Posted on 12/17/2012 3:55:50 AM PST by Kaslin
Comedian Adam Carolla has never been one to censor what comes out of his mouth. The gift of gab took him from humble beginnings in economically destitute North Hollywood to dizzying heights inthe entertainment industry, where he could afford to move a few miles away.
It's a story of hard work and success that comes through in his recent book Not Taco Bell Material, a chaotic tour that takes readers from Carolla's early years to how he finally found his calling - and his success.
Carolla's disdain for the politically-correct culture of sensitivity has made him an unlikely but powerful critic of the progressive watering-down of American culture. His first book, In Fifty Years We'll All Be Chicks, was an ode to an era of manliness lost to decades of gender-neutral education. And in recent years, he's lamented the loss of a society that takes responsibility for its actions.
"I made my own luck," Carolla tells Townhall. "I'm the guy who was rejected from Taco Bell," he says, referring his failed application to the fast-food restaurant in his youth that inspired the book's title. "Would you think that guy was born with a four-leaf clover or a rabbit's foot up his butt?"
Thematically, Not Taco Bell Material could be summed up in four words: hard work pays off. It's a mantra espoused by Carolla, from his well-publicized criticisms of the Occupy Wall Street movement to recent comments about the deplorable class warfare deployed by Democrats. "They always say tax 'the rich.'" Carolla says. "Who's 'the rich'? I'm not rich. I'm successful. They never say 'tax the hard-working' or 'tax the successful.' They say 'the rich' because it's easier to deal with their inability to be successful by attributing others' success to luck."
Despite his criticism of the mentality of big-government progressives, Carolla insists his fellow entertainment-industry workers mean well. "Others in Hollywood are very humble. And they say, you know 'I'm very lucky and there are a lot of good actors out of work.' They all know, however, that they worked their tail off to get where they are."
Disdain for the entitlement society has become one of Carolla's distinctions after a rant about Occupy Wall Street went viral last year. "Self-entitled monsters," he called some of the protesters, who "think the world owes them a living."
"It's this envy and shame, and there's gonna be a lot more of it," he said. "Everybody's a winner, there are no losers."
Carolla's own humility comes from his connection with his roots. His retelling of the life story - crazy stories and all - is aided by the fact that he's constantly reminded of it.
"I never left Los Angeles... I probably live three miles from where all those antics took place. I drive past them on an almost-daily basis, which is sort of weird." And despite the adolescent ballbusting and trouble he and his friends got up to, he's stayed true. "I'm happy to say that most all those guys I'm still on great terms with."
Watch Carolla on the O'Reilly Factor last week discussing why he thinks the Left goes after hard workers:
...the people who make the laws in regards to taxes always have the out. INSIDER TRADING IS LEGAL for them. When they have to pay for their medical,retirement,AND legal defense....maybe, just maybe there will be change. When they MUST serve time for committing crimes they should forfeit ALL benefits....maybe,just maybe.
So I’m in the employment business. One of my candidates could never lock down an interview I would help set up. (3 in total). At that point I realize he just doesn’t get it or doesn’t want it. He had 4 positions in 9 years but it was never his fault...(you guys see where I’m going here?)....he friended me on Facebook and he’s the biggest liberal bone head. Argues against any reasonable conservative point and hails the magic Negro everyday. These type scare me. Sadly there are many.
What is the “fair share” of a drug using welfare family that commits crimes and lives off of everyone else?
Time for my Larry story again.
Larry and Gary are twins, both have Down’s Syndrome. I met them both around 1999, Larry worked for Wal-Mart, still does, as a cart pusher, Gary worked at Kroger, same job for both of them but I knew Larry better.
Larry is a success, not in the same sense of an Adam Carolla but a success nevertheless. He absolutely loves his job and in 1999 he was making $12 per hour pushing those carts (about double what his brother was making by the way). He loved his job so much that Wal-Mart had to force him to take his earned vacation time. Most days he would come to the store anyway, even though he was on vacation, he even tried to work on those days and management had to force him not to work.
He and his brother live together and they have a social worker that checks on them from time to time, unnecessarily, according to Larry.
They are not a burden on society and are happy.
I contrast them with some I have actually known who have never worked a day in their lives sucking off of taxpayers, taxpayers like the two brothers, whining constantly that their welfare check is not enough to live on and it makes me want to scream in frustration.
We are not born with “equality of opportunity”. Larry and Gary were born less “equal” than most but made the best of what God gave them. Many of the “takers” were born with much better chances to succeed in life, yet through their choices live off the work of others. They do not deserve one cent of Larry’s hard earned money.
That is a great story, thank you for posting.
Great story of which a lesson should be taken
The two are related. “A man's gotta’ do what a man's gotta’ do” isn't a claim to the right to do as he damned well pleases, rather it is a testament to the fact that in our Culture there are responsibilities a male MUST rise to meet if he is to be considered a Man. Leftism and Manhood can't coexist.
Of course the Left goes after hard workers, There is no money to be had in the shacks with smoking Pintos in the driveway.
Our government has high taxes on things like tobacco and alcohol (among other things) because we know that discourages the use of these substances. Likewise, the government has subsidies for “green” energy and charitable giving (among other things) because it will encourage more of that.
Following that logic when we have high taxes on financial success we have to say that it is because this is something the government wants to discourage. Likewise, when the government subsidizes having children out of wedlock and not working we have to say that it is because this is something the government wants more of.
A few years ago I used the phrase “punishing success” around a lib-in-law.
In typical lib fashion when the truth is blatantly stated, he got very upset.
“It’s NOT a PUNISHMENT!”
I just looked at him and said “yeah, right it’s not a punishment.” He was embarrassed, but didn’t say anything else.
Taxes the #1 killer of success.
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