Carlin

Does anyone see the irony with the headline “Oil companies and some lawmakers are pressing to open up more U.S. areas for drilling.” the day after George Carlin died?

This really sucks. For years, George Carlin was my favorite (living) comedian. My favorite was Sam, but unlike George, he was taken way too early. So George was it for me, and I never missed his HBO specials. I also picked up his books. And, around five years ago, my wife Julie actually got tickets to his show at Miller Auditorium in Kalamazoo. I was going to see Carlin live!

Then the day came. All week leading up to the show, I was as giddy as a school kid. I could not wait! When he actually took the stage, I actually felt special being in the audience, in the same hall, as Carlin performed.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed. While his act was good, much of it was material taken from the last few years of his acts, which I already knew by heart. And because this was not an HBO show, he was testing out some bits, many of which were not that funny. Some were great, and I saw them perfected a few months later on the next HBO special, but too many were not.

The other thing about watching Carlin is his facial expressions, and the mannerisms that go with the act. Being in the audience, and sitting a little far away, you could not see it clearly enough.

All this is to say I enjoyed Carlin on the TV better than Carlin live.

His last two HBO shows, while pretty funny, were not as good as his act a few years before. It wasn’t just the material, but the fact that he came across somewhat bitter and pissed off. Rather than channeling whatever it was the was making him angry (I think, but don’t know for a fact, that it was the direction our country has been taking since 9/11, meaning how the current President’s ineptitude, legalizing bigotry, etc.) George simply got angry. I felt that he was downtrodden that the country was not moving in a more progressive manner, but rather falling back to religious dogma and.. I don’t know.

Carlin was king of the “ever notice” scenarios. He could take the most mundane topics and make them funny, like when we think something is going to be really heavy when we pick it up, and it’s not. And for just a moment, we feel really strong. Classic Carlin. But he really pushed the envelope, and I don’t mean the Seven Words bit. As far as I know, he is/was the only big name comedian to try and make a joke about rape. Not a subject I would ever think to try and make light of, but Carlin did. NOT because he thought rape was funny, but because he wanted to prove that no subject is, or should be, too taboo to find the humor in.

George Carlin will also be one of my heroes. Not because of his sense of humor, or his brilliant mind, but because he was such an advocate of free speech.

George will be missed by many, especially in trying times like we live in.