The comedic community at large lost a milepost this past Sunday. George Carlin passed away, age 71, due to heart failure. From his more memorable moments, like opening the Saturday Night Live series in 1975 to his later famous-infamous "7 words you can't say on TV", he carved many a channel in the brain of society, the latter of which led to a Supreme Court decision based on his diatribe...
Most people I've talked to either hated him or loved him...not much of a middle ground out there. For those that hated him, he could be crass, vulgar, irreverent, and very coarse. Definitely not for kids. And yet those very same attributes created adoration in those that appreciated his championing the fight for uniqueness, the demolition of the status quo ideology, the right to stand up and say "I disagree!", all while speaking truth through his form of humor. All I can say is he often made me laugh in the privacy of my own home.Some of you may know that Albert Einstein (yep, THE one) got a D in high school math once...I guess I've always loved the 'unexpected' from people of brilliance, even if I don't fully understand them. I DO understand that societal standards determine virtually nothing of a person's actual impact on society as a whole...which is a bunch of lofty words that simply say be 'genuine'...be your 'authentic self'...be 'true' to yourself. George was. And still is.
Look, the guy was a misfit from the get-go...he left school in the ninth grade, got kicked out of the Air Force...in fact, he got kicked out of three schools...got kicked out of the choir and the altar boys as well as summer camp. He was smoking pot at 13 in the early 1950's, and in his own words he was always a lawbreaker and a kind of outlaw rebel. And yet...and yet he rocked the industry and society as a whole with his unabashed approach to his craft, which he considered his very Life...comedy.
And so I pulled together some of his more 'tame' quotes for you...and what better way to begin than with part of his routine as "Al Sleet, the Hippy Dippy Weatherman"...
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Weather forecast for tonight: dark. Continued dark overnight, with widely scattered light by morning.
As a matter of principle, I never attend the first annual anything.
Honesty may be the best policy, but it's important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy.
I think it's the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately.
If it's true that our species is alone in the universe, then I'd have to say that the universe aimed rather low and settled for very little.
I'm completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death.
It's never just a game when you're winning.
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
When someone asks you, A penny for your thoughts, and you put your two cents in, what happens to the other penny?
I don't have hobbies; hobbies cost money. Interests are quite free.
One can never know for sure what a deserted area looks like.
Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn't mean the circus has left town.
I have as much authority as the Pope, I just don't have as many people who believe it.
"I am" is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that "I do" is the longest sentence?
As a matter of principle, I never attend the first annual anything.
Honesty may be the best policy, but it's important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy.
I think it's the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately.
If it's true that our species is alone in the universe, then I'd have to say that the universe aimed rather low and settled for very little.
I'm completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death.
It's never just a game when you're winning.
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
When someone asks you, A penny for your thoughts, and you put your two cents in, what happens to the other penny?
I don't have hobbies; hobbies cost money. Interests are quite free.
One can never know for sure what a deserted area looks like.
Just cause you got the monkey off your back doesn't mean the circus has left town.
I have as much authority as the Pope, I just don't have as many people who believe it.
"I am" is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that "I do" is the longest sentence?
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