GEORGE CARLIN: 1937 - 2008

‘Rufus’ is gone!

George Carlin is dead and the world is all the worse a place for it. Seriously. Ask anyone who “knows” comedy to name their Top 5 all-time favourite stand-up comedians and Carlin would be in the Top 3 of at least 80% of those polled. Of course, as further evidence of the way our media operates in this day and age, the affiliated press seem more interested in reporting that Nicole Richie is trying for a second baby then they are in paying a worthy tribute to this truly great man.

I’m truly, truly, truly gutted to learn of this news. It broke me in my daily stride to learn of his passing. The man was an icon and master within the world of comedy; he was the first person to host SNL, he was the first to break the “HBO Comedy Specials” out into the mainstream and he made many a great Kevin Smith movie even greater, as well as a whole, whole, whole host of other ‘big deals’.

From the IMDB:

George Carlin, arguably, is the greatest and - after Lenny Bruce - most influential stand-up comedian of all time. An Irish Catholic born and raised in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of New York City, Carlin started out as a conventional comedian and had achieved a fair degree of success as a Bill Cosby style raconteur in nightclubs and on TV until the late 1960s, when he radically overhauled his persona. The new persona, which is more in line with who and what George Carlin is, has been “George Carlin” ever since and is what made him a great stand-up comedian. Carlin’s forte is Lenny Bruce-style social and political commentary, spiced with nihilistic observations about people and religion peppered with black humor. He is also noted for his use of language. Carlin’s notorious “Seven Dirty Words” comedy routine was part of a radio censorship case that made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1978.

I leave you, after the “Read The Rest Of This Entry” jump with a selection of quotes from the great man himself, to remind us all of just what an insane talent he was.

The world seems a little crappier now knowing that we’ll never have another ‘fresh’ George Carlin witticism!

Most people are not particulary good at anything.

If acting was hard for me, I wouldn’t do it, it is something that I like to do.

If someone loves you and they leave and don’t come back, it was never meant to be. If someone loves you and they leave and come back, set them on fire.

When evolution is outlawed, only outlaws will evolve.

Honesty may be the best policy, but it’s important to remember that apparently, by elimination, dishonesty is the second-best policy.

Somehow I enjoy watching people suffer.

Heart disease has changed my eating habits, but I still cook bacon for the smell.

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.

I have as much authority as the Pope, I just don’t have as many people who believe it.

[March 1997] We use up words like “spiritual” so fast in this culture. Twenty years ago “spiritual” had a distinct meaning. But now there’s a lot of jack-off thinkers who just love to talk about the spiritual. And there is a lot of bogus — is “bogosity” a word? It should be — a lot of bogosity in these spiritual seekers. So you have to find another way to express it. I just call it “how I fit.

I think it’s the duty of the comedian to find out where the line is drawn and cross it deliberately.

I would never want to be a member of a group whose symbol was a guy nailed to two pieces of wood.

I’m not afraid of heights, I’m just afraid of falling from them.

To be intoxicated is to feel sophisticated, but not be able to say it.

The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live.

Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?

Some national parks have long waiting lists for camping reservations. When you have to wait a year to sleep next to a tree, something is wrong.

Don’t confuse my point of view with cynicism. The real cynics are the ones who tell you that everything’s gonna be all right.

Dusting is a good example of the futility of trying to put things right. As soon as you dust, the fact of your next dusting has already been established.

Frisbeetarianism is the belief that when you die, your soul goes up on the roof and gets stuck.

The very existence of flamethrowers proves that sometime, somewhere, someone said to themselves, “You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I’m just not close enough to get the job done”.

Standing ovations have become far too commonplace. What we need are ovations where the audience members all punch and kick one another.

R I P - George Carlin

Posted on Monday, June 23rd, 2008 at 1:18 pm under Movie News by Gazz.
Tags:Movie News

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