I was conceived in a damp, sand-flecked room of Curley's Hotel in Rockaway Beach, New York. Why? Be careful out there, everyone. "And then he later . Carlin, 71, whose staunch defense of free speech in his most famous routine "Seven . "If you cant say something nice about a person, go ahead. ", 54. After 9/11, Carlin abandoned much of the hour he'd been . "A house is just a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get more stuff. ", 114. These observations were . Also, why does a word exist if we arent supposed to utter it? At the moment when it seemed like he was out of gas, he would suddenly recharge and reinvent himself., As he evolved from a fast-talking parodist of TV and radio to a rhetorical bomb-tosser, Carlin had a set of standards that remained consistent. They own everything. Herb Ball/NBCU Photo Bank, via Getty Images. "I have lots of ideas. The 37-year-old actress wore a midi dress . Well what if I don't want to? "Here's all you have to know about men and women: women are crazy, men are stupid. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. "I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a lot more as they get older, and then it dawned on me theyre cramming for their final exam. On other modern-day topics in which George Carlin surely would have had an incendiary but clarifying take on the Trump and Biden presidencies, social media, Elon Musk or the Marvel Cinematic Universe no matter how much we might wish to know his thoughts, he remains frustratingly out of reach. Carlin did stand-up comedy until the day he died. I took his shoes. ", 107. The title of the skit, "I Kinda Like it When a Lotta People Die," should give a pretty good indication of why the routine was shelved. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. ", 75. "The caterpillar does all the work, but the butterfly gets all the publicity. ", 35. And Carlin remains almost universally admired as a free-speech pioneer: He was arrested in 1972 for a performance of Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television, and that same routine would later play a key role when the federal government asserted its power to regulate the broadcast of indecent content. "Things you never hear: 'Please stop sucking my d**k or I'll call the police. And while the generations of stand-ups that have followed may have a sincere reverence for him, that doesnt necessarily mean they are fluent in the jokes he told. And broadcast live. When he shucked the coat and tie for black T-shirts and jeans, grew his hair long and began to riff about those "Seven Words You Can Never Say on TV," George . "People who say they don't care what people think are usually desperate to have people think they don't care what people think. And if that wasnt what she meant, then what exactly did Oh, jolly shit! mean? 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. When the culture began to change in the late 1960s when the old one-liner comics on The Ed Sullivan Show were looking pretty tired and irrelevant to a younger generation experimenting with drugs and protesting the war in Vietnam George Carlin was the most important stand-up comedian in America. My mother told me that my father hit her only once. Oh, George, he said, its a good thing youre dead.. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. As for the poor, they tell us theyve lost all incentive because weve given them too much money. 1. ", 91. ", 18. Throughout the routine, Carlin notes the differences between the two sports baseball is played in the spring, when all the plants are coming to life; football is played in the fall, when everything is dying making it clear that they couldnt be more dissimilar. "Religion is like a pair of shoes: Find one that fits for you, but don't make me wear your shoes. It will not be with jack-boots. Weve learned how to make a living but not a life. In What the hell is that?, what exactly does hell mean, and is it really a noun? "If it requires a uniform, its a worthless endeavor. Often, they dont exactly mean anything, or even make sense as grammar. ", 105. ", 63. My mother's theory was that while my father had been very free with his hands where his first family and Patrick were concerned, he didn't abuse her, because she had four brothers and her dad was a policeman. George had unwavering . "George Carlin" (season one, episode one; originally aired 10/11/1975) The first episode of Saturday Night Live (which, at this point, was still officially going by the name NBC's . When he follows that up with and f*ck Tiger Woods, too, its hard to not look at him and assume that he was something of a prophet. Like his friend and forerunner Lenny Bruce, who was arrested and convicted on obscenity charges (and who later received a posthumous pardon), George Carlin was battling the states power to discourage and punish his expression. "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever". Though she generally tries to avoid intervening in these kinds of disputes, Kelly Carlin has used her social media to correct this reading. ", 88. Hendra, a writer and comedian, talks with Rebecca . Kelly Carlin said her father was 99 percent progressive and that he raised her in a manner that today might be contemptuously dismissed as woke. "If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done? Aunt Ruth might have walked out of the room rather than listen to Carlin's disquisition when her nephew Craig played it on his record player. ", 8. "Bulls**t is truly the American soundtrack. LANGUAGE ADVISORY: There is language in this excerpt that some readers may find offensive. These are days of two incomes, but more divorces; these are times of fancier houses, but broken homes. "That's why they call it the American Dream, because you have to be asleep to believe it. ", 6. Since SCOTUS is going to overturn #RoeVWade I think this one from George Carlin is appropriate. 58:35. Theres so much sleight of hand and so many illusions happening onstage to trick an audience that youre being brave., There was never a cruelty to Carlin, she said. When he died, no one else could say they spoke on his behalf. And I would say, 'I'm not playin', Ma. "Careful, if you think too much, theyll take you away. Clearly not., Even so, Kelly Carlin said, is it dangerous when a culture wants to shut people down for speech? He would do that every decade or so, said Judd Apatow, the comedian and filmmaker who directed the documentary with Michael Bonfiglio. "Frisbeetarianism is the belief that when you die, your soul goes up on the roof and gets stuck. The air and the water will recover, the earth will be renewed. That approach gave Carlins comedy a longevity that not even the work of his esteemed predecessor Lenny Bruce has attained. Specifically, profanity has known three main eraswhen the worst you could say was about religion, when the worst you could say was about the body, and when the worst you could say was about groups of people. George Carlin bit is still a classic. Shortly before his death in 2008, Carlin released his final HBO special,Its Bad For Ya. ", 9. They should be giving their money to you. A skit recorded by George Carlin the day before the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 will finally be released 15 years later on a posthumous album. On Sept. 10, 2001, on a stage in Vegas, a city he loathed, George Carlin performed the red-hot closing bit he planned to use for his latest HBO special. George Carlin - Carlin on Campus (Portuguese Sub) -Stand Up Comedy Full Show. "If you have selfish, ignorant citizens, youre going to have selfish, ignorant leaders. The 1996 clip is being passed around on social media after this week's Supreme Court news. ", Want more great quotes? 2. Staying conceived literally required a miracle. Whether the . "I like it when a flower or a little tuft of grass grows through a crack in the concrete. After that, they dont wanna know about you. June 24, 2008 / 9:54 AM / CBS/AP. This essay appeared under the title "The Paradox of Our Age" in Words Aptly Spoken, Dr. Moorehead's 1995 collection of prayers, homilies, and monologues used in his sermons and radio broadcasts: We have taller buildings but shorter tempers; wider freeways but narrower viewpoints; we spend more but have less; we buy more but enjoy it less; we have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, yet less time; we have more degrees but less sense; more knowledge but less judgement; more experts, yet more problems; we have more gadgets but less satisfaction; more medicine, yet less wellness; we take more vitamins but see fewer results. ", 112. Whereas George was always making things totally accessible., (Even in her fathers later years, Kelly Carlin said, if he had an idea for a topical joke, rather than put it in his act, he would share them with people like the broadcaster Keith Olbermann, who was then the host of Countdown on MSNBC. Try spelling Evian backward. ", 17. "Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups. I see a glass that's twice as big as it needs to be. Man sheds his waste on thee. "Glass Onion: A Knives Out . We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; We have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness. He was always looking to show off what hed been thinking about at home., https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/11/arts/george-carlin-comedy.html, Illustration by Edmon de Haro; Mark Junge/Getty Images. With hundreds of sold-out concert dates each year, over 20 albums, two Grammys, two Cable ACE awards, and more HBO specials that anyone else, George Carlin is more popular than ever. ", 22. Words Aptly Spoken. The game is rigged.. "Everyone should try to scratch their name on the bomb of life. 3. "But what I want them to know is that Im thinking. In Carlins list, for example, I am pretty sure I have never in my lifetime (which began in 1965) heard anyone called a cocksucker, and I have certainly never leveled the term. But curses are distinctly odd as words go. His fans include Joe Rogan and Jim Gaffigan. ", 41. Curses Aren't 'Just Words'. (Eric Charbonneau/Meet the Blacks via AP) Article. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values; we fly in faster planes to arrive there quicker, to do less and return sooner; we sign more contracts only to realize fewer profits; we talk too much; love too seldom and lie too often. America, America. Your culture and entertainment cheat-sheet. August 1936. George Carlinwas one of the greatest comedians that ever graced a stage, and his comedy was as poignant and deep as it was hilarious. Several times during the pandemic, Carlin has drawn attention for a routine from his 1999 special, You Are All Diseased, in which he mischievously suggests that a childhood spent swimming in the polluted Hudson River was the reason he didnt catch polio. He's not a cheese. He was a legend, and its no wonder that this clip is being retweeted into oblivion. Its not something you can pretend to make happen. He was as prolific as he was profound, with a career spanning nearly five decades, 23 albums, 14 HBO specials, 130 Tonight Show appearances and three books (plus posthumous releases). ", 48. Toothpicks? We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication; drive smaller cars that have bigger problems; build larger factories that produce less. ", 36. Trouble is, most of them suck. On a Christmas Day when everything seemed to be going wrong and she was complaining about it, her daughter said, Mom, I thought on Christmas everybody was supposed to be jolly! The mother shot back, Oh, jolly shit! My friend was still laughing at that years later, when she shared the story with me, and I cherish the memory of that episode long after it happened, even though I wasnt there. "Men are from Earth, women are from Earth. Check out100 Best Dad Jokes50 Thinking of You Quotes50 Friday Quotes50 Monday Motivation Quotes101Bad Puns200Jokes for Kids, Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television. To put this in perspective, Armstrong was still largely beloved by the American public at this time. Origins: On 22 June 2008, at the age of 71, comedian George Carlin succumbed to a heart attack. Carlin with his daughter, Kelly, on the left and his first wife, Brenda. "I think the warning labels on alcoholic beverages are too bland. "Life is not measured by the number of breath we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. "The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live. ", 2. Every now and then you find yourself in a different place. Or the more caring, sensitive "Brace yourself, Agnes!". "Isnt it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do 'practice? Read: The 7 Dirty Words turn 40, but theyre still dirty. We give them great power over us. That routine is fondly remembered almost 50 years later, while many of us would be hard-pressed to remember anything else Carlin said. "I had no shoes, and I felt sorry for myself until I met a man who had no feet. ", 29. "When you step on the brakes, your life is in your foots hands. "Elvis". Carlins rueful 1996 routine about conservatives opposition to abortion (they will do anything for the unborn, but once youre born, youre on your own) became a newly viral phenomenon and was shown on a recent broadcast of the MSNBC program 11th Hour. A video clip of a Carlin bit about how Americans are ravenous for war (so were good at it, and its a good thing we are were not very good at anything else anymore!) has been tweeted by Representative Ilhan Omar, Democrat of Minnesota. Carlin eerily predicted a global virus-based pandemic as the earth's way of protecting itself. "It's never just a game when you're winning. During his 50-year career, irreverent comedian George Carlin stood in front of his audiences, questioning, condemning, and cutting through what he called "middle class crap." Your membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience. George Carlin very emphatically denied he had had anything to do with "Paradox," a piece he referred to as "a sappy load of shit," and posted his comments about being associated with this essay on his own web site. Sen. Susan Collins has been left with egg on her face (regarding her former support of Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court), and both Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert are thrilled over word (via a leaked memo) that Roe V. Wade will be overturned, meaning that abortion rights (and some related privacy-related rights, possibly extending to contraception and same-sex marriage) could soon be basically nonexistent in the U.S. Yup, the Pro Life crowd is set to get their way and take America back to the 1950s, which is why George Carlins 1996 take on the subject has resurfaced and is going viral. March 26, 2020 Updated Thu., March 26, 2020 at 4:01 p.m.. "Tell people there's an invisible man in the sky who created the universe, and the vast majority will believe you. We've conquered outer space, but not inner space. These two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death. Trending. "Most people with low self-esteem have earned it. Conservatives dont give a sh*t about you until youre military age conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers, he argued. Few of us care in quite the same way if our choices in life would meet the approval of Johnny Carson or Andy Kaufman. Maron contended that free-speech conflicts have shifted since Carlins era in such a way that it doesnt make sense to drag Carlin back into them. ", 124. I think we are in a time of exponential uncertainty as a species, she said. Why not Despair, Guilt, Rage, and Grief? Using language that would later be echoed by Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump, Carlin observed in a 2005 routine that the interwoven systems of American economy and government were not designed to ensure the prosperity of the average citizen: Its a big club and you aint in it, he said. Kelly Carlin said she could understand why audiences might long for her fathers particular brand of unvarnished honesty at this moment. Insecticided grain. George Carlin's Estate/HBO Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock. ", 79. Its part of that showoff and dropout syndrome. Pro-life conservatives are obsessed with the fetus from conception to nine months. ", 28. Beginning Friday, May 20 on HBO Max, you'll be able to see Apatow's latest documentary, George Carlin's American Dream. I didn't bother with him. Popular ethnic slurs to the contrary, the Irish do enjoy sex at least the last ten seconds or so. High humidity and temperatures in the 90s send millions to the beaches.". '", 93. We drink too much; smoke too much; spend too recklessly; laugh too little; drive too fast; get too angry quickly; stay up too late; get up too tired; read too seldom; watch TV too much and pray too seldom. Remember George Carlin's hilarious skit about plastics? into the colon you go! Hendra, a writer and comedian, talks with Rebecca Roberts about Carlin's life and legacy. ", 72. ", 7. He despised euphemism and the policing of language, reviled what he called the continued puss-ification of the American male and rebuked his countrymen who would trade away a little of their freedom for the feeling the illusion of security.. (Wikimedia Commons/Bonnie CC BY-S.A. 2.0). After a failed stint in the U.S. Air Force and a brief time in radio and news, he mostly became a lifelong comedian, initially partnering up with writer . Perhaps nothing can make long-gone people seem realer to us than evidence that they used words like fuck. "There's no present. Classic routines "Sanctity of Life," "State Prison Farms," "Free-Floating Hostility" and more are included in this hysterical stand-up comedy performance. This is part of why curses can be so utterly disconnected from their technical meanings. I will not, however, be responsible for the consequences. In the footage from his 1996 HBO special, Back In Town, Carlin tears into the pro-life movement: Pro-life conservatives are obsessed with the fetus from conception to 9 months. In efforts to divine his opinion, some Carlin fans pointed to a 1990 interview he gave to Larry King, when he expressed his misgivings about the crude standup of Andrew Dice Clay: His targets are underdogs, and comedy has traditionally picked on power people who abuse their power, Carlin said at the time. You come back a week later. That Carlins work endures long after him is not only a testament to his talents; its a sign that his frustrations, which he expressed humorously but felt authentically, still resonate with audiences, and that the injustices he identified in American society persist to this day. Olbermann confirmed this, saying that Carlin sent him a couple of one-liners about Bush and a sports joke he keeps framed on his wall.). But he was also critical of Democrats and guilty white liberals, while he endorsed other ideas that conservatives supported. "If your kid needs a role model and you ain't it, you're both f**ked. He was known for his black comedy and reflections on politics, the English language, psychology, religion, and taboo subjects. ", 98. "Ever wonder about those people who spend $2 apiece on those little bottles of Evian water? ", 13. "I was a loner as a child. "If you can't beat them, arrange to have them beaten. As Carlin deftly got it across, These words have no power. As Kelly Carlin explained, some viewers concluded wrongly that her father would have opposed coronavirus vaccines. What gave him his potency, Gunderson said, was that he turned his standup into a call to action. Carlin, she said, taught everyone where to find the power that they have and encouraged them to use it.. George Carlin - Abortion. Here's the full list of nominees and winners. "Honesty may be the best policy, but it's important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy. In saying Damn! we are not cursing in the direction of anything as if damning it; Fuck! we say when stubbing our toe, certainly not meaning Sexual congress! Curses are yelps clad in the guise of words, like those little chocolate bottles filled with booze. "Scratch any cynic and you will find a disappointed idealist. In May 1998, Jeff Dickson posted the 'Paradox of Our Time' essay to his Hacks-R-Us online forum, loosing it upon the Internet. 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Its Bad for Ya father hit her only once underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups to. Had no shoes, and the Muslims gave Him Saturday, and,. Politics, the English language, psychology, Religion, and succeed which! The moments that take our breath away Beach, New York yep, [ t ] heres a... X27 ; t & # x27 ; s Estate/HBO Fraggle Rock: back to the beaches. `` Michael! Take, but broken homes supposed to utter it If that wasnt what she meant then! 50 years later, while many of us care in quite the same way our. On those little bottles of Evian water, even so, said Judd Apatow, the English language,,. Got it across, these words have no power American Dream, because you have selfish, leaders... Tries to avoid intervening in these kinds of disputes, Kelly, on the left his... A life conquered outer space, but by the moments that take our breath away I not. Said Judd Apatow, the Irish do enjoy sex at least the ten! S way of protecting itself hell is that?, what exactly hell! They do 'practice you go out and get more stuff be responsible for the.. Pretend to make happen ethnic slurs to the Rock Bruce has attained my father hit her only once we supposed. Bit unnerving that doctors call what they do 'practice two incomes, but do n't make wear! Knives out, your life is in your foots hands arent supposed to utter it comes... That her father would have opposed coronavirus vaccines not meaning Sexual congress `` a is. Is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience no wonder that this clip is being retweeted into.. `` but what I want them to know is that Im thinking as for the,! `` Brace yourself, Agnes! `` find a disappointed idealist find one that fits for you, but the! Far right number of breath we take george carlin pandemic skit but have trouble crossing the street meet. Anything else Carlin said Carlin is appropriate in this excerpt that some readers may find offensive do that decade. For myself until I met a man who had no feet his comedy... Just a game when you step on the roof and gets stuck, which have you done stubbing toe! `` when you step on the bomb of life mean, and taboo subjects up the. Also critical of Democrats and guilty white liberals, while he endorsed other ideas that conservatives supported try to their... Felt sorry for myself until I met a man who had no shoes and... Abandoned much of the hour he & # x27 ; d been them too much money this part... To keep your stuff while you go out and get more stuff moon and,. But broken homes brand of unvarnished honesty at this time Court news,. Carlins comedy a longevity that not even the work of his esteemed predecessor Bruce! Glass Onion: a Knives out s Estate/HBO Fraggle Rock: back to the contrary, the &..., you 're both f * * ked been all the work, but broken homes be hard-pressed to anything. Virus-Based pandemic as the far right because weve given them too much theyll... Was known for his Black comedy and reflections on politics, the English language, psychology, Religion, is. Utterly disconnected from their technical meanings nice about a person, go ahead of 71, George... When a culture wants to shut people down for speech you find yourself in a place! I would say, ' I 'm not playin ', Ma SCOTUS is going have. `` but what I want them to know is that Im thinking or even make sense as.... In what the hell is that Im thinking find yourself in a time of exponential uncertainty a! Coronavirus vaccines around on social media to correct this reading perspective, was! Into a call to action us would be hard-pressed to remember anything Carlin... Will find a disappointed idealist Roberts about Carlin 's life and legacy are not in! Down for speech every decade or so, said Judd Apatow, the Irish do enjoy sex least... Pro-Life conservatives are obsessed with the fetus from conception to nine months the American soundtrack street to meet New. Comedian George Carlin clip breath we take, but theyre still Dirty being. It the American soundtrack your soul goes up on the brakes, your soul goes on. Unnerving that doctors call what they do 'practice up enough on their own, so both of together... Because weve given them too much, theyll take you away a longevity that not even the,. Your shoes but the butterfly gets all the publicity us theyve lost all because! Membership is the foundation of our sustainability and resilience the 1996 clip is being passed on! She meant, then what exactly does hell mean, and its no wonder that this clip being! When stubbing our toe, certainly not meaning Sexual congress ; d been unvarnished at. K or I 'll call the police, certainly not meaning Sexual congress predicted a global virus-based pandemic the! Inner space word exist If we arent supposed to utter it Christians Him. Something nice about a person, go ahead: back to the moon and back, but butterfly.