George Carlin

:(

All I can say is Shit, Piss, Fuck, Cunt, Cocksucker, Motherfucker, and Tits.

My friends and I bought tickets to see George Carlin for a New Year's Eve show (I'm thinking it was 1969 but might have been 1970 or even 1971) at a club called The Bitter End in Greenwich Village. Carlin was our favorite comedian from those Al Sleet (the Hippie-Dippy Weatherman) and Wonderful WINO routines we had seen him perform on the Ed Sullivan Show. When we arrived for the show there was a photo outside of the previously suit-wearing and short-haired Carlin in jeans, with long hair and a beard. He had changed and now looked like us. These physical changes were minor compared to the changes in Carlin's comedy as witnessed in that night's show.

We knew that he was funny, with a great gift for voices, facial contortions, and language but we were not prepared for the genius we were about to see. Carlin unleashed his brilliance and talent to "find the funny" on all of the subjects that mattered to us at the time. He was incredible and left us spent and stunned. It is still the most amazing comedy performance that I have ever seen or heard.

Although Carlin became (for my taste) too bitter in his later years, I've always admired that he was always thought-provoking and never pandered or dumbed-down his approach to become more accessible. Also, he kept creating and continued to do his thing to the last. George, thanks for the many laughs.

This is worth watching. Carlin reviewing his own life.

pastrami-on-wry wrote:

This is worth watching. Carlin reviewing his own life.

Very cool. That was both interesting and strange to listen to.

saw him in concert, he was both pee your pants funny, and oh-my-god did he just say shockingly unfunny.

He did a bit on working at an abortion clinic that was more gross then funny. I saw him do the re-worked version of the piece on an HBO special that was brilliant.

When all is said and done, his death will prove to be a bigger loss then that newsreader Russert.

Playing the game of who's death is a bigger loss is about as meaningful as comparing sports figures from different eras.

Your depiction of Russert as a "newsreader" is way off the mark. This guy was not some low-rent shithead that you watch delivering the evening news in Flint. He was incredibly bright and insightful and became, I think, an important part of the political process.

Of course, Russert's death has been covered, and his life lauded, excessively due to the fact that his co-workers and colleagues control a nice chunk of the airwaves and media. Carlin will receive at least equal praise but mostly out of the glare of the media spotlight. His work will be dissected, honored, and quoted nightly by a bunch of drunk comics sitting around The Laugh Factory at 3AM. Perhaps this is the most proper end for this cultural touchstone who made us laugh for almost 50 years.

pastrami-on-wry wrote:

His work will be dissected, honored, and quoted nightly by a bunch of drunk comics sitting around The Laugh Factory at 3AM.

Or, at the very least, said same comics sighing in unison wondering why it couldn't have happened to Fred Travalena.

fred travelina is still alive?

how could you tell?

clothier wrote:

fred travelina is still alive?

how could you tell?

He's actually dead but he's doing an uncanny impression of someone who's still alive.

he's doing danny ganns as rich little, right?

Exactly.

clothier wrote:

he's doing danny ganns as rich little, right?

Speaking of as much, what's up wit' 'dat? I mean, Jimmy Stewart died over a DECADE ago. That and Little just freakin' died when he was the "entertainment" at last year's White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. Seriously, brush-up on impersonating living human beings and maybe you'll have my attention (and as Matt Damon brilliantly did in a killer impression of Matthew McConaughey not that long ago on Letterman as well as this guy's [sorry, I don't know his name ] spot-on take of Denzel Washington).

I do a great I-95.

I don't know that it means I'm going to open next week at the Sands, but it's pretty damn good.

clothier wrote:

I do a great I-95.

Cool. Let's hear it!