[Karensmith]

From: CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/06/2...bit/index.html



By Ed Payne
CNN

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Comedian-actor George Carlin, known for his raunchy, but insightful humor, died Sunday in Los Angeles, his publicist said. He was 71.

Jeff Abraham says Carlin went into St. John's Health Center on Sunday afternoon, complaining of chest pain. Carlin died at 5:55 p.m. PDT, the Associated Press reported.

Carlin, who had a history of heart trouble, performed as recently as last weekend at the Orleans Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas.

"He was a genius and I will miss him dearly," Jack Burns, who was the other half of a comedy duo with Carlin in the early 1960s, told The Associated Press.

Carlin was best known for his routine "Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television," which appeared 1972's "Class Clown" album.

When Carlin uttered all seven at a show in Milwaukee in 1972, he was arrested for disturbing the peace, the AP reported. The comedy sketch prompted a landmark indecency case after WBAI-FM radio aired it in 1973.
The case was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court where the justices ruled on a 5-to-4 vote that the sketch was "indecent but not obscene," giving the FCC broad leeway to determine what constituted indecency on the airwaves.

"So my name is a footnote in American legal history, which I'm perversely kind of proud of," Carlin said. "In the context of that era, it was daring."
"It just sounds like a very self-serving kind of word. I don't want to go around describing myself as a 'groundbreaker' or a 'difference-maker' because I'm not and I wasn't," he said. "But I contributed to people who were saying things that weren't supposed to be said."
Watch Carlin's 7 dirty words routine »

Carlin, who was also an author, was slated to receive the 2008 Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in November.

"In his length career as a comedian, writer, and actor, George Carlin has not only made us laugh, but he makes us think," Stephen Schwarzman, Kennedy Center chairman, said in a statement. "His influence on the next generation of comics has been far-reaching."

In a typical wry response, Carlin said: "Thank you Mr. Twain. Have your people call my people."

Carlin hosted the first broadcast of "Saturday Night Live" in October 1975.
He played the character of Mr. Conductor on the PBS series "Shining Time Station" and starred in more than a dozen HBO specials. Carlin was also a regular on The Tonight Show.

He produced 23 comedy albums, 14 HBO specials, three books, a couple of TV shows and appeared in several movies, from his own comedy specials to "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" in 1989 -- a testament to his range from cerebral satire and cultural commentary to downright silliness (and sometimes hitting all points in one stroke), the AP reported.

"Why do they lock gas station bathrooms?" he once mused. "Are they afraid someone will clean them?"

He won four Grammy Awards, each for best spoken comedy album, and was nominated for five Emmy awards, according to the Associated Press.

[arreskslarlig]

Culture observer par excellence.

George Carlin was a perfect fit for the 1960s, and never lost his relevance.

From his former Burns & Carlin partner, Jack Burns: "George was fairly conservative when I met him," said Burns, describing himself as the more left-leaning of the two. It was a degree of separation that would reverse when they came upon Lenny Bruce, the original shock comic, in the early '60s.

"We were working in Chicago, and we went to see Lenny, and we were both blown away," Burns said, recalling the moment as the beginning of the end for their collaboration if not their close friendship. "It was an epiphany for George. The comedy we were doing at the time wasn't exactly groundbreaking, and George knew then that he wanted to go in a different direction."

That direction would make Carlin as much a social commentator and philosopher as comedian, a position he would relish through the years. George Carlin: The whole problem with this idea of obscenity and indecency, and all of these things -- bad language and whatever -- it's all caused by one basic thing, and that is: religious superstition. There's an idea that the human body is somehow evil and bad and there are parts of it that are especially evil and bad, and we should be ashamed. Fear, guilt and shame are built into the attitude toward sex and the body. ... It's reflected in these prohibitions and these taboos that we have. Besides the adult and edgy commentary with which Carlin is most identified, he did the narrative for the U.S. version of the children's TV series Thomas the Tank Engine.



Farewell, George.

[loan4younow]

George Carlin on Death

I secretly hope there is a heaven just to tweak him... he's surely there if it exists.

[feeshyLew]

I didn't choose my avatar by some random method.When I saw that Carlin was available,I did an 'Oh BOY" and I adapted it.
He was my avatar in many more ways than just visual.

I was an instant fan.The first time I ever heard his "Al Sleet--The Hippy-Dippy Weatherman" routine,I was HIS.
It was the '60s,drugs were all over,hippies ruled.TV--and radio--were just awakening to the trends and beginning to pander to stoned Boomers.Carlin--a true Pioneer-- blazed the humor trail for us and brought us drug comedy.I bought all his records and went to two of his "concerts".

The early routines were hilarious--he punned his way through a phony TV weather report as a stoner in a tie making sly faux-pas and smoky metaphors (ie; "And now, tomorrow's weather today,man",he would leer--"Sunny...and Cher"..."high today--and higher tomorrow"..."Here's a few quick ball scores--four to three,seven-zero,and five,that's a halftime,man"...),then he'd roll his eyes and blissfully pass out.

Later,he came up with the "Seven Words You Can't Say on TV",then he said them and got busted for it.THAT was funny in itself.
It went to the Supreme Court,who decided that the Seven Words were indeed indecent,but not obscene.But they were also Free Speech,so from that day Carlin fashioned every one of his routines around "dirty words".On one of his HBO shows,he had a list that had to be ten feet long containing every dirty word he could think of,from "booger" to "MF".The last ten minutes of the show,he sat on a stool and said them ALL.
(Even though it was a great decision for free-speaking libertarians, you still can't use those words EVERYWHERE,like here.If I wrote out the 7 words,all you'd see is lots of little stars).

I loved the way he played with language and how insightful some of his references were.
I always laughed when George was around,and I loved his New York accent.
I wanted to BE him,to be able to come up with funny,thought-out replies to ridiculous questions or situations,to have the same irony in my voice,to have the rubbery body and the long face,to be just like him-- but of course I couldn't do that.That would be neurotic...

The only way I could even be close to being Carlin was to make him an Avatar.

Thanks for the laughs,man.

[!!Aaroncheg]

This is rather obscure and probably not interesting to most but: George Carlin has a virtual twin in the Italian comedian Beppe Grillo.... the same accusatory socially conscious comment and comedy... very much the same delivery and type of audience:

Carlin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWeAgvNAgiY

Grillo bitching about the phone company: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWQT9w5rjMk

--------
Carlin 1966
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMd5q...eature=related


---

[2swasseneons]

I was a bag fan when I was a kid but a few years ago I got a couple of his dvd's from the library and was shocked to realize that he came to use a lot of homophobic language in his later years.

[jelena-nanana]

He was one of my heros growing up and remained so throughout my life. Came onto the scene as a relatively mainstream comedian changing course in the late 60's in and so doing became a counter-cultural hero.

It wasn't an easy thing to do. At the time he made the switch he had a substantial mainstream following and with it I am sure a comfortable lifestyle. He gave all that up to follow his heart. You have to admire people who do that.

Of course his mastery of language was legendary and represented a defining characteristic of his style. But his use of what was than known as "off-color" humor and more importantly his political and social observations established his place in history as a trailblazer who along with Lenny Bruce before him, and contemporaries like Richard Pryor paved the way for the new generation of comics. He will be missed.

Rest in peace.

[Trercakaressy]

Keith Olbermann asks Carlin why the right wing gets so upset about fictional characters being gay. Carlin says it's about fear, guilt and shame. http://www.alternet.org/blogs/video/66034/

[steevytraunse]

but when he spent time during his acts to make derogatory comments about 'fags and queers' it spreads a message of hatred and violence to the general community.

[wbeachcomber]

I think what he did was make politically incorrect comments about gays to illustrate broaders point about speech and perception. Much as he did about people of color, men and women in general and people fitting all classifications and categories.

Here is a link from a "gay forum" I found earlier today. I just did a google on "gay" and "carlin.

To a person the people on this forum remember him as an advocate for gays and/or are big fans.


http://www.realjock.com/gayforums/211864/

[DuePew]

I'm wondering how you researched your conclusion regarding our entire forim community regarding this matter. While I distinctly recall his comments about faggots and queers on the dvd's, I do not recall the hate filled terms kike, spic, nigger or chink being used.

[uphokyhuP]

The source of my 'research' is the same as yours. My Recollection of his performances which did indeed include racial and religious epithets spoken within the construct of that which I mentioned above.

To me, context is everything

[AnthonyKing]

Carlin was out of the school of Lenny Bruce... Richard Pryor.

That kind of sarcasm and irreverence often goes over peoples heads.

He was not someone who spread a message of hatred and violence to the general community. No where near.

If anyone can find one example of Carlin being criticised by gay groups or organizations for doing so... I would like to see it.

BTW: Carlin was about to recieve the Mark Twain Prize for american humor at the Kennedy Center.

--

[Oswczrdz]

Ever get annoyed with stroller-moms and stroller-dads?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPhBCJp4b1A

[spaxiaroorbes]

@ Fabrizio,

Well put.

[lookanddiscover]

I certainly don't need a group behind me to form my own opinions.

[XangadsX]

wow. George Carlin. What else can I say. This guy was a sheer genius in comedy. I remember watching a special on HBO special back in the early 2000s. Man I never laugh so hard on some of the things he said. ( Like baseball vs. Football.) I really am going to miss him.

[AlexClips]

George Carlin was the sh!!!!!!!!t. Corny at times but he was on a comic league of his own and went where no other stand up comedian never dared to go. My avatar will stay as it is in dedication.

[TOD4wDTQ]

It's times like these when I wish I had been born 10 or 20 years earlier. To have grown up when Carlin was in his hey-day would have been a real treat. He'll always be one of my favorites.

I remember the first time I experienced George Carlin was on one of his HBO specials. Can't remember which one, because there have been several over the years and they're re-run every now and then. But I believe it was at the Beacon Theater. I had never laughed as hard, nor spent as much time thinking about someone's spoken words in my life. It was eye-opening, the way he combined his particular brand of humor - with all its sarcasm, mockery, and irony - with his personal views on society and religion to make sincerely thoughtful points. In so doing, he made us laugh at ourselves and what's wrong with humanity, and then, unashamed, look back introspectively. He was a brilliant thinker, and a comic genius. I will really miss him.

Among my favorites was his tradition of coming up with a new list of "people that should be shot" (or castrated, or put to sleep) for whatever new annoying trend they were helping to spread. And his constant attacks on religious zealotry and its influence on government oddly helped me come to terms with being Catholic. The Carlin golden rule: keep thy religion to thyself.

'Nuff said.

[jamemeveRhype]

I certainly don't need a group behind me to form my own opinions.

Stache, if the people you are saying are being insulted by his comments are NOT being insulted, then what he was saying was NOT INSULTING!!!!

Use logic woman!

What he may be saying may be shocking, the context of what he is talking about needs to be taken into account to be able to see if his epithets were insults or poignant reminders of society and how it categorizes these people.

You have every right to be insulted by what he said when you first hear it, but if you are unwilling to listen to what he is actually saying instead of just the terms used to get your attention, then you are not really giving it a chance.


I saw him as a man who basically hated a hell of a lot of things in life. He started off mainstream, then broke the mainstream with the 7 dirty words (which got him arrested and released) and then went on to critique everything he could about society.

Some things being more humorous than others (I think he had a tough bout in the late 80's that made his routines sound more like an angry man complaining about the world than a satirical commentary, but that is just me).

But I never saw him as a man of blind hate. He hated specific human idiocies, not blanket statements or groups. I never saw him as one to be a racist/xenophobe/bigot or homophobe.