down.
If people didn't want anyone else to read their entries then they wouldn't write them, so yeah, I think when a comment is posted that person wants people to listen. I also don't recall ever coming to Anne's defense, but maybe...
Anyway, more on Carlin... I was watching video of him this morning from early in his career. It's pretty amazing how he's evolved — while always pushing the envelope.
And others tried to do the same, but I don't think they were as effective.
One that keeps popping in my mind is Bill Maher. He wasn't as clever or as endearing as Carlin, but I remember watching Politically Incorrect and thinking this guy is a little pompous, but he was good at provoking people and I couldn't stop watching.
June 24th, 2008 at 5:24 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
Ok Marissa, so that actually did make me laugh out loud. Mission accomplished.
:)
!
June 24th, 2008 at 7:33 pm | Please log in to reply. | Log in to rate this comment | report this comment
YAY! what do i win?