ADSactly Comedy: George Carlin
“Some people see things that are and ask, Why?
Some people dream of things that never were and ask, Why not?
Some people have to go to work and don't have time for all that.”
Hello again dear @adsactly comedy lovers,
Since I started doing this series about personalities in the history of comedy, I’ve gotten a lot of interesting responses from you. Many have expressed admiration for the Pythons or Robin Williams or other legends we’ve featured. And many of you have also mentioned other people you’re a fan of, be it stand-up comedians or slapstick actors, and one of the people I’ve heard a lot about is George Carlin.
Now, as I said before, we are not going in any chronological order with this series, so it’s very possible to go back and forth in time, as the images present themselves.
George Carlin is one of the first comedy loves for me, he’s always been a great favorite of mine, and I constantly find myself referencing him either directly or through the way I speak or my humor.
As you know, I don’t really like to dwell on the personal lives of the people I write about. I’d just like to say that like many of our past comedy legends, Carlin was an army man, in his youth, but he received a general discharge at the age of 20, having been deemed an “unproductive airman”. During his stint in the Air Force, he was court-martialed no less than three times, so that should tell you a little about Carlin’s relationship with authority.
Following his discharge, Carlin began appearing in night-clubs and performing stand-up comedy, together with comedian Jack Burns. They were known as The Wright Brothers. Later on, Carlin became a regular on The Tonight Show, hosted by Johnny Carson.
It’s interesting to note that in the early years of his career, Carlin put on a very “good” attitude. Very straight-laced, as it were, always showing up in suits, with neatly short-cropped hair and quite tame material. Of course, this would prove a sharp contrast to his later anti-establishment routines (some of his best known material).
In my opinion, there are two eras of Carlin. There is the younger Carlin, the seventies, eighties, even early nineties Carlin. The era of the infamous “Seven Words You Can’t Say on Television” (I will link the video below, but viewer discretion is advised, as you can imagine), a joke that even got him arrested in Milwaukee, in 1972. Naturally, this only increased Carlin’s fame and cemented his anti-establishment image.
As I was saying, a lot of his earlier stuff is more light-hearted, more focused on situational comedy and laughter. Watch for example, the video below (1976):
It’s very good material, it’s very funny, very true-to-life, which I think is what made Carlin so well-liked. I know that’s what drew me to him.
“Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.”
And then, there’s the later years, the specials and the jokes that were more politically-focused, more bitter. If you compare the ‘Rules’ skit above to this clip taken from the ‘It’s Bad for Ya’ special – recorded only four months before Carlin’s death.
I’ve chosen not to dwell on one of his political attacks, though there are many out there on the Internet and you’re welcome to watch them, but if you listen to this video below, you will notice that bitterness I was talking about. It’s like, as he grew older, Carlin lost his patience for people and focused more on complaints. Again, not saying the material was bad, quite the opposite, actually. It’s just that, with most stand-up comedians, their style was more or less constant throughout their careers and I can’t help but notice this change in Carlin’s stand-ups, which I personally find interesting.
“That's why they call it the American Dream, because you have to be asleep to believe it.”
Carlin was a widely prolific man, not only did he produce his own specials, write his material (obviously) and perform heavily well towards the end of his life, but he also authored five books: ‘Sometimes a little brain damage can help’, ‘Brain Droppings’, ‘Napalm and Silly Putty’, When Will Jesus Bring the Porkchops?’ and his autobiography ‘Last words’. He influenced a large majority of popular comedians from today, such as Louis CK and Bill Maher.
But most importantly, whether you were watching a skit, listening to a show or reading one of his books, Carlin made you think. He drew attention to a lot of injustice and things that shouldn’t be happening and sure, he was brutal, but he encouraged his audience to wake up and see the world for what it is. And that’s why I don’t think there will ever be a man such as him.
“I do this real moron thing, and it's called thinking. And apparently I'm not a very good American because I like to form my own opinions.”
―George Carlin
If you ask me, Carlin died too young. He suffered cardiac arrest in 2008, at the age of 71 and I can’t help but wonder what it would’ve been like to have him around another ten years. Seriously, can you imagine this guy in our world today? He would’ve had so much material to work with.
There are, of course, the conspiracy theories that claim Carlin was assassinated, that he spoke too much against the American government. Admittedly, he was on the FBI watchlist and the government were keeping a close eye on him, but there is no definite evidence to prove these theories.
Carlin left behind a daughter, Kelly Carlin, who is also a stand-up comedian, and quite a talented one, at that.
So, are you a Carlin fan? What’s your favorite skit/routine? Please let us know in the comments below!
Authored by @honeydue
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I love George Carlin, a real great man who we lost it! a man who didn't scared to say the truth, a man who questions everything and pass the borders and limits and showing us what is behind the curtains, thanks for this great article about him!
Yes, he really was amazing and it's a shame we lost him relatively early... Thank you for your comment! :)
George was a G.O.A.T.
That hated humanoids like me
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I guess you're right :) If that means what I think it means...
If ur thinking (one of the) Greatest Of All Time, yes
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That's exactly what I was thinking :D
The king. maybe my favourite man in comedy.
"We used to laugh at comedians and listen to politicians. Now we laugh at politicians and listen to comedians" and i think he was fine example of that.
think that i listened everything he did except that late published "I Kinda Like It When a Lotta People Die". I kinda postponing it maybe because i know that i will not find anything new from him after that.
Aah I know the feeling, but don't worry, he's great on the millionth re-listen, so...
I have a routine where I listen to his airport security bit every night before a flight and it works like a charm. Not to mention he manages to cheer me up every time I'm in a 'fuck you' mood...
Unfortunately, I only had general references from George Carlin (there have been many difficulties in Venezuela to access certain television programs). Thanks to your post, @honeydue, I have access to more information about him and, despite my limitations with respect to English, in the videos you share I can recognize his genius, his humor of great acuity and ironic strength. Evidently, his performance of much critical vigor to official hypocrisy and ideological traps must have been an uncomfortable voice for the establishment. Greetings.
I understand, but I'm glad you're checking out more of his work...maybe you can find some videos with subtitles? :)
I do believe one has a lot to learn from Carlin, so lucky you for just getting into him now - wonderful things await!
From this moment on I'm a George Carlin fan! Although I didn't know him, the quotes you used show not only his humor, but how irreverent he was. I like intelligent humorists who use humor for a purpose and George Carlin apparently had a special humor. I imagine it must have been one of those people who could be uncomfortable with his verb and his thinking. Today's society, and especially some people, have seen humor, not only a way to de-stress you, but also an interesting way to protest, to resist. Irony, parody, sarcasm have been used to unmask those in power. In Venezuela, for example, we have the ability to make a joke about anything, and that is that higher level of pain, suffering and frustration, greater sense of humor develop the people who suffer them as a tool to combat pressure. I have always believed that in a democracy, freedom of expression provides humor to citizens. Thank you for sharing, @honeydue.
Very well said. Carlin's humour was a lot about standing up, about resisting and protesting, which I guess is what earned him so many enemies in the establishment. I'm glad you enjoyed this and that my post turned you into a fan! :D
I had been expecting this post since the beginning of the series. Today was an unusually busy and tiresome day and I am getting late home and still doing some hosuechores,but I have to comment on this one.
I am glad to know some of the details of Carlin's personal life. I did not know about his court martials. It is good to knwo that he was a coherent/consistent irreverent from the beginning.
Authority, especially of the military kind, especially in latin america is something I have strong opinions about and I think noone should respect a uniform body unless they earn that respect and given the shared corrupt and authoritarian mentality in the military, it is hard for any of them to inspire anything but disgust and mockery.
I knew the old Carlin, which I think is the best. I even liked his distinctive coarse voice. I think he was a very smart guy with a complex sense of humor and very compeling ideas about politics, race, religion, gender, and education.
I think that the pragmatism that characterizes most humorists is actually what the rest of the world needs.
Most never-ending issues end up being that because no practical solution is even met whenever you pay too much attention to sensitivities and melodrama. Justice is a very practical value but it has been travestied into something that has become the source of standup comedy and comedy in general.
Thank you so much for this post and for sharing some of his last material. Priceless.
Society needs irreverent smart people to take front stage. Societies need to listen to humorist more attentively and probably laugh less. Most of the time what they say is serious as hell.
PS. One of my favorite Carlin's sketch is any of the ones he devoted to religion and to people who deserve to be killed
Oh I love the people who ought to be killed sketch :)) I must know it by heart by now and it never fails to make me laugh :D
You're right, people like Carlin are very important, they open your eyes to a lot of unpleasant things. I'm always glad when I see a stand-up or quote of his shared on social media, even after all this time. I hope he never goes out of style...
Thank you for commenting!
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Love this man.
Another comedian I was blessed to see live, though it was not long before he died, and he was already pretty much embittered. Still hilarious however.
I think his bitterness kicked into full swing with the death of his first wife in 1997. She was his rock, and even though he remarried the following year, he never really got over her death.
I'm with you, and really loved his earlier work from the 70s, which is when he really came onto my radar. My older sister had all of his albums, and we always watched him on Carson.
One of the things I always appreciated about his comedy was that, in those days, it was mostly self-deprecating, and gentle in tone.
This was in sharp contrast to so many other comedians of the day, whose comedy relied on slamming others, which was quite simply neither as clever nor as funny.
RIP George Carlin. One of the most original voices of our time.
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Excellent point there, about his bitterness being about his first wife :) I hadn't thought of that.
Lucky you, to see both him and Williams live, what a blessing! :D
So true. I don't like comedians who thrive from hurting others either.
The man had amazing insight and I sure would love to know what he would be telling us now.
During his stint in the Air Force, he was court-martialed no less than three times, so that should tell you a little about Carlin’s relationship with authority. I admire this about him, his willingness to break the rules and mock the laws he felt were wrong.
I never saw the "rules" routine before - he could sing too!
Excellent post.
I know right? He had a really nice voice. I agree, I love his disregard for authority too. Really made me realize that it's okay to stand up against something when you think that something might be wrong or unfair.
Thank you :)
Unless you're a kid in school! He must have been quite a handful for a teacher. One of my kids was too. Mine could see right through BS and inequities, and wasn't able to keep it to himself like the others. It's tough when you have a nature that can see things as they really are, but can't keep your mouth shut about it.
As Carlin got older his messages became more urgent to him, or so they seem to me. Brilliant man. We are blessed to have had him doing his work for as long as we did. Thanks for putting this post together.