George Carlin, RIP
June 23rd, 2008 at 02:27am Mark Noonan
Comedian George Carlin, a counter-culture hero famed for his routines about drugs and dirty words, died of heart failure at a Los Angeles-area hospital on Sunday, a spokesman said. He was 71.
Carlin, who had a history of heart and drug-dependency problems, died at Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica about 6 p.m. PDT (9 p.m. EDT) after being admitted earlier in the afternoon for chest pains, spokesman Jeff Abraham told Reuters.
Known for his edgy, provocative material, Carlin achieved status as an anti-Establishment icon in the 1970s with stand-up bits full of drug references and a routine called “Seven Words You Can Never Say On Television.” A regulatory battle over a radio broadcast of the routine ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court.
He made his big name by using dirty words, but he was funnier without them:
Tonight’s forecast: Dark. With continued dark until partly scattered light in the morning. We see that overnight our low was 35. The high was 215 degrees. That was during a fire at the weather bureau.
May God rest his soul.
Entry Filed under: Announcements
20 Comments
1. Jonathan | June 23rd, 2008 at 3:07 am
He was a funny-(Expletive Deleted) mofo.
The 7 Words You Can Never Say On Television sketch is a classic.
R.I.P. Mr. Carlin.
2. Ken | June 23rd, 2008 at 3:47 am
R.I.P. Mr. Carlin. You were one of the few men that
could read from something as plain as a phone
book and make it funny.
Of all the comedians today, you were one of the
best.
3. OpChaosUK | June 23rd, 2008 at 5:46 am
RIP George Carlin. You lived on the edge and paved the way for many. While we didn’t agree much politically, I found you to be a very funny man and a joy to watch.
4. Some Assembly Required | June 23rd, 2008 at 8:43 am
Truly one of the best. I think Carlin and Lenny Bruce helped shape modern comedy to a point which may not be fully understood for generations to come. If they didn’t push the boundaries who knows where we would be. R.I.P.
5. Casper | June 23rd, 2008 at 9:55 am
One of the funniest men who ever lived. He will be missed.
6. bagni | June 23rd, 2008 at 10:10 am
markrip:
there might be hope for you
the fact you recognize carlin was one of the funniest
of course you have to take your usual swipe
but like you
us green ones mourn
with dirty words and without
he will be sorely missed
as an earthling of humor and common sense
7. OpChaosUK | June 23rd, 2008 at 10:48 am
baggie:
you may want to join the kooks over at Brimstone…
8. Decidenator | June 23rd, 2008 at 1:37 pm
Aren’t atheists supposed to go to hell?
9. js | June 23rd, 2008 at 5:01 pm
he was a jerk
really
he was
all the immature crap that he spit out on national tv
when he actually grew up and matured
he just checked out and takes all the new material with him
i guess his new audience will appreciate that…but he left us sucking wind bad!@!
cya george
10. discolapin | June 23rd, 2008 at 5:08 pm
RIP George, you’ll be missed.
Frankliy I’m surprised you folks are honoring Carlin, but kudos to you for doing so.
“Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers.”
-George Carlin
11. Kahn | June 23rd, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Yes, he was funny. But for the past several years his bitter angry rant was just wearing thin. Groundbreaking in the ’70’s? Yes.
I am Catholic. He WAS Catholic. I believe in America, I’m not so sure he did. It’s not my fault he wasted his fortune on Coke. But he seemed to think it was.
Sorry if that offends anyone. But I used to like Carlin. Not lately though.
12. FmrMarine | June 23rd, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Kahn;
>>>It’s not my fault he wasted his fortune on Coke. But he seemed to think it was.>>>
He was a foul mouthed drug head……..not funny!
not missed !
He had a hand in sinking our society to new lows.Destroying the very fabric which we were wove from.
There are pitchforkers here on this blog intent on the same course.
AMF!!!! coke head
13. Retired Spook | June 24th, 2008 at 10:54 am
“Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers.”
-George Carlin
What a great illustration of cutting edge humor — NOT! Incredibly offensive to a retired Naval officer? You bet. Funny? Anyone who thinks that’s funny has a sick sense of humor.
I guess when I was thirteen I probably thought using the word “fu*k” as a noun, a verb, and adverb and an adjective, all in the same sentence was funny. I no longer do, and I guess that’s why I wasn’t a big George Carlin fan.
14. jd peiper | June 24th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
hold the phone guys. NOT his fault society and entertainment has gone the way Fmr.Marine thinks. Oh no. Someone had to approve and I don’t mean his audience.
Crude or worse he did have some funny moments but what I object to here is the mention of Lenny Bruce. As tho that drugged out foul mouthed no-talent had something to offer. What exactly? A four letter word? Oh gosh what talent that must have taken. He must have been up night after night to think of that. Anyone actually ever hear anyhting bu Bruce? It’s the folks in positions of some say and who control purse strings who first open that door. After that, today is what ya have.
And it is so much easier to be funny (when your talent is somewhat limited) by using foul language.
And so speaks someone who does use it when pissed at his computer. Or most inanimate objects. Doesn’t make me clever or inventive.
Just foul mouthed.
15. Some Assembly Required | June 24th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
Lenny was arrested several times for using that foul word… I believe he would be known as an advocate for that thing called ‘free speech’. He stepped out and used the word. He helped push the bounds which enabled comedians to do whatever routine they wanted. If you don’t agree with it, don’t pay the price of a ticket or change the channel.
Take away the right to say F$ck and you take away the right to say F%ck the Government
-Lenny Bruce
Religion: If this [word] offends you, welcome to the world of sane and realistic critical thought. More harm has been done to the collective human psyche by religion than by all the f$cking and co#ksu#king since the dawn of time. By the way, many religious people (including the ordained) fu^k and suck each other’s co#ks all the time.
- George Carlin
This wasn’t so much about saying the word but more about having the right to use it if you pleased without being prosecuted. Bruce and later Carlin pushed the censors and thus were advocates for freedom of speech. I think thats something to be respected, even if you do not like their vulgarity.
Saying that, I can see how you religious folk have a beef with them. They most certainly had a beef with you. I think it stemmed from years upon years of telling them what they can and can’t do along with what they can and can’t say. Not to mention pushing faith upon them. Anyway, I was a fan and the world has truly lost a free speaker if their ever was one.
16. FmrMarine | June 24th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
sar;
any moron, ghetto rat, suburbanite, etc can swear.
It shows lack of class, morals, and just plain stupidity.
Im sure you of think larry flynt is a hero….first amendment champion.
ya de ya.
You would have horse whipped in out FOUNDING fathers days for such vulgarity.
But what did they know about the “first amendment”?
17. FmrMarine | June 24th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
sar;
>>>Saying that, I can see how you religious folk have a beef with them. They most certainly had a beef with you. I think it stemmed from years upon years of telling them what they can and can’t do along with what they can and can’t say.>>>
First who is THEM?? and THEY ??
Second it was not “religious” folks telling anybody anything.
It was a little thing like THE LAW !
I know I know they are only made to be broken by the ignorant.
I love how the lobs wrap them selves in the 1st amend. to swear, to support pornography, to support abortion, to support homosexual social engineering.
HOWEVER
If a religious person attempts to counter this it is “HATE” speech and not protected by the 1st amend.
Really really NUTS!
18. jd peiper | June 25th, 2008 at 8:17 am
sar …
Not by any stretch of the imagination am I a religious person. But I do know the difference between right and wrong.
I kinda think I also know the difference between some foul mouth hiding behind freedom of speech, and an honestly talented performer.
Yeah, Carlin had many moments and yes he made me laff on and off over the years.
But did he really have to be so heavy handed ALL the time? And what boundries really needed pushing? Bruce was no more then a slug whose brain was fried on drugs which finally did him in. Good. He might have done even more damage had he lived. No great loss to the entertainment world.
His argument about not being able to say eF the govt. is as false as he was.
You are quite right when you say ppl can vote by not buying a ticket or supporting the act.
But that’s not the problem. The problem is that their much lower standard becomes the norm.
Nobody has to shoot high, merely aim low. It’s easier.
I don’t have a problem with the free speech thing and I tend lean in the direction of allowing ppl to say what they think and feel. What bothers me is the sainthood bestowed those who, push the envelope. I think they push it to see if they can get away with it. Once they do, they push a little more. They aren’t heros.
19. Some Assembly Required | June 25th, 2008 at 8:54 am
jd, I completely understand where your coming from here. Don’t get me wrong, I do not think they were heroes by any means and I’m not a huge fan of vulgarity in comedy. I just have respect for what they have done. It enabled people like Dennis Miller, Bill Mahr, Jimmy Kimmel (sp?), Ed Byrne, the list continues to become prominent comedians. I see it like this, F&ck is the most offensive word in the English language. It brings a kind of shock factor with it but other than that it’s meaningless in comedy. It should not be exempt from comedy nor should it be outlawed and it is for this reason I respect what Bruce in particular has done. Was he a drugged out buffoon, I can’t argue he wasn’t. Though I will admit he did make me laugh on occasion.
For my money, I would have paid to see Chris Farley or Mitch Hedburg any day of the week. Farley’s ‘Matt Foley Motivational Speaker’ skit on SNL is yet to be rivaled and Mitch’s one liners are second to non.
What I really like about Carlin was that he didn’t sugar coat anything. His sketches on religion are truly hilarious IMO.
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