Perhaps the greatest comedian to grace the stage, 71 year old George Carlin passed away last Sunday. Carlin was by far my favorite comedian, and news of his passing was much more saddening than I could have anticipated.
I purchased my first George Carlin CD in the 8th grade when I was 14 years old. It was titled "Back In Town", his 17th album, and hardly a way to get into George Carlin. I had never heard a person sound so angry and vulgar trying to make people laugh. These were things that usually turned me off from comedy. But for some reason I loved it. This man was much more than a comedian. While his routines were filled with wit and humor, his material worked on a deeper level and gave him the means to plead with society, attempting to steer humanity away from its' destructive future.
George was always an interesting character. He was raised a Roman Catholic youth in a part of New York he called "White Harlem". Rebellious from the get go, Carlin dropped out of school when he was in the 9th grade. He jumped from job to job, and was eventually discharged from the air force for being "unproductive". It wasn't until the 1960's that Carlin started becoming popular. He was a heralded disc jockey, and soon was performing stand up acts, and finally made appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show. He began to popularize the characters he created in his acts, such as Al Sleet, the "Hippy-Dippy" weatherman, and eventually released his debut album, Take Offs and Put Ons in 1967.
Carlin did more than stand-up comedy. He was the very first host on Saturday Night Live. He even made his way to the silver screen, but his appearances in film are few and far between, and even still usually consisted of smaller parts in bad movies (Jersey Girl anyone?). A few notable performances include Rufus, from Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, as well as the Fillmore, patriotic Humvee from Cars. Perhaps his most surprising accomplishment was his stint on Shining Time Station with Thomas the Tank Engine. I loved the show, and as a child became a George Carlin fan before I even knew who he was.
I was fortunate enough to see Carlin on his last tour, the Parade of Useless Bullshit, and now look back on that night as one of the greatest shows I've ever been too, and probably will ever go to. His show was unorthodox and entertaining. He performed in Benaroya Hall, which is also home to the Seattle Symphony. Hardly the location for a stand-up comedian. Also, rather than have a comedian open for him, he chose a musical opening act; an elderly gospel singer, who was able to fill the hall with his natural voice alone. The entire show preceded this way. He didn't perform sketches, or focused jokes. He simply talked, said what was on his mind. It was more a conversation than a performance.
At the end of his career, Carlin had released 23 albums, and had recorded 14 HBO specials. Comedy Central ranked him as the 2nd best comedian of all time, and his persona has become a centerpiece of American culture. On stage, Carlin took on the role of Noah, and constructed an Ark of sanity hoping to save humanity from drowning in its' own stupid. He is irreplaceable, and leaves a gaping void in the world he left behind. Here's looking at you George.
