NEWS: Noooooooooooooooooo... George Carlin, R.I.P.

CULTURE: Noooooooooooooooooo... George Carlin, R.I.P.

George Carlin, the legendary comedian who was once arrested for obscenity for his "Seven Words You Can't Say on Television" skit (the case went all the way to the Supreme Court) has died. He was 71.

Do I even need to say anything about him? I'll just leave it to everyone else to share their own thoughts on his landmark comedy routines and add my own: I was a sophomore in high school when I first heard one of Carlin's full shows, "You Are All Diseased." Aside from laughing to the point of tears, my perceptions on the world were forever changed. I had never heard anyone speak so profanely and yet so eloquently. I immediately scrambled to find more albums from the guy I had previously only known as the comedian who played Rufus in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. Carlin's humor had the same effect on me as Lenny Bruce's sketches had had on Carlin.

I'll close with some classic clips:








George, you will be sorely missed.

I liked how in his last stand-up "It's Bad For Ya" he talked about how when people refer to loved ones that have passed away, they always say "He's up there, looking down on all of us and smiling." and how no one ever said, "He's down there, screaming up at all of us."

Partial Score: George Carlin, 71

I feel so bad, I feel like I lost someone from my family.
The guy was just amazing.
RIP George Carlin, one of the few people who can think and say what on their mind at the same time.

RIP Mr. Conductor.

This man had a profound outlook on the way I look at life and when I found out last night I was more bummed than I have been of anyone passing away since my grandmother died.

I saw Carlin live once. My brother and I went for my birthday a few years ago. I don't think I have ever laughed so hard in my life. His albums, his books, and everything else he did was hilarious. Without him, comedy would not be where it is today.

Does this mean I can delete him from my address book...?

with all due respect, and I was a huge fan, he should either have died or stopped performing years ago.

After my initial heart-sinking, that's the second thought I had. Even in death George still made me laugh.

Honestly, though, it's been a long time since I've been this broken up about someone's death who wasn't related.

No way. I think he only got angrier and, therefore, better w/age.

-TM

Man... we didn't need to lose another great skeptic - especially a funny one.

I was so sad to hear the news. Like an uncle I hadn't thought about in a while had been hit by a car or something.

Thanks for posting teh funneh. He will be missed by many.

His last HBO special was his best of the decade.

Being scarcely a year old when he appeared on Jack Parr's 'The Tonight Show' I don't recollect the full arc, but he's been breaking me up since I can remember. Rest now, George.

Agreed. I saw his latest show live at least 5 times and every single time I left the theatre with my face sore from laughing and smiling so much. The same goes for the previous show as well. They were brilliant.

He will most definitely be missed. Not only for his comedy, but because he was an amazingly kind person. I'm grateful that I got a chance to say goodbye, although I didn't realize it would be so permanent at the time.

First heard him in the '70's as a kid. Didn't get all the jokes, but the ones I did, I laughed for days, secretly in my room so my parents didn't know. Then rediscovered him in the 80's, lost touch with him in the mid-late 90's, then started listening again the last several years after he and I both strangely and coincidentally came out of a dark, dry spell. Was really looking forward to him coming around this fall. My wife even recently remarked about going to see him live. Sad to say I never saw him in person. He was one of the good ones over the years. Always came back around to piss off and on the man. Court Jester Extraordinaire. His rant on Fox News was classic, and they cut his mic. The Euphemism bit is like Orwell's "Politics and the English Language." Only more biting and brief. You'll be long remembered, George. As he'd hate to have said about himself, "what a guy."

John Nichols' piece at The Nation was pretty good...linked at my blog here with some added links:

http://mythinfo.blogspot.com/2008/06/rip-george-carlin-american-radical.html

I think i had bad parents. I remember watching the old "Carlin on Campus" special on HBO... i was like 10 at the time.

Just last week i was regretting the fact that i was gonna miss seeing him in Vegas by a few days.

Rat shit, bat shit, dirty old twat
69 assholes tied in a knot
hoooooooray, lizard shit, FUCK!

I got to see him once in Philly with Leon Redbone opening ! Back when he was doing his " a place for my stuff " bit . Mid 80's I think . I love Carlin because he's one of those guys who can put into words so many things that I think about , but lack the speaking ability to get across . That & the fact that he was one funny mother fucker . Was listening to the replay if his interview on Fresh Air yesterday . I loved his stand on death / religion . Always have . always will .

"May the forces of evil become confused on the way to your house."

George Carlin was the Best Friend EVERYONE had
Im gonna miss you George
Rest in Peace Dude!

George Carlin
May 12th 1937 ~ June 22 2008.

Me 3!
George just got better!

This man had more influence on my bad attitude in life than any other single person. For this he will be sorely missed. RIP George Carlin.

I agree with this too. I think he hit his prime in his later years and stayed there right up until the end. I'm extremely sad that I will not see what he would have said about things still to come.

I just wonder what his complaints on the Afterlife are and wish I could hear them.

HBO2 has a lot of his early work programmed for tonight.