Although I am certain that George Carlin will not receive even a tenth of the adulation from the people who matter in American Broadcasting,he was a giant where it counted.In the hearts and minds of people who did not follow the herd.Conformity was not George’s great suit and his biting commentary on religion,our social mores and our predatory attacks against the powerless have made him a cultural icon.In this he reminds me of Frank Zappa, a man whose perceptions rival those of Edith Wharton.
So we mourn the passing of a true American legend,one who kept us from losing our marbles completely.
In his last interview with Keith Olberman, George said in reference to the treatment of prisoners and the religious intolerance unleashed by Bush,”this country is finished”.He said it in the sense of having lost its ideals and become a malignant entity.
Although it made me sad to agree with George, I know that so long as we continue to produce George Carlins and respect their contributions, we never have to worry about the small minded tyrants among us.
Rest in peace George.You were the best.
Damn. I was neutral on Russert’s death but Carlin is a different feeling for me altogether. I feel like I grew up with him(although am over a decade younger)from the inspired silliness of his ‘Hippy Dippy Weatherman’ to his biting social commentary and of course we can’t forget his famous ‘Dirty Words’-which I think went all the way to the Supreme Court.
Hard to pick anything as a favorite although his take on the Ten Commandments is a particular favorite of mine.
Just fuck….%&*#!long live dirty words!
RIP motherfucker.
RIP
the classic: “seven words” c.1978…
My favorite routine.
“Have you noticed that their stuff is shit and your shit is stuff?”
The reason George touches us in a way Tim Russert never could was because George told the truth,the remorseless truth and nothing but the truth at all times.He did not spare himself or his country or his society from facing unpleasant facts about themselves.
In doing so, George held a mirror to ourselves and challenged us to be the people we profess to be.
Tim Russert,too, in his own way wound up speaking the truth to himself.When he discarded idealism and stated that it is for paupers he faced the truth of our society.As a man who made his peace with this reality and exploited it for his own personal benefit, Tim too saying that he would really like to be someone else,like say George?,but did not see any future for himself in that endeavor.
I’m very sorry to hear of his passing. Carlin reinvented himself in mid career and became an American icon in the process. His genius was holding up the mirror that exposed what is ugly about ourselves/ our country in such a way that we could actually laugh about it. Although many try, Carlin was a master at it. Ego became something to be scorned not protected, at least for an hour on HBO. He will be missed.
Ironically, how he’s passed on, I am actually seeing all these online posted vids’ of him which is great. I did not grow up in North America so he really has always been an unknown entity. I grew up with political satire, stand up comedy style in the Netherlands where, on New Year’s eve, the politicians themselves ended up attending the show.
Even though they were made fun off, and even though Wim Kan in essence ‘exposed’ some of their hypocrisy, he was popular with the people and politicians alike.
I guess the only political stand up comedian/commentator that is now left (that I know of) is Lewis Black. Thank god for youtube.. now I can get my fix of George Carlin.. and catch up with a cultural phenomenon,
Ingrid
I have known many Dutch people from my younger days in Holland,Michigan (talk of a coincidence!).These people were visiting relatives in West Michigan.
Many of them had a healthy distaste for politicians in their own country.I once went with a few of these visitors to a stand up comedy routine in Grand Rapids and they were thrilled.I knew then that no one could pull the wool over the eyes of our Dutch cousins.
You know, I don’t know what it is but the Dutch are still more politically active AND cynical at the same time. Perhaps it is precisely beCAUSE their politician or political party has had to compromise it being a multi party system. At least it’s better than having a zero sum situation (practically)..
So talking about a healthy distaste.. you should hear my mother everytime she comes to visit.. complaining and bitterly so. The Dutch seem to have also a much more ‘healthy’ understanding and disbelief when it comes to politics/politicians.. I don’t know.
So hence I love Lewis Black but I can see, from the various videos that have been posted all over the blogosphere, that I surely would have loved George Carlin..
Ingrid