May 12, 1937 - June 22, 2008
I have always been a big fan of George Carlin. I remember when I was a little kid and first saw him on the Ed Sullivan Show, He Totally Blew Me Away! - Damn if my age isn't showing. But I knew even then, this man was something spectacular. Though he initially presented himself as a conservatively dressed stand-up comic. You could tell there was something uniquely different about this guy. Through all his button-down decorum and silly whimsical observations, there was still something rather cutting-edge and avant-garde about him. He was telling more than just harmless little mother-in-law jokes typical of the times. He was making social commentary, and I loved it.
As he evolved through the 60's and 70's, an era of Civil Rights Marches, Vietnam Protests and Sex Drugs and Rock 'n Roll. George Carlin quickly became my Counterculture Hero and my very Favorite Atheist.
Like me, he was an Irish Catholic born in New York City and raised and schooled in the Church. And also like me, he questioned and challenged everything. Quietly and respectfully at first, but as the Bull-Shit answers became more and more impossible to digest, he began to rebel.
As the years went by. George Carlin's comic genius became legendary. He was the very first Host on the Premiere Episode of Saturday Night Live back in 1975. Hailed not just as a comedian. But as an actor and writer as well. He became world-famous for his irreverent social commentary and poignant observations on the absurdities of life and language. Carlin's jokes constantly breached the accepted norms and boundaries of comedy. As Reuters news service put it "His comedic sensibility revolved around a central theme: "Humanity is a cursed, doomed species."
"He was irascible, profane, blasphemous, and determinedly astute" said the Boston Globe.
Whether deciphering the American political scene, dissecting Americans' foibles, or disassembling the English language. George Carlin had no equal as he demonstrates in this video discussing Dirty Words. And of course the seven dirtiest that you just simply can't say on TV or Radio. You know the ones (Shit, Piss, Fuck, Cunt, Cocksucker, Motherfucker and Tits)...
He really has fun dissecting the language in this video called Airline Announcements...
Then of course who could forget George Carlin discussing Religion and God...
Even though, The Great George Carlin has been gone for 2 years now. I still catch myself saying, "Gee, Carlin hasn't done an HBO Special for awhile. I hope everything is alright." And then I remember...
Which of course, is what I'm doing in this blog post, Remembering the Genius That Was George.
Rest in Peace My Friend. Rest in Peace!
Agnostic Thinking...
Please feel free to comment below, ( just click on the word comments if the panel is not open) or you can e-mail me direct at mailto:eddieoreilly@hotmail.com and your comment will be posted.
And don't forget to check out my original blog...
Just Thinking
Posts
