Posted on 06/22/2008 10:11:46 PM PDT by jmc813
OS ANGELES (Reuters) - Comedian George Carlin, a counter-culture hero famed for his routines about drugs and dirty words, died of heart failure at a Los Angeles-area hospital on Sunday, a spokesman said. He was 71. ADVERTISEMENT Carlin, who had a history of heart problems, died at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica about 6 p.m. PDT (9 p.m. EDT) after being admitted earlier in the afternoon for chest pains, spokesman Jeff Abraham told Reuters. Known for his edgy, provocative material, Carlin achieved status as an anti-Establishment icon in the 1970s with stand-up bits full of drug references and a routine about seven dirty words you could not say on television. A regulatory battle over a radio broadcast of his "Filthy Words" routine ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
It seemed to “hit him” when his wife died. That was the point where he switched from simply ranting and musing about the stupidities of modern life, to an all-out assault on America and everything else. I think he felt that everything that had mattered to him had been taken away.
Was he a smoker or something? Voice def. got quite a bit raspy over the years.
As for those saying he’ll be going to you know where, I’m
reminded of a Steve Martin bit where he imagines being up at the gates of heaven, awaiting his judgement: “How many times did I take the Lord’s name in vain? Ewwwwwwwwwww...A million
and six? Jesus Chr—” (stops himself short)
One thing about Carlin is that even though he was liberal in many ways, he also had the same disdain for the “guilty white liberal” type that many of us do.
In a different setting, he could have ended up a conservative. However, he took a different road.
“Uh oh. The thread police!”
Yep...
To serve and protect!
Now MSNBC’s Mike Barnicle will have to find a new source
of material.
(It was revealed that Barnicle stole bits of Carlin’s
“Brain Droppings” and included them in his Boston Globe
columns, claiming they were his lines. When asked about it,
Barnicle claimed he had never read the book. Then someone
dragged up a bit from WCVB/Boston’s “Chronicle” in which
he declared the book has “a yuk on every page”.
“As for those saying he’ll be going to you know where, I’m
reminded of a Steve Martin bit where he imagines being up at the gates of heaven, awaiting his judgement: “How many times did I take the Lord’s name in vain? Ewwwwwwwwwww...A million
and six? Jesus Chr—” (stops himself short)”
Exactly what I’ve been thinking.
My favorites...
George Carlin.... “IN THE NEWS”
A football team died today in sudden death overtime.
Scientists have discovered a disease that has no known symptoms. It is impossible to detect and there’s no known cure. Fortunately no cases have been reported thus far.
A man was arrested today for trying to use food stamps to mail a watermelon.
The FDA announce today that saliva causes stomach cancer. However, only when swallowed in small amounts over a long period of time.
And finally, a psychiatrist has discovered a cure for apathy. However, no one is paying any attention to it.
And Wawa’s.
Yes I guess the orig. Mr Conductor was Ringo Starr; then
came Carlin, and “daddy of the year” Alec Baldwin
had the role in the movie...
"Why do they lock gas station bathrooms?
Are they afraid someone will clean them?"
RIP - he brought laughter to millions, which is a blessing in any era.
I am thinking that a lot of folks are talking past one another in this thread.
Few conservatives, I suspect, have paid close attention to Carlin over his long career.
Some of us remember some funny moments (some of which were really funny but some of which we just THOUGHT were funny because we were young ourselves and a little rebellious).
Others of us have caught some of his really angry, America-hating, nihilistic bile, which I think was more a product of his later years.
I wish to weigh in with those who feel that the profound nastiness and bitterness of this man completely outweighed his humor.
I urge those who are remembering him affectionately to be sure that they are aware of the full range of his material before they go too far in celebrating him, even for the laughs he gave. Anyone who thinks that his dark side was nothing more than seven dirty words and a bit of biting political humor has no idea.
I don’t think there is anyone in mainstream American culture — not Sean Penn or Natalie Maines or Michael Moore or Jane Fonda or Alec Baldwin — none of them have poured more bitter bile on America than this man. I can not feign sadness at his passing.
Bruce Springsteen died?!?
I don’t disagree - that was my point as well.
“Bruce Springsteen died?!?”
He’s been pretty much dead musically for about 25 years.
In his memory I will DRIVE on the PARKway and then PARK my car in my DRIVEWAY. RIP George
LOL! That’s about when I quit listening to him.
He was a very talented man who lost his mind near the end.
His anger and hatred towards conservatives and Christians was not funny at all.
I loved Brain Droppings but returned a later book after reading the first few pages of it - offensive psychotic rantings.
RIP
Disease quip: We were watching a commercial yesterday. “There are no known symtoms but contact your doctor to find out more”. And yes...Lo and behold...There is a pill for this.
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