LEGENDARY COMEDIAN GEORGE CARLIN passed away a few weeks ago. Carlin often joked about euphemisms we use for saying someone died. “Passed away,” “moved on,” “gone to their final resting place,” all created to avoid saying “the guy died.” So as a homage, let’s just say George Carlin croaked a few weeks ago and I felt the need to say good-bye.
It’s perhaps fitting that I write this on July 4th. Carlin loved this country so much he constantly warned us that we were losing it. The worse things get in the world — i.e. $5 a gallon gas, home foreclosures, the endless war in Iraq — the more I miss him. I miss knowing that he was out there railing against the madness This past March was Carlin’s last HBO special,“It’s Bad For Ya.” He began by boasting of his new hobby, crossing off the names of dead friends from his address book. “That’s a lot of fun, isn’t it? Gives you a feeling of superiority to have outlasted another old friend. But you can’t come running home from the funeral and get the address book out. A little time has to pass. I have a rule of thumb, six weeks. If you’re a friend, and you’re in my book, and you die, I leave you alone for six weeks. Six extra weeks in my book, on the house, on me.”
Carlin was such a fearless purveyor of the truth that audiences not only laughed, they learned. Bill Maher noted that if you took out all the jokes of a Carlin concert it was still a fascinating lecture. He forced you to think. Even with a young audience, he never talked down. He screamed up.
His expressive rubber face and every part of his body helped Carlin sell the joke. Fortunately, with his 14 HBO specials, we can always see him on DVDs and TV reruns (He was the first host on SNL and appeared on Carson 135 times). And we can hear him on CD’s and albums. Does anyone still remember vinyl?
The irony of the tributes for Carlin is that he often ridiculed the need people have to gush about the deceased, “It’s not like the guy can hear you. And then, there’s always some point after the funeral, back at the house, someone will say, you know, I have a feeling Joe can see us now and he’s smiling from up there. Really? How do we know Joe isn’t smiling from down there? How do we know Joe is even smiling? Maybe he’s screaming in eternal pain?” How could you not miss George Carlin?
For over 50 years he performed provocative and influential comedy. He loved the language, twisting, analyzing and embracing it. His grandfather had written out every Shakespeare play in longhand just for the pure joy of it. So it was for Carlin. He surmised maybe it was genetic.
On Nov. 11 Carlin will posthumously receive the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor at the Kennedy Center. Not bad for a ninth grade dropout raised adjacent to Harlem in New York. The tribute will be aired on PBS.
Carlin is probably best known for his “Seven Dirty Words” routine, which led to the 1978 U.S. Supreme Court case “FCC v. Pacifica Foundation.” This case established the government’s right to regulate profanity on the public airwaves. In so doing, the court created a special category for Carlin, not obscene but rather his work was labeled “indecent.” Carlin took great pride in being a small part of the history of the legal system.
In 1973 Carlin won his first Grammy for “Am & FM.” It represented his evolution from establishment comedian, the “AM” side, to “hippie comedian,”the “FM”side. He won his last Grammy in 2002,almost 30 years later.No other comedian I can recall sustained this kind of relevant humor over such a time span.
There is no doubt that Carlin’s work places him in the pantheon of American comedy. Through talent and timing he was able to bring the danger of Lenny Bruce’s humor, and the counter-culture, into the mainstream. His groundbreaking work has influenced untold numbers of other stand-ups, including Bill Maher and Lewis Black. Go to YouTube and type “George Carlin Nails It.” See for yourself.
A longtime resident of the Venice canals, Carlin had turned 71 in May. He is survived by his wife, Sally Wade, a daughter, Kelly Carlin McCall, and an older brother, Patrick. There will be a public memorial soon for fans, friends and peers. If I can, I will post the date in my column. In the meantime, just for the record, forget six weeks, I’m never taking George Carlin out of my address book.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 4, 2008. Read the original PDF.