browser life

George Carlin has died. He was rude, lewd, crude, and socially unacceptable, and those were just a few reasons why I liked him. He was also funny, intelligent, verbose, and he didn't give a flying rat's ass what people thought of him.

I grew up hearing Carlin's more radio-friendly material back when he did characters like Al Sleet, the hippy-dippy weatherman ("tonight's forecast: dark!"). He would do "broadcasts" from from a fake radio station called "wonderful WINO". I have two of his vinyl albums, "Take-Offs and Put-Ons" from 1972 and "Occupation: Foole" from 1973.

I was fortunate enough to see his act live in Las Vegas in 1996. No topic was off-limits, including bits on how to disguise a fart and how many euphemisms there were to describe a penis. I got a side-ache from laughing so hard.

For those of you not familiar with his humor, here are some examples. Do not click on this link if you are easily offended!
George Carlin Quotes
I have seen several of his one-liners on t-shirts not even realizing their source.

Carlin's legacy, of course, will be his "seven words" routine, which started out as a list of things you aren't allowed to say on the radio. It was perfect irony that an anti-censorship rant should be debated all the way to the Supreme Court. But he didn't just say the words to shock people; he delved into why they were considered offensive and why we were so hung up on language.

Carlin's strength was observing what was sacred or hypocritical in America and turning it upside down. The political correctness movement only gave him more material. He had the courage to get to the heart of a matter and say what many were thinking deep inside, and find something amusing in it.

He wasn't all controversy, though. Some of my favorite routines were on such innocuous topics as: what does and doesn't constitute a sport ("Tennis is not a sport. Tennis is ping pong played on the table."), the contents of one's refrigerator, the "place for my stuff" routine, what dogs are really thinking, parental rules, etc. He made sure we were aware of cliches that didn't make sense, how to get out of jury duty, and people he could do without.

He recorded 14 specials with HBO, most of which I have seen. They afforded him the First Amendment right he so vigorously defended, that of free speech. I consider him a great American because he knew the importance of being allowed to express an opinion, no matter how unpopular it might be.

George Carlin was the embodiment of responsible rebellion, of righteous anger, of giving permission to laugh at what isn't supposed to be funny. I shall remember him with a smile. And perhaps, an inappropriate word or two.