As you are all no doubt already aware, George Carlin passed away yesterday at 5:55pm PDT at the age of 71. This puts a damper on what was otherwise an excellent birthday for me. At about the time Mr. Carlin left us, I was probably downing my hundredth Long Island iced tea at the fifth bar of the day. I didn't hear about his death until this morning.
George Carlin's passing saddens me greatly. More than just a comedian, he was a social activist and satirist who often seemed to me to be a lone voice of reason in our world of excessive pop culture and rampant capitalism. He said what no one else would say and spoke when no one else would speak. He has had a tremendous influence on the way I view the world, and I like to think that my dry, blunt sense of humor has developed out of that influence. He also showed a softer side in the children's television show Shining Time Station where he played Mr. Conductor. I grew up watching that show so Mr. Carlin has been with me for quite a long time.
I was fortunate enough to see him perform live in Ithaca. He did not disappoint. His blend of the serious and the whimsical made him a joy to watch. George did some of my favorite bits like "Guys Named Todd," "A Modern Man," "Fuck Mickey Mouse" and "Autoerotic Asphyxia." He was politically incorrect before it was cool to be politically incorrect, and subsequent comics like Lewis Black or Carlos Mencia (I hate that guy) owe their careers to him. In recent years, Carlin's work turned away from his more irreverent comedy and towards his more intense socio-political satire. As a tribute to him, here are a few clips of some of my favorite Carlin bits:
Stupid people:
The American Dream:
The sanctity of life:
R.I.P. George
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1 comments:
What saddens me most is, while I may be living under a rock as of late, I was not informed of his passing until days later. It seems with stars such as Heath Ledger and even B list misfits like Brad Renfro, I was made aware of their respective passings before the bodies got cold. And when Amy Whinehouse dies next week, I expect the same outcome.
Not to suggest that these deaths are any less tragic, but it makes me sad to think a spectacularly talented and incredibly intelligent person is somehow lost in the media frenzy shuffle.
I completely agree, he made many careers today and inspired hundreds more. He will be missed. He was the drunk, womanizing uncle I never had.
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