George Carlin is dead :(

plumjam said:
Fans of James Randi criticising someone for being a grumpy old man is pretty ironic.
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How so? I'm a Randi fan, but I don't believe he's above criticism.

Not to mention that Randi's not particularly grumpy or misanthropic, as Carlin was (or his stage persona, depending on your point of view). Randi is old though- at least you got that part right.
 
godofpie said:
FO to all the Carlin haters. Has no one ever watched Thomas the Tank Engine on PBS? He was not, I repeat NOT a one dimensional person.
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I did. Thought he did a fine job, though Ringo Starr was better.
 
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plumjam said:
Following your rationale would mean that no financially successful comedian would be allowed to criticise corporations, capitalism, marketing, advertising, exploitation in the labour market...etc..
Nor, I guess, would comedians be allowed to criticise microphones, lighting, stages, tv producers, recording technology, seats, cameras, auditoriums, or the chick who sells ice creams during the interval.

BPSCG world would be a pretty strange world. It might look, to some, like some kind of fascism.
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Godwin.

I didn't see anywhere that BPSCG was suggesting Carlin shouldn't have been allowed to say what he did, just that he was rather lame for doing so.
 
Goddamnit. Hunter S Thompson, George Carlin, Ray Charles..... what the hell am I gonna do now?

This is gonna turn into one hell of a boring planet if we keep going on like this.
 
Ron_Tomkins said:
Goddamnit. Hunter S Thompson, George Carlin, Ray Charles..... what the hell am I gonna do now?

This is gonna turn into one hell of a boring planet if we keep going on like this.
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What are you griping about? Nowadays we have Chuck Palahniuk, Dane Cook and Kanye West...












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Garrette said:
I did. Thought he did a fine job, though Ringo Starr was better.
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No. My sons love Thomas, but I can't stand to hear it narrated by anyone other than Carlin.

(Not that I want to hear it narrated at all, mind you, but...)
 
BPSCG, I do see where you're coming from... and maybe it's hypocrisy, and maybe it isn't.

What if the last laugh IS on the big guy--he popularized a message of not trusting the mainstream, not conforming... and he did it on their dime, in their game.

If he had pulled his punches to make more money, I'd be more inclined to call it hypocrisy. But I can't think of any way in which he compromised his message for the sake of popularity or wealth.
 
For me, the fact that Carlin's comedy waned in his later years is at most a secondary consideration.

He was often referred to as a comedian, and while this title is close to the mark, it fails to encompass the services he provided. It was as much his rhythm—his cadence—as his message or form that made him one of the most prolific and longevinous performers of the last half-century. He was an orator, and a damn good one at that.

He spoke for adults, to adults, in a language employed by (many) adults in the real world. He expressed things that many observed but few said out loud, and even fewer in public.

He spoke his mind, delivered a seemingly honest effort at all times, and didn’t apologize for his perspectives or the form or content of those perspectives.

Clearly he had his faults and provided his share of controversy; he was human after all. Show me a life without controversy or faults and I promise to show you a life without effort, originality, strength, or purpose.

Carlin lived his life out-loud; for his courage and example I am appreciative. Thanks for the laughs, memories, and many doses of reality over the years.
 
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ParanoidAndroid said:
For me, the fact that Carlin's comedy waned in his later years is at most a secondary consideration.

He was often referred to as a comedian, and while this title is close to the mark, it fails to encompass the services he provided. It was as much his rhythm—his cadence—as his message or form that made him one of the most prolific and longevinous performers of the last half-century. He was an orator, and a damn good one at that.

He spoke for adults, to adults, in a language employed by (many) adults in the real world. He expressed things that many observed but few said out loud, and even fewer in public.

He spoke his mind, delivered a seemingly honest effort at all times, and didn’t apologize for his perspectives or the form or content of those perspectives.

Clearly he had his faults and provided his share of controversy; he was human after all. Show me a life without controversy or faults and I promise to show you a life without effort, originality, strength, or purpose.

Carlin lived his life out-loud; for his courage and example I am appreciative. Thanks for the laughs, memories, and many doses of reality over the years.
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I can't think of a more fitting description (or tribute). Wonderful.
 
Thanks for the kind words. It was from the heart; I have as much regard for Carlin as I could possibly have for anyone I didn‘t know personally.
 
Gravy,
My interest in "issues" is merely to point out how badly we're doing, not to suggest a way we might do better. Don't confuse me with those who cling to hope. I enjoy describing how things are, I have no interest in how they "ought to be." And I certainly have no interest in fixing them. I sincerely believe that if you think there's a solution, you're part of the problem. My motto: **** Hope!
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http://www.georgecarlin.com
 
Platitudes, changing the world, voice of our time, meh, He'd have laughed at all that.

Carlin was cool. 'Nuff said.







It's raisins that make Post Raisin Bran so wonderful, it's raisins that make........
 
I was a big fan of George Carlin back when I was just a kid - owned several of his albums from the 1970s (Toledo Windowbox, anyone?), and even was privileged to see him live in Las Vegas about 16-17 years ago.

I date his later bitterness to when his wife died - he was just never the same after that.

Rest in peace, George, and thank you.

HG
 
Gravy said:
Correction: a man who made a comfortable living by mocking and satirizing the status quo. He was also quite a negative guy, and I'm not aware that he offered many rational solutions to the myriad problems he riffed on. A funny, angry guy and a so-so critic. No, he wasn't always right, but he spoke his mind publicly and that's appreciated.
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Correction to the correction: his routine did not equal his true self, although of course there was overlap - in fact I think it's safe to say the same goes for most if not all comedians. From what I gather, Carlin was very different than his on stage self.

Anyway, much of his comedy was brilliant and great stuff, although his "angry man" routine got old after awhile and yes he really did wane in his last years. Personally I loved his commentary on words the most.


boooeee said:
The Carlin of the last 20 years was much different than the Carlin from the seventies. I much prefer the one from the seventies.
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Agree. Last time I saw his act (on TV) he looked kinda puffy and frankly wasn't even all that funny. But that doesn't really detract from his overall body of work. Easily one of the most intelligent comedians ever, even if I thought some of his social commentaries were full of horse chips.


slingblade said:
Platitudes, changing the world, voice of our time, meh, He'd have laughed at all that.

Carlin was cool. 'Nuff said.
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Exzachary. Well said.
 
Was he on heart medication? (Please see the Tim Russert thread).

Sorry to hear he died, but I do question his knowledge of biology. On yesterday's news they showed a excerpt of him telling a joke about omelettes and abortions. He said "how come it's called an abortion when humans do it, and an omelette when chickens do it?"

Where is the logic or element of surprise in this? It's not even funny. Omelette eggs are not made from fertilized eggs.
 
Aquila said:
Was he on heart medication? (Please see the Tim Russert thread).

Sorry to hear he died, but I do question his knowledge of biology. On yesterday's news they showed a excerpt of him telling a joke about omelettes and abortions. He said "how come it's called an abortion when humans do it, and an omelette when chickens do it?"

Where is the logic or element of surprise in this? It's not even funny. Omelette eggs are not made from fertilized eggs.
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I bet you're a hoot at parties. :rolleyes:
 
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